Sotto’s was quite incredible a few nights ago. It’s quite the classy, urbane and soigne type of joint. And I like that you have to visit the restaurant by going below sea level, or street level as it were.
There’s bar seating plus a tall, long communal table.
The albacore crudo was decidely addictive; sashimi-grade albacore with a suave smoked eggplant puree and some of the most picteresque, piquant caramelized onions this side of the iconic GCM burger topping.
The soup with chesnuts was a little too nuanced and subtle for me, namely one who usually likes dishes to pop with profusive flavor. But the grilled bread on the side for dipping was a thing of utter pastoral beauty quite worthy of the celestial. Grilled to the proberbial tee brushed with olive oil and blistered at the edges so that each bite is different and varying but tasty every time. This may satisfy the perpetual, controversial debate that there is no good bread in this town.
The Margherita pizza does this simple, bucolic classic well. A fiendishly puffy cruast with molten, blackened spots endearingly begging you for more, and pools of mozzerella and acidic tomato sauce just when you may have pondered that you were merely consuming just a piece of bread, a great piece of bread at that.
And there’s old-fashioneds to drink and a full-range of the trendy mixology drinks we are more than used to now.
The paragon of a deceptively simple though complex in flavor Italian meal in a more quiet stretch of Pico, before one reaches the cafes, restaurants, and bakeries of the Kosher Corridor.
Sotto is quite good, even though it often gets a lot of slack for the noise level, but if one wanted quiet then going to Sotto is more of a “you” problem then a Sotto issue.
It’s not perfect by any means, but the barkeep is always good with a Sazerac and the pork ragu always hits the spot.
Always been tempted to try their Bistecca Fiorentina. Maybe after my next Ironman.
Loved Sotto the one time I went a few yrs ago. The only “prob” is the wait (although it’s certainly no worse than any other place of similar quality). Does this place open for lunch? I’m much closed now during the weekdays than I used to be… Hmmm…
Sotto is fantastic.
Try some pastas next time kevin. @paranoidgarliclover I almost never wait for bar or communal table space unless I go at prime time on a Thursday-Fri-Sat. And even then it is not a long wait.
Was this your first time? Love Sotto. Unfortunately, for you (not eating pork), their pork chop and pork cheek pizza are two of the best dishes. Chicken liver ragu pasta is off the charts. Other winners are brick chicken (very similar to the Grill), octopus and mackerel. Sadly, Rachel (my long time and favorite server) has departed for Mozza. Any way, even though they pour a small drink, one of my favorite places.
I went back to Sotto for the first time since they first opened just recently. Had a fantastic meal there. Their pastas are great and the roasted cauliflower was another standout. However, I was surprised when I got the check as it was much pricier than one would expect from a restaurant of this caliber. It doesn’t seem to have the best QPR but it is delicious food nonetheless.
Sotto, via Caviar, is my favorite delivery joint. So far, I have had delivered Blistered Little Gems (this is one of my favorite salads anywhere, although it did suffer a bit in delivery, but still delicious), Wood Roasted Cauliflower (it was okay – it’s cauliflower), Whole Grilled Orata (excellent), spaghetti with bottarga (excellent, but suffered a bit with delivery), margherita pizza and sausage and chili pizza (both good) and cannoli, olive oil cake and chocolate crostata (all three desserts are good, but I liked the crostata the best even though I’m not usually a big chocolate person).
Can Cavier just deliver from any restaurant to makes to-go orders? Were they the ones that In-n-Out shut down recently?
Man, if only they would bring me stuff while I’m at a coffee shop, that would be truly superb…mmm just sipping on espresso and waiting for my Bestia/Sotto/Whateva
