il Cielo

Once again, dine L.A. Restaurant Week is upon us. To be accurate, it is a 14 day dining event wherein participating restaurants offer supposedly good deals that allow them to showcase a their cuisine. The restaurants have a set menu and usually have choices for first, second and third course. Lunch can cost $20-$25; Dinner usually $50.

Il Cielo was one of the participating restaurants so we made a reservation for lunch. It was a warm and muggy day but at least the heat was tolerable. We sat outside as this is one of the most romantic restaurants in Los Angeles. At night is when it shines, with the hanging lights. Sandi and I went for the food and not the romance.

Before we placed our order, we were served warm Focaccia but we purposely did not fill up on those, so we could truly enjoy our lunch. For the first course, we had the Insalata Caprese, tomato, mozzarella & basil drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We also ordered the Insalata di Pere; baby spinach with julienne pear, radish, candied walnuts topped with goat cheese in a red wine vinaigrette. The caprese was O.K.; nothing special, it would have been better if it was Burrata. The salad dressing lacked flavor. We both agreed that the goat cheese was wonderful and so were the candied walnuts.

We did our ritual of splitting 2 orders so one is not stuck with something that might not be good, God forbid....terrible!  Spaghetti al Pesto and Veal Scallopini with mashed potatoes with Madeira wine sauce. We both are not fond of pesto but we felt adventurous and  thought this would be the place to experiment. Sandi and I liked it but both agreed that this would be our pesto for the year. The veal was excellent and so was the sauce; unfortunately not enough of it to give flavor to the very bland mashed potatoes.

The table next to us ordered Calamari for their appetizer. This was not a choice in the dineLA menu. It did look good. One thing about the dineLA, some restaurants get it and some don't. By getting it, I mean showcasing their specialties, something you are proud of, something you want a food critic to experience. Some will see this as an opportunity to make a quick buck by offering cheap stuff or the not so popular items on the menu, then they list something really good but with a notation: "add $15 " which defeats the purpose because by the time you add the wine, tax and tip, you might be better of ordering from the regular menu.

Il Cielo would still be worth a visit especially at night when the ambiance is at its best. They are located at 9018 Burton Way in Beverly Hills. Valet parking is $8.00 plus tip.