65759 Wed Jan 12 19:29:24 -0800 2005 14 2 Los Angeles Area 0 354635 I've been wanting to try La Fornaretta after reading several positive posts on this board. I specifically wanted to visit because La F. is billed as a Sicilian restaurant. My husband and I have traveled (read: eaten) extensively through Sicily using Gambero Rosso, Fred Plotkin's book and an Italian language trattoria guidebook to pick restaurants, and we had some fantastic food. So I was hoping to enjoy some great Sicilian fare. We went last Saturday, on a rainy night, early before a concert. The restaurant was nearly empty when we arrived at six but when we left at 7:30 it was full. There's a nice bar and a large window at the front; it was pleasant to watch the rain outside and enjoy a glass of wine inside. I'll cut to the chase: I ordered a dish billed as a Palermitan specialty: Pasta alla Sfincioni. It was the first dish on the list of pasta specialties and that indicates to me that the restaurant wants to emphasize it. The waiter described it in great detail, saying it had anchovies, currants, caramelized onions and bread crumbs. It sounded very much like a classic Sicilian sweet-savory sauce, and they do use bread crumbs quite a bit. (Never waste a thing, on this long-impoverished island.) The dish came and instead of smelling appetizing, it smelled like rancid oil. I was really put off by the odor. Reluctantly I tasted it and it didn't have any anchovy taste that I could detect. I sent it back after discussing my reaction with the waiter. My working theory is that the bread crumbs were sauteed in butter or oil and stored too long at room temperature. They were on top of the dish and I expect that is why it smelled strongly of rancidity. Of course the restaurant denied that there was any possibility of something being off, although the waiter did remove the dish not only from our table but from the bill. So I ordered Spaghetti Carbonara as a Plan B. (Yes, I know it's not Sicilian, but I just wanted comfort food at that point.) Huge mistake. The waiter warned me that it was not a creamy carbonara, but I just thought he meant there was no cream in it. Instead what arrived was a platter of pasta tossed with strips of prosciutto, green peas and bits of *scrambled egg*, swimming in some sort of brownish broth. "Huh?" I said. So I explained Spaghetti Carbonara to the waiter (pancetta or bacon, eggs, parmesan, toss with pasta). Scrambled egg??? What's with the brown broth? And again, it tasted completely bland and without flavor. Pasta with prosciutto and peas could be tasty, but this wasn't. And folks, it sure ain't Spaghetti Carbonara. So at this point I was ready to throw in the towel and just order something with a simple red sauce. Instead, the waiter summons the owner, who comes over and sits at the next table. We have the obligatory 15-minute conversation with the owner, during which he informed me that I don't understand Sicilian food, they have different recipes, and his recipes are from the popular restaurants they have had for 30 years in San Francisco. This might sound impressive until it comes out that he is talking about suburbs such as Corte Madera. He specifically mentioned the restaurant in Corte Madera that they have had since 1972. I didn't argue with him--I didn't really want to spend my Saturday evening in a pissing match with a restaurateur--but I'd note here that saying your restaurant has been successful in Corte Madera since 1972 is hardly a badge of honor in the culinary world. We did learn that the owner's wife was NOT in the kitchen that night, which might explain the problem, although the owner defended the chef and his capabilities. Having had such a disastrous experience, though, I'm not inclined to visit again in the hope that a better chef might be cooking. Wed Jan 12 19:29:24 -0800 2005 0 Barham Turner 1 354646 Sounds awful. It also sounds like you know your Italian...any suggestions, not necessarily limited to Pasadena? Wed Jan 12 19:54:22 -0800 2005 354635 0 Pete 2 354743 Try Stoney Point on the western part of Colorado Blvd. It's west of Old Pasadena, over the bridge in a very quiet part of town. They do a pretty nice job. Thu Jan 13 11:17:26 -0800 2005 354646 0 dave 3 354806 What would you recommend there? I have driven by and often wondered about it. Thanks! Thu Jan 13 15:11:08 -0800 2005 354743 0 WildSwede 3 354836 unless they have new management and chef in the last year or so, I would beg to differ...food is heavy handed, mundane Italian, the antithesis of anything you'll try at Tre Venezie. I'd go to Mi Piace before going back to Stoney Point. Thu Jan 13 17:27:23 -0800 2005 354743 0 Local 4 354909 I would agree that Tre Venezie is definately better than Stoney Point, it's actually excellent. I like the small neighborhood feel of Stoney Point. It's kind of like Cheers, where everyone knows your name. The food is secondary to the vibe. Mi Piace is another story. We TRIED to get in last night. though there were six tables set up and ready to be sat, we were