Via Veneto

Via Veneto Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: Via Veneto in Santa Monica has been a darling of the neighborhood since 2001, thanks to the passionate team of owners Fabrizio Bianconi and Marco Cialini and chef Ruben Vasquez. The restaurant inhabits a quaint, narrow space with 40-plus seats. White tablecloths, candles and chandeliers add a touch of romance. Above the small kitchen is a semi-private loft where up to 12 diners can enjoy a three-course, family-style meal.

Food & Drinks: The à la carte menu presents Italian fare made with local and organic ingredients and grass-fed beef. We enjoyed the simple but good flavors of the warm seafood salad, a special that highlighted shrimp, scallops and calamari. Continue with vitello tonnato or Prime beef filet tartare adorned with melted cheese and truffles. Don't miss homemade pastas such as the Gragnano paccheri and veal shank with white ragout, and housemade purple potato gnocci with butter and sage. An interesting special of soft-shell crab offered spaghetti with the crabmeat mixed in alongside a bite on its own for contrast. Carnivores will be very satisfied with the bone-in New York steak perfumed with rosemary. Panna cotta makes for a traditional ending. A thorough, seductive wine list focuses on Italian labels with by-the-glass and half-bottle options.