Bettolino Kitchen

I haven't been to Bettolino Kitchen in a few years. Frankly, my last experience was not a good one. Last night my friend Mertz and I thought we would give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. A song came to mind: "Love is lovelier the second time around...."

We were greeted by Vince Giuliano, one of the owners. Thursday night they offer a "Tre Piatti", a 3 course dinner, for thirty dollars without wine and forty dollars with wine pairing. I opted for the tasting menu but Mertz declined since the secondo was Polipo Alla Griglia (grilled octopus). Instead she ordered the Insalata Mista; mixed greens with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, mixed Italian olives, in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It was delicious and Mertz loved it. Her secondo was her entree, the Tagliatelle Bolognese; ribbon pasta, hand ground chuck and pork shoulder, white wine pureed tomatoes, Parmesan fonduta and fresh basil. I had a bite of it and it was very good and I am not easy to please when it comes to bolognese.

My antipasto was Gorgonzola e Ficchi; Gorgonzola, fresh figs, crostini paired with a 3oz. glass of Pinot Grigio. I loved the combination of Gorgonzola and fresh figs. The crostini, although good, was hard to eat as it was too delicate and it crumbled when I tried to put some cheese on it. There was a little bit of salad underneath the crostini. Mertz had asked for extra dressing for her salad so I promptly used some on mine. It was perfect, not sour like most vinaigrettes.

My primo was the Spaghettini Aglio e Olio; handmade spaghettini, garlic, olive oil, and Parmesan with a 3oz. glass of Fog Theory Pinot Noir. This dish won me over. Cooked to perfection; aldente and pure deliciousness. It reminded me of a very good cacio e pepe without the pepper.  I could have eaten a very large bowl of it.

The secondo dish was Polipo alla Griglia; grilled octopus, marinara braised white beans, Tuscan kale paired with 3oz. glass of Morgan Syrah. Again, the octopus was cooked to perfection. It was nice and tender (not chewy or overcooked) and packed with flavor.

Dessert time came and Mertz decided on the Pomegranate con Mascarpone, which she enjoyed. I ordered the Salted Caramel Semifreddo; semi-frozen salted caramel mousse layered graham crackers with a chocolate sauce. This dessert is huge, enough for 2 people. It was delectable and mouth watering!

I noticed Chef Fabio was not there so I asked our server if they changed chefs. We were happy to learn that a lot of the entrees were Vince's creation. I had to compliment Vince on everything. The dessert was also his creation.

The restaurant was packed last night. Even Vince's mom, Dori couldn't stay away. She was there having dinner with friends. She came by our table to say hello and I had to compliment her on how great she looked. It's retirement and the fact her kids are successful doing what they love to do with passion.

Bettolino Kitchen is located at 211 Palos Verdes Blvd. in Redondo Beach, California. They are open from 11 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday to Sunday. On Fridays and Saturdays they stay open until 10:00 p.m.