I am not an easily impressed person. I typically stay with the trendy, Hollywood-type restaurants near my home. Last week a friend of mine took me to Risotto in Studio City. From the street, it looks like a hole in the wall type place in a very non-descript shopping center on Ventura Blvd. Walking in, its sort of a plain-looking place, with pressed white tablecloths, a bar and an open kitchen. We were warmly greeted by the host (owner?) and waitstaff, and promptly seated on the patio. Almost instantly, we were given some bread and flavored olive oil and were offered a choice in water. \r
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We ordered a fairly expensive bottle of wine, and the owner came over with the bottle and some sparkling wine glasses and opened it for us while giving a little history about it. The handsome waiter then came over and recited the specials. I chose the Shoppino (sp?) special, while my dinner companions opted for the Lamb and Ossobuco. The food was better than I could have imagined. This is without question the best Italian food in the city. Portions were just right, food was very hot and our waiter kept refilling our wine glasses as he walked by. \r
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We skipped dessert and opted for a small bottle of sparkling Italian dessert wine which complemented the meal perfectly. This place comes highly, highly recommended, and is absolutely worth a drive over the hill.
Pros: Service, food, easy free parking directly in front of restaurant
Cons: No hard liquor
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