Going next week. Any thoughts or recs?
Thanks. I am more focused on dinner item and not sweetss.
Man their current menu looks amazing… I would get the foie and rabbit agnolotti, clams and nduja gemelli, the rabbit loin, and milk roasted pork. French Fries and House Bread should also not be missed.
I might go eat there tomorrow if they let me out of the hospital…damn…foie and rabbit filled agnolotti with quince broth sounds like the best pasta in the world.
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Re-do. Post was titled wrong.
Focaccina tradizionale and the Mandilli di seta aka handkerchief pastas are must get. Most of the pastas are very good. The entrees are hit and miss. I usually order the appetizers and pastas and completely skip the entrees.
A HA!
The frittura is a fun snack for sharing, but not mindblowing. Gets the appetite going.
Tomino Da Padella - seared soft cheese, nice chew after the sear, creamy gooey insides.
Prosciutto w/ sage dough & stracciatella - creamy, crisp, and salty.
Focaccina - I do like the traditional, but if they have either of the seasonal zucchini flower or wild funghi go for one of those. Off the charts good.
Mandilli Di Seta - a must
Corxetti Stampati - if with veal sugo, very good.
Gnocchi is very light and pillowy. I’ve had it with the lamb sugo and loved it. Right now they’re using wild boar. Haven’t tried.
I’ve had the arugula infused tagliatelle w/ mussles, squid, and botarga. Excellent briny flavor, if offered.
Piatto Grasso - nice plate of various cuts from different animals. Great for sharing…or hogging all to yourself LOL
Porchetta has always been a winner for me.
Potacchio was good. Reminded me of a good cacciatore, although a little plain.
Cannolli for dessert, natch.
Great cocktails and wine program. Enjoy!
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Agree that the pastas, salads and vegetables are their strong suits. Love the lentils and the chicory salad. I’m not a cocktail person, but I have friends who are big fans of their craft cocktails and will go there just for drinks.
Edited to add that yes, I think we’re talking about two different restaurants. But my comments stand for the Tasting Kitchen in Venice 
The porchetta was tasty but didn’t have the crispy skin when they first opened. Did they ever improve on that?
I believe it has improved.
My 1st visit it wasn’t crisp, but the past 3 or so times I ordered it was perfectly rendered and crisp.
Perhaps Sergio is moonlighting? LOL
I think you are talking about the Factory Kitchen in The Arts District…not The Tasting Kitchen in Venice?
This thread seems way off topic… but that’s interesting to note. I thought the porchetta when they first opened was such a joke I didn’t go back until a month ago.
I agree that the mandilli is one of the tastiest pastas in LA.
Thor made a boo-boo and stated Tasting Kitchen when they really meant Factory Kitchen. Hence the change of direction in the replies and available dishes.
I was in the same boat. Went when they first opened. Good but not great. But I like to return to places after a bit to see if the kinks have been worked out.
In this case, I thought they got better with time.
I guess I shouldn’t have stated “always a winner” because, at first, it wasn’t.
Actually, I was talking about Tasting Kitchen in Venice. Accidentally confused with Factory Kitchen. One of those Kitchens anyway. I messed up. and that aint no fucking joke!
Madonna! LOL its all good.
Did you get the rabbit and foie agnolotti??
Stopped in last night for a simple meal that really hit the spot.
Cacciucco alla Livornese
A type of simple fish stew that has been made for approximately 1500 years was my main reason for stopping it. Essentially it’s a simple fish and shellfish tomato stew with fingers of bread. This version did not have a rock from local shores or 5 types of fish/shellfish (supposedly one for every one of the c’s in the name), but it was quite pleasant. Virulent with garlic, and containing some of the most succulent, tender mussels, monkfish, and cuttlefish I’ve ever come across. It nailed that simple, hearty rustic feeling while having a tremendous depth and clarity of flavor. The crispy bread also soaked in the sauce marvelously. Lovely, though I can imagine some would be incensed at having to pay $36 for such a seemingly simple pleasure. Yet where else can one indulge in this outside of the Italian coast?
Fries
Some of my favorite fries in the world. Generously spiced with fragrant herbs and rosemary sprigs, and perfectly fried. They also come with a genuine aioli that is nothing like the mayo-esque stuff most places serve, but closer to savory pudding. The fries themselves are perfectly fried, reaching the zenith of what one hopes for in french fries. Again, some people will be wildly offended at paying $9 for fries, but alas, the simple pleasures in life are sometimes worth the indulgence.
A smart wine program allowed me to order a lovely lambrusco rose that had the pungent savor of plum finish of lambrusco with the tart cherry nose of rose, and complimented the garlicky meal rather spectacularly.
Is $77.77 (after a whimsically precise tip on top of tax) too much to pay for the privilege of dining on such simple dishes by candlelight at 11 pm on a Wednesday? For some, it will seem like the most ludicrous scam imaginable, and for others the most magnificent steal.
The source of their mussels is from Maine. A woman known for her magic abilities with seafood supposedly supplies The French Laundry as well.
Anything recent?
I have dined twice in the last 6 months or so, and was impressed with the excellent quality of the food, ambiance, and the service. It is every bit as good as Felix, perhaps actually better.