the Brentwood Media Group
April – May 1997

Westside Dining
By Carole Valentine

Modo Mio

I love dining at Modo Mio, a marvelous Italian restaurant of country-style ambiance, invitingly small, simple but pretty and surprisingly warm with European homey display tables, a hutch and terrace dining.

It’s busy, but not chaotic, and while this place might not be private enough for seduction, you can drink the Italian wines and think about it.

Tucked away on a side street off Sunset Boulevard, in the precious village of the Palisades, this rustic little hideaway, since its opening three years ago, has set a standard for dishing out genuine, ungimicky Italian food, filled with character, but without the enrichment of rich creams or butter.

Modo Mio has become a retreat for the neighborhood folds as well as an unpublicized refuge for people who are quite regularly publicized.

They were quick to rally around a restaurant with all the right stuff: an admirable combination of ambiance, unstuffy service and elegant northern Italian cooking prepared in the simplest manner possible.

But it seems I’ve always been impressed with Modo Mio and most recently with Modo Mio’s new owner Gianfranco Bertolino, who opened the successful On Canon I Beverly Hills, staying o as a general manager, before making his long awaited dream a reality.

A native of Modena, Gianfranco has taken Modo Mio to new heights, enriching the menu with many inventive specials in addition to opening the restaurant for lunch, the first time in three years. He also did his homework compiling a concise but savvy win list that hand-picks top-notch Italian wines as well as some excellent California vintage, many at prices merciful by restaurant standards.
Chardonnay Pedroncelli from Sonoma poured by the glass is $5 or enjoyed by the bottle for $19 Soave Anseimi “San Vicenzo” (Veneto) 1995 is also nicely priced at $21. Wines of distinction include a include a Brunelleo Di Montalicino Castello Banfi from Tuscany ($62) or a full bodied Sangioveto, Badia A Coltibuono Toscana ($52).

With a glass in hand, I had no problem enjoying an earth Portobello mushroom appetizer. Deeply flavored, it was sautéed then sliced and arranged attractively on a lovely platter with just a drizzle of olive oil and a touch of white wine, all this exquisitely simple appetizer needed.

Mosaico Di Peperoni, a vivid display of meltingly soft roasted bell peppers dappled with sundried tomatoes and garnished with goat cheese rounds, was a dish I would order time and again for its sparkling flavors and refreshing simplicity. A warm salad of white canellini beans paired with sautéed shrimp makes another fine beginning as well as a first-rate carpaccio, which enjoyed on a previous visit.

The kitchen also does wonderful things with pasta. Handmade ravioli is prepared with a repertoire of fillings that might include a heady mixture of duck or luxurious seafood with a tomato basil sauce, allowing the quality of the pasta to shine through.

I an usually judge a good Italian restaurant by how it turns out its isotto and here again I am impressed.

Whether your choice is the Dell Orto with diced crunchy vegetables or Risotto Pescatore, you won’t be disappointed.

As the entrees roll by, you won’t want to pass up the Salmon Scalopini, a recent nightly special. Studded with plump capers and embellished with a transparent white sauce, the fish was accompanied by fresh vegetables and delicious pan-roasted potatoes.

But high on my list of favorites was the grilled New York steak.

Perfectly rendered, with plenty of fresh herbs, it was sliced thin and arranged in an orderly fashion on a large platter.

The meat was so tender it was like cutting through butter and each delicious taste proved more flavorful than the last. Other recommended favorites include the Branzino or Dover Sole, both served whole an filleted tableside.

It’s hard to save room for dessert after al this, but if you must, try the cool fresh tiramisu, or one of the ever-changing list of flaky fruit tarts.

You might try the Torta Della Nona, an Italia favorite, or chocolate mousse in pastry shell. My suggestion is to top it off with a perfectly brewed expresso or cappuccino, a befitting finish to a most memorable meal.

Dinner: antipasti $5-$11, pastas range from $9-$15, secondi $12-$23. 15200 Sunset Blvd., enter on La Cruz. (310) 459-0979.