CAFFE ITALIA
Recently, a few friends and I decided to brave the rain for an early pre-holiday dinner at Caffe Italia, a very casual neighborhood eatery in the Valley. It was a good idea on our part to go as soon as they opened because by 8PM, they were packed. And with just one server, I suggest you go early, too, to be able to get the best experience possible.
Even though the moniker would indicate that it’s an Italian eatery, very few of the dishes, outside of the pizzas and pastas, are from that country. It’s more continental fare, and features diverse dishes that come in generous portions.
Photo by Karen Salkin.
John pointed-out that they have an excellent menu, especially for being such a small place, with one chef, and being opened for just seven months. [Note: Because they’ve been operating for such a short time, they don’t have a liquor license yet. And they told me you can’t bring in your own, either. I don’t drink, so that’s never mattered to me, but I’m sure many of you would like that information. If imbibing with your meal is of importance to you, just call ahead to see what the situation is now.]
The four of us have totally different tastes, so it’s a good thing that we sampled many of their menu items to tell you about. We each had a different favorite, except for the pizza margherita, which we all agreed was delish. Despite the label “margherita,” this is far from being a little flat boutique pizza—it’s a real one! Being from Brooklyn, I’m a total pizza maven, and I can say that this one is cheesy and delectable. (The next time, though, I will ask them to brown the bottom a bit more.) We were all really fond of the pizza, including the picky Mr. X, but I think that I’m the one who went the most nuts for it.
Mixed seafood soup. Photo by Alice Farinas.
My favorite was the angel hair pasta with tomato, garlic, and basil. I make a version of it all the time myself, and Mr. X goes ga-ga over it, so I was actually a tad trepidatious to try Caffe Italia’s rendition of the dish. I need not have worried, though, because it was fabulous. Mr. X was impressed with just how “delizioso” it was. He said it was the second best of the night, to only his grilled salmon, (which I’ll tell you about in a second.)
Alice loved her mixed seafood soup, which she said was “very hearty,” and featured a “wonderful array of shellfish, especially the mussels,” which were her fave. (But she said that next time, she’ll order it as a pasta dish instead. It’s less expensive that way, too!)
Fried calamari and zucchini. Photo by Alice Farinas.
John was a fan of the fried calamari, which he deemed “tasty” and “crisp.” Alice agreed, adding that it was “wonderfully-flavored,” and that the marinara sauce that came on the side was “delish.” She told me, “I wanted to put it on everything… and I did!” One interesting touch was that, without this part being on the menu, they added-in chunks of fried zucchini. I appreciated that because I don’t eat calamari, and I do like fried zucchini, but if you would prefer all calamari, (as the menu indicates it is,) you may need to make that clear in the ordering.
Grilled salmon. Photo by Alice Farinas.
But the winner of the night was Mr. X’s grilled salmon! Right after he scarfed down the whole plate full of food, he said, the salmon itself was “light, moist, and very fresh,” and that the salmoriglio sauce (which, despite have the same first five letters, has nothing to do with salmon,) that topped the fish “kicked it all off!”
Even though it does not say it on the menu, four of the five entrees come with abundant sides, so there’s really no need to order them separately. But, at just $3. a pop, you may want to, anyway, especially the very crispy roasted potatoes and the heavenly mashed potatoes!!!
Here are some of the other dishes we especially liked:
Caprese salad. Photo by Alice Farinas.
Alice really went for the salmon salad, which featured arugula, sliced pears, and walnuts, and was topped with shaved parmesan cheese. She said the salmon it in it was “very nicely grilled,” and Mr. X added that it was a “delicate piece of salmon,” which is a big compliment from him.
Everyone was pleased with the caprese salad, which you can order with either regular mozzarella or burrata. Since burrata is my favorite cheese, we ordered that, but received the regular, so, if it’s busy when you go, may as well just order the plain to being with. It was still excellent, and the balsamic vinegar and olive oil on it had a nice seasoning. We all appreciated the arugula salad that comes on the side of it.
Breaded chicken cutlet. Photo by Karen Salkin.
My breaded chicken cutlet was perfectly crispy, which I love, but the chicken itself was a tad bland. I suggest asking for a side of that wonderful marinara sauce, and dipping the chicken in it. That made it a really yummy dish.
I’m still scratching my head over this part, but despite there being several desserts listed on the menu, and seeing other diners dig into theirs, the waiter told us that they don’t have any! We asked him about it several ways, to make sure we were understanding each other correctly, but that’s what he told us. So, if you need to end your meal with a sweet treat, like we all would have loved to do, this may not be the place for you. Or, just enjoy the savory treats here, but make sure to spot a dessert place somewhere near-by.
14056 Burbank Blvd. Sherman Oaks 818-465-3690 www.caffeitaliala.com
