A Northern Italian surprise, it is cleverly situated between two office buildings in the heart of West Los Angeles on Olympic Boulevard.
Il Moro provides both business lunches and intimate dinners. An enclosed outdoor patio is an alternative choice, with romantic twilight and heat lamps for these chilly evenings.
Those who prefer the great indoors will find rattan seating, trendy hardwood floors, low lights and elegant white tablecloths. Booth seating was quite comfortable.
Chef Antonio Tommasi, a native of Venice, owner of Ca’Brea Restaurant and the famous Locanda Veneta on Third Street, is first rate. Working with a creative menu, he leaves you with memories of tasteful delights.
When my friend and I entered Il Moro, we were pleasantly greeted by our host and a helpful waiter who introduced us to their popular combination salad, Insalata Garga del Moro. Fresh hearts of palm, tomato, avocado, watercress and pine nuts were topped with balsamic vinegar dressing and shaved parmesan cheese, all for a reasonable $9.25.
Sharing the plate was Il Moro¹s artichoke salad ($9.75), which included mixed lettuce, fresh baby artichoke, arugola and a wonderful lemon/balsamic dressing.
The following dish was Risotto ai Porcini($16.50), an Italian arborio rice cooked with a porcini mushroom sauce combined with tortelloni d¹aragosta. This is a homemade tortelloni filled with lobster and shrimp in saffron sauce ($16.50).
Another interesting, flavorful dish was the Pansotti Alla Bietola, a homemade red beet pasta filled with Swiss chard and served with yellow/red cherry tomatoes, in season, coupled with shitake mushrooms and white wine sauce ($15.95).
Following the delectable appetizers came the entrée served by our friendly waiter. He brought us the most spectacular tasting grigliata di Pesca, a striped grilled bass filet adjacent to Santa Barbara shrimp-and-grilled scallop combo, topped with salsa/Pico de Gallo garnish, one of their most reasonable offerings at $21.
My friend had the Filetto All¹aceto Antico di Modena, a tasty tender beef filet mignon sauteed with a secret sauce of aged balsamic vinegar, imported from Italy.
Neither of us stopped raving. We topped the evening with the Il Moro special dessert, a chocolate torte of flourless cake served with warm, garnished toasted almonds and Grand Marnier sauce. I had crema di vaniglia ($7.50), a rich vanilla cream custard covered with a yummy soft caramel sauce, followed by a cup of espresso.
If we could have found room, we also would have had the Morta al Limone, an Il Moro lemon cake served colorfully with mixed berries and port sauce.
Il Moro, available for private parties, is a perfect setting for entertaining your out-of-town guests. Tutto molto buono.
Il Moro Ristorante, 11400 Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles.
Reservations: 310.575.3530.
Hours: Mondays through Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. until 10 p.m.
Fridays/Saturdays: 11:30 until 10:30. Sundays: 4:30 until 9:30. Valet parking.
