Jon and Vinnys - Faux Family, But Amazing Otherwise

Lotta hate for this place, but as time has gone on, their pasta game has gotten boss as fuck. Where else can you eat this style of cuisine cooked to these standards? I wager virtually nowhere other than maybe Carbone in NY/Vegas? Place also has no families, and is plagued by hipster Hollywood scenesters (naturally I fit right in).

Meatball plate one of the best plates of food you can get in all of LA, hell, in terms of meatballs, where the fuck else you gettin’ anything like this? Gjusta garlic bread, grilled up, fat as fuck meatballs bursting with flavor that should make most places stop serving meatballs, and housemade creamy ricotta? @fuhgeddaboudit

(Cue a million replies with local joints serving meatballs that are a million times better n shit, etc…)

Pasta game gettin’ amped as fuck from past visits. Fusili with vodka is like the version of that crazy fucked up dish you only ever ate at shitty chains as a kid realized in actual glory. Spicy and acidic yet creamy with perfectly cooked pasta. This shit tastes baller as fuck even after a night in the fridge. #childhoodfantasyfulfilled

Bucatini cacio e pepe is much improved over past visits. Not only is the pasta perfectly chewy, and delectable but the pepper is everywhere, and the cheese is spot on. This is a stunning rendition of a simple classic now #fuckinApasta

I am guessing most of you won’t shell out $26 for a skirt steak n’ onions with no fucking sides, but it’s a pretty damn good skirt steak, cooked exactly right and tasting quite unique with a saccharine nutmeg infused essence to it that works beautifully with the snappy grilled onions. #AmericanItalianAsFuck #WhatTheFuckIsThis? It’s actually pretty awesome if you have the budget though. #BallersOnly

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So the pizza is maybe getting a bit whack… it’s alright but the LA Woman doesn’t work nearly as well as I imagined. However, for the price you might as well order it and scrape the generous burrata off. Hey, with some ranch it’s doable. #ThinAsFuck #CharredAsFuck #SomeoneWillLoveThis

Strauss Family soft serve in a classic twist to get your drunk ass home? Abso-fucking-lutely. Groundbreaking? Perhaps not. but #ComfortingAsFuck

Lil’ cinnamon meringue’s as a free final treat were pleasant enough has well:

Drink some wine too, because the wine is fucking good… I just forgot the photos.

Will you drop like $85-$100 per person to eat here? Yes, for sure. But most of the dishes make it completely worth it. Some of the most unique, and high-level cuisine you can get in LA even if it it is elevated Italian American bastard dishes.

Does this review matter? Not at all. Still minimum of an hour wait, and no guarantee of a table on a Monday night at 9:30… so not only do they not need any more business, anyone trying to go is probably fucked anyway.

I pregamed it at Animal beforehand, and it was comparatively dead. Jon and Vinny’s has struck some kind of chord with the LA population because they may have taken the hottest restaurant mantle from Bestia, and despite the different aims in their pasta program, it’s just about as good at this point. At least ya’ll get some more photos of incredibly delicious food you’ll never go eat :slight_smile:

Ah LA, you gotta love it, even when you loathe it, eh?

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Those meatballs are choiiice. Probably the best I’ve had in LA, too. Little Dom’s has some solid ones, as well.

Pro-tip: skip the wait and the scene, and order ahead for takeaway. Take the food back to your car where you illegally parked in the neighborhood. Keep the hazard lights flashing. Roll the windows down, and turn the Adele up. Say hello to those meatballs. The night is yours.

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@Aesthete: did you post this on the LA board? I don’t think you did…

i need those balls in my mouth life.

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What are you talking about? I’ve never heard hate for the place, let alone a lot of it. And as far as the wait, turns out they take these things called reservations…

I absolutely love Jon & Vinnys. Hell, it’s even family friendly if you get there earlier enough and your kids don’t tune into the Notorious BIG lyrics playing overhead.

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Me too.
Of the several thousand restaurants I have dragged my Dad to, in 22 years of us both living in LA, this may be the only one he liked. Ok, I am exaggerating but not by that much.
Thanks @Aesthete for the report.

Indeed. I’m typically a fan of classical music or jazz, but the music fits the vibe near perfectly at J+V’s.

Btw, this post ended up earning me a “Respected” badge. Apparently, the community really respects me now. Even I cannot help but chuckle =)

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[quote=“Aesthete, post:13, topic:4156”]
Even I cannot help but chuckle =)
[/quote]Me too

Don’t let it go to your head! :wink:

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Yeah. We tried it for the first time a few weeks ago, and really, really enjoyed it. Did not get the meatballs that time, but will do so on our return.

Salad Days possibly one of my favorite pizzas ever. Shockingly addictive, pungent creamy garlic sauce, loads of chili flakes and pecorino coating fresh lettuce, juicy tomatoes and fresh onions over hot crispy thin pizza. There is something magical about the simple combination of hot and cold and the white and red sauces. Sublime.

A little crust porn:

They’ve really got that crust down to a super thin savory cracker type of thing that is pretty reminiscent of NY pizza, improving over time in my estimation.

The Meatballs are as insanely awesome as ever.

For a different view, look at the incredible garlic bread:

Raspberry Jam Donut was not too sweet, quite tart and loaded with whole raspberries. Interesting although not necessarily cravable. Good with the cold brew they make though.

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I like Jon & Vinny’s for breakfast.

Because who doesn’t like ice cream (Straus soft serve) and cake (NY cheesecake) to start your day off.

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Soft serve over pancakes is the real game changer though :wink:

If you’ve ever gone to The Hot Truck in Ithaca, NY, one of the best things you could add was “grease and garden (G+G)” which was lettuce and mayo inside your french bread pizza sandwich. I’ll definitely have to check out that Salad Days pizza!

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donuts too.

and banana cake with the best whopper butter in town.

Cool T-shirts.

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Showered with pargmiaina regianna.

How does salad days compare to the salad pizza at Abbott’s? Was not a fan of the latter.

I don’t understand how I haven’t tried it yet. Just blocks away. Booking a resy

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Well it’s cheaper it seems, so that’s nice. Thinner crust. It is way different in terms of the salad. The creamy garlic dressing is what makes Salad Days so incredible to me. Abbotts dresses with a lemon olive oil vinaigrette which does not offer the magic of white and Ed sauce fusion found on the Salad Days. No avocados on the Salad Days. You can add chopped salami to it for $5 extra, but I didn’t. The funky pecorino also worked some serious magic compared to the feta of Abbotts.

They seem way different, but if you just don’t like salad on pizza in general it might not be a good bet.

Are Resy’s easy to come by? Place is always so packed it’s a miracle I ever got in. I’ve never tried to make a reservation though. I wonder if lunch and breakfast are more dead. I once had breakfast and was the only person there. It was surreal given how intensely popular it is at night.