Bonus squid pic. Cooked perfectly, it was incredibly rich and buttery in texture.
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Ah good catch. Will update my earlier posts
Per the waiter tonight, Amaro flavored (probably Vanilla base).
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A terrific first night performance. The place was jammed (though I noted the back room was kept empty) and I was told that they had so many customers coming in (including several walk-ins) that they planned to stay open later to try to accommodate as many as possible. Accommodate is an apt choice since the staff, including the lovely folk at reception, were welcoming, patient and eager to do what they could to insure their guests had a great time. The inclusion of the pasta room as a visible part of the dining room was a smart call as a number of the guests were drawn to watch the magic happen.
The crudo di gamberi was an excellent starter but was easily surpassed by the pitch perfect cacio e pepe (every bit as good as it was at Bucato and, I think, a larger portion). The mixed grill (a lamb chop, two Korean-cut [galbi] ribs and a plump sausage) had a good flavor but paled in comparison and was marred both by a large amount of fat on the lamb chop and being a tad too rareâthough, in fairness, I did not specify a preferred degree of doneness and chose not to send the meat back for more fire. Also, while the menu indicated the mixed grill came with patate al forno, at least for opening night, the potatoes were absent and were replaced by a tangy tangle of arugula. No dessert there as ice cream elsewhere (Gingerâs Divine in Culver City as Salt & Strawâs line was even more insane than usual with First Friday) beckoned instead.
As others have noted, there is a 20% (post-tax) gratuity automatically added to the bill and, since it is a mandatory charge, that gratuity is then separately taxed so you will see two different sales taxes on your bill.
A bit of good news for those concerned about getting reservations, the plan there is for the bar and communal table to be available for walk-ins and the restaurant will be open latish daily. Felix also plans on opening for lunch in the next several weeks.
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Great intel. Too early to call it Bestia West?
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The 20% auto gratuity is taxed, so youâre actually paying another 9% on top of that?
I noticed that too, apparently âmandatory tipsâ are taxable. so the 20% service charge (applied post tax) is effectively 22%.
https://www.boe.ca.gov/news/pdf/l199.pdf
I think the pastas here best those at BestiaâŚand a heck of a lot closer for me!
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The additional tax is just on the gratuity itself and has been required by CA law for mandatory surcharges on restaurant bills since about 2015. The check at Felix breaks it out as a separate line item.
Yes I realize that, but still doesnât feel right.
I swear if this wasnât Evan Funkeâs restaurant, who seems to be universally loved on this board, they would be getting a ton of hate for this tip policy.
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Meh. The whole tipping culture needs to be eliminated. This is a step towards that so Iâm all in. The tax on that service charge is a legislative issue. We need to take that up with our reps, not our chefs.
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I think the pastas are better. The pizzas no
Kismet has the exact same tip policy and no one hates them for it.
Shibumi had almost the same at 18%. And Jon and Vinnys. I think that is the way the wind is blowing 
People only care when the food sucks.
I think it sucks most in alcohol personally but I guess I shouldâve bee tipping 20% straight in aldou value as opposed to by the drink the whole time or something.
Agreed on the alcohol issue. If I have a bunch of $14 cocktails as part of my much larger food bill, Iâm fine tipping 20% on the total. If I only have two $14 cocktails at a bar though, I donât want to be forced to tip $5.60âŚ
That is unfortunate about the pizzas.
You know, my one true disappointment might be that he hasnât brought back his bianco ragu. At Bucato it was of the most revelatory pasta dishes I ever had. I really wish he would bring it back, maybe he will, though.
I also think he should put that lasagna he made at his pop-up on the menu, and the pasta san giuseppe for that matter :stuck_out_tongue 
Where else do you eat pasta in this city?
Indeed; perfection. It is 2x the size of the version at Bucato, though it costs $4 more ($16 versus $20).
No kidding lol Tastemade was filming it for a reason 
I bet everyone would know exactly who I was if I described myself; but I also donât think anyone wouldâve acknowledged me even if a handshake was in place. I bet everyone only stayed because they were blissfully ignorant of sharing a restaurant with me 
Bucato did have an odd layout. Whenever it rained they were screwed. Your poor dad 
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They also had a no cell phone rule, which is fine. Weâre too attached to them anyway. But I thought it was a little micromanage-y.