Cinque Terre West

My sister-in-law, Grace, arrived from Singapore on Friday night. Gary and I were going to take her out for a special dinner. She had only one night in Los Angeles before she headed to San Diego for a meeting. Gary and I were worried because Saturday was Valentine's Day, which usually means restaurants are booked, and service isn't the best. He suggested a new restaurant in Venice, Cinque Terre West. That sounded good to me, as it brought back memories of my favorite spot in Italy, and I didn't have to drive all the way to Sta. Monica or Beverly Hills.

This was a small but buzzing place. We ordered two appetizers: Burrata with heirloom tomatoes, watercress, asparagus, orange oil, and saba, and the special appetizer of the day, Squash Blossom in a wonderful sauce. The moment our server recited the ingredients, we all said, in unison: "We want that!" It's funny because a day later, none of us could remember what was in it. 

For our entrée, Gary ordered the Spaghetti Di Mare with calamari, mussels, clams, dried mullet eggs, garlic in white wine. Grace had the Mushroom Risotto, and I opted for the Pappardelle with squash blossom. I believe it had mascarpone. It also had lots of freshly shaved truffles. I did not ask for any Parmesan cheese. None of us did as none was needed. I absolutely loved mine, and I was in 7th heaven!

We were all happy with our choices. I tried Gary and Grace's dish, and both were excellent. Dessert was definitely in the cards. These are 3 people who enjoy food too much, so it wasn't a question of whether we had room for dessert. We always do. We had the Tiramisu, which did not disappoint. 

While waiting for our check, Marlo, the Chef's wife, walked by. We chatted with her and found out she was Filipina. Well, we mentioned we were Filipinos, too. Her husband, Chef Gianba, was not present at that time. My wish it they open a restaurant closer to home, in Palos Verdes, Torrance, or even El Segundo. 

Marlo, it was a pleasure meeting you, and we hope to see you soon!

Cinque Terre has 1 location at this time. They are located at 523 Rose Ave. in Venice, California.