Chi SPACCA

robert · November 19, 2018, 5:53pm

They’re named after a Monty Python routine.

John Stuart Mill, of his own free will,
On half a pint of shandy was particularly ill.
Plato, they say, could stick it away,
Half a crate of whiskey every day.
Aristotle, Aristotle was a bugger for the bottle.
Hobbes was fond of his dram.
And Rene Descartes was a drunken fart,
“I drink, therefore I am.”

tailbacku · November 20, 2018, 12:36am

I’ll be a contrarian here and say that the focaccia, while really good, is overrated. I was expecting magic, but what I got instead was some really good bread (I’m not sure I would even call it a focaccia).

robert · November 20, 2018, 12:57am

Italians call a wide variety of things focaccia, and the Recco version is a serious outlier.

Nemroz · December 17, 2018, 11:59pm

so fascinating… seriously. people’s tastes are so strange.

Nemroz · December 19, 2018, 5:11pm

Welcome to my ‘don’t take food recs seriously’ list

xoxo

moonboy403 · February 12, 2019, 3:26am

I thoroughly enjoyed my early V-day dinner here last night sitting at the counter and I can’t wait to return! Why don’t I see more love for this place on FTC?? There are so many other dishes I wanna try here…

Veal Tongue | oregano vinaigrette
The tongue is sous vided and sliced to order. They’re incredibly tender and wonderfully rich while the accompanying vinaigrette gives off fresh herbaceous notes and acidity which lifted the dish to the next level.

Toasted Pane Bianco | bistecca drippings
I’m generally skeptical of bread that I need to order off the menu since I like my bread free and this particular one has to clear a much higher bar since it’s $10 for one thick piece of toast with no refill. With that said, this bread/toast totally won me over! It’s incredibly airy and soft on the inside but got a good crust on the exterior after browning in olive oil. To top it off, the bistecca “drippings” are basically trimmings of the dry aged steak cooked down into bacon-like bits! Sure it’s greasy and heavy but it’s deeply savory!

Glorious

Baby Sea Scallop Ceviche | page mandarin, chive, basil
This is a much needed intermezzo to cleanse our palate post bistecca drippings. The bay scallops are sugar sweet and paired perfectly with the zesty citrus vinaigrette and supremed mandarin. On the other hand, basil is used sparingly to add fragrance and further enhances brightness. Finally, the chives added delicate allium notes in the background to keep the ceviche from straying too far from being savory city.

Beef & Bone Marrow Pie | beef cheek, cippolini, funghi, mashed potato
Mashed potato here is JR mashed potato lite. Delicious but very…very rich.

Money shot

The pie is ridiculously delicious but overwhelming rich and hearty. Cutting open the golden pie crust releases its delectable and saucy red wine reduction. Inside this controlled chaos, you’ll find chunks of braised tender beef cheeks, earthy shrooms that retained their springy texture, and sweet cippolini onion that perfectly cooked. This dish is a shame to be left unordered!

Seasonal Gelati & Sorbetti | chocolate gelato, peanut butter gelato, tangerine sorbet, almond pizzelles

Chocolate - decadently rich and smooth
Peanut Butter - the peanuts are probably toasted which gives out these incredibly creamy, savory, and nutty notes
Tangerine - very refreshing citrusy flavors to offset the other two opulently flavored gelato, but a touch too icy

tailbacku · February 12, 2019, 4:04am

Yes Chi Spacca is amazing (I too was late to jump on the bandwagon but I’m full onboard) and I think it gets plenty of love here on FTC.

PorkyBelly · February 12, 2019, 5:03am

Love that pie. Had a great duck pithivier recently at republique. We need more meat pies.

Nemroz · February 12, 2019, 5:18am

Interesting technique on the pie. We are it from the top without letting it collapse as long as we could. Hope you tried the bottom, we couldn’t believe how nicely it held up

moonboy403 · February 12, 2019, 5:44am

We’re animals. So naturally, we devoured the whole thing.

J_L · February 12, 2019, 5:55am

That reminds me: Happy Year of the Pig!

Chowseeker1999 · February 12, 2019, 7:00am

Hi @moonboy403,

Nice report. But where’s the rest of your meal?! (No 50oz Steak or 48oz Pork Chop???)

moonboy403 · February 12, 2019, 7:42am

Thanks! I’m a glutton but I haven’t reached PorkBelly god status yet!

skramzlife · February 12, 2019, 5:05pm

Chi Spacca is probably the best restaurant pound for pound in LA imo

Sgee · February 12, 2019, 5:40pm

It’s definitely one of the better loved joints on FTC. That marrow pie looks insane!!!

fyi, the pork chop is pretty spectacular too.

Nemroz · February 12, 2019, 7:24pm

Yep. There’s a reason we’ve gone there so many times in last 3 years. I like everything about it!

TheCookie · February 12, 2019, 8:22pm

Okay, we’re finally going. It will be just the 2 of us. Are all of the items in the “Macelleria” (butcher shop) for sharing? Everything seems to be Flintstone sized.

P.S. We’re not choosing it over Republique @PorkyBelly. We received a holiday gift card.

Nemroz · February 12, 2019, 8:41pm

check out my visits. i think i documented 3 different orders without the pork chop/ fiorentina / the pie. there’s loads to get there. lamb is a smaller format dish. .if they have the lamb sausage or veal tongues they cant be missed… and the foca

TheCookie · February 12, 2019, 9:03pm

Okay, I’m reading the whole thread. This is a tough one for me (not my carnivorous husband). I won’t get into my tree hugging issues when it comes to eating certain animals. I want him to enjoy his meat, but they’re certain things I’m not willing to eat. I haven’t yet eliminated beef (working on it), so the thing to do would be to get that ginormous Bistecca, but there are so many other things I want to try - namely the Beef Cheek & Bone Marrow Pie.

Anyway, just ruminating… nobody can settle this for me. My sister calls this “first world problems”.

Sgee · February 12, 2019, 9:08pm

Leftovers make excellent luxe taco filings