told there would be a 15-20 wait for a table. We asked to wait in the bar area while waiting. Very few people were in the bar. They could'nt be waiting for a table. They just told us that to HUSTLE some drinks out of us before seating us. I had to be talked into going there and I went against my better judgement. WE LEFT rather than be HUSTLED. There is no reason on earth that Mi Piace should be as busy as it always is. I hate to say this but La Fornaretta would have been better. Thu Jan 13 21:01:54 -0800 2005 354836 0 dave 5 354959 generally agree,..i can't see the magnetism of Mi Piace being either the food or pleasantries, but apparently throngs disagree...that said, I haven't been to Mi Piace since their re-do because the food is mes-a-mes, and even if it was good, getting in is like a contact-sport,... but if I had to make a choice between those two, i'd still probably vote M.P. not S.P.. Thankfully other choices exist, tho' not necessarily in Pasadena, so I don't have to go to either. Fri Jan 14 12:30:16 -0800 2005 354909 0 Local 6 354977 You are absolutely right. By the way, the re-do at Mi Piace was cosmetic. Unfortunately they did nothing to improve the quality of the food. I truly believe that people go there to be seen, not to eat. One more thing, Don't waste a penny at Villa Sorriso at the end of Old Pas. This place makes La Foranetta look like Valentino. Villa Sorriso seems to be going after the Mi Piace crowd. All show, no go. Fri Jan 14 15:02:31 -0800 2005 354959 0 dave 7 354981 so I've heard...I suppose its fine if people watching/being watched and consuming beverages is your gig. The original Sorriso was considered a cutting-edge trattoria when it opened in Pasadena, geez, 15 years ago? Totally different ownership, the food was good, and "authetic", i.e., carbonara was carbonara, puttanesca sauce had anchovy paste in it, and the arrabiatta was hot. Oh well, our quest continues for a likeable neighborhood Italian spot. We tried Divina Cucina in Montrose, liked the food, but it was missing something...not sure what, but just not "it" yet. I want an Angeli in my backyard, thank you. Fri Jan 14 15:23:38 -0800 2005 354977 0 Local 2 354795 I don't have any great recommendations that haven't been mentioned on this board. I do like Trattoria Tre Venezia although with its pricing it's really a special-occasion spot. I like Angelini Osteria on Beverly. And with the mini-review today of Palmieri in Brentwood I'm ready to slog over to the dreaded Westside. Thu Jan 13 14:17:13 -0800 2005 354646 0 Barham Turner 1 354653 Truly unfortunate. I suppose if the food had been palatable, their ability (or lack thereof) to replicate Sicilian recipes could possibly be overlooked...disappointing perhaps, but at least edible. My previous experiences here were always good, but I haven't been there in the last year or so. I, like others, have liked the ambiance, a good glass of wine, and simplicity. Wed Jan 12 20:34:19 -0800 2005 354635 0 Local 1 354695 Late summer, we too tried LF based on hounds' recommendations, but were sorely disappointed. Our tactic in a new place is to first order individual drinks, split a single salad & single main & proceed based on the outcome, which seemed to royally piss the waiter off. Salad was OK, but the pasta with porcini mushroom main was actually occasional wide tagliateri drowning in a gooey mess of Alfredo-type cheese sauce, with a scarce few specks of porcini here & there. OK, so the funghi were missing in action. But anyone who's been to Italy also knows that sauces are only applied sparingly to pasta. Anyway, not being too deep in the hole, we decided to simply cut our losses rather than make a fuss where we saw little hope for redemption anyway. Thu Jan 13 00:19:30 -0800 2005 354635 0 bernardo 1 354748 What's your opinion of Celestino in Pasadena & Casa Bianca in Eagle Rock? Thu Jan 13 11:41:11 -0800 2005 354635 0 bernardo 2 354796 Not a Celestino (Pasadena) fan. Their food tastes like "restaurant food," mostly prepped well in advance and finished off without much attention to flavor. In their defense, I only visited once, spent about $100 on a disappointing dinner for two and wrote 'em off. Perhaps they do some things well. I used to love Drago in Santa Monica, although I haven't been in years. I haven't made it to Casa Bianca. I suspect I'd like it. Have you been? What's your opinion? Thu Jan 13 14:20:52 -0800 2005 354748 0 Barham Turner 3 354824 Never been. We get to Pasadena infrequently & have tended toward Indian & Thai, which are certainly decent but we do like to branch out a bit, which led us to La Fornetta. I should mention we tried Tre Venezie a while back; chow was pretty good but a bit pricey, service somewhat stiff. Il Fornaio is OK too but lacks flair IOHO. And strange about Celestino, as we think some of the other family places in BH are pretty good. Anyway, we're still searching for any truly compelling choices for casual but well prepared Italian in Pasadena & environs. Thu Jan 13 16:18:43 -0800 2005 354796 0 bernardo