Are you in search of delicious eats in the Los Angeles area? If the answer to that question was an emphatic yes; then you have arrived at the right place. Those willing to trek through a seedy alley in the Arts District of DTLA will be rewarded with a delicious and pricey find at Bestia, an Italian inspired restaurant. There are those that dine at Bestia Los Angeles for their lunch break, casual dinner and those that saved up to celebrate. Be wary of of the numbers in your bank account.
The Peruvian Scallop Crudo was refreshing. An order comes with four servings (photo is a serving of 5) and the combination of citrus, rosemary chili oil, cured cucumber and mint is harmonious. While the addition of the greta olives adds brininess, the sesame seeds added a little texture. The scallop is sliced thin and an order is probably not even an entire scallop. At $24, if you are looking for a bang for your buck, this is not it. If you are in search for flavor then this is highly suggested.
The Saffron Gnocchi (pictured on the left) along with the housemade buttermilk riccota cheese, were both pillowy. There was an expectation of rich creaminess once the riccota cheese was mixed with the tomato sauce, but it was surprisingly light and did not over power the saffron.
Puttanesca is typically made with spaghetti but Bestia made a questionable call by using rigatoni with their Octopus Puttanesca (pictured on the right). The classic combination tomato, olives, capers, anchovies and herb sauce enhanced the octopus; as well as the surprising addition of ginger–a Chinese technique of taking away the fishiness in seafood. The only thing that could have made this dish better was bigger cuts of octopus in the dish; it sometimes got lost in chew of the rigatoni.
Roasted bone marrow with anything will never be a miss, so spinach gnocchetti with crispy breadcrumbs and aged balsamic vinegar is a definite hit. The meat butter that is roasted bone marrow coated the gnocchetti perfectly which gave it a slight nutty taste while the aged balsamic help cut down the richness of the marrow.
Sage & Mortadella pizza with grana padano cheese, caciocavallo cheese and aged balsamic was superd. The little pockets of char on the crust added bursts of bitterness that only enhanced the taste. Grana padano cheese is similar to Parmigiano Reggiano cheese that gave a salty and nutty notes. The caciocavallo cheese, which is similar to provolone cheese added the creaminess and cheese pull everyone looks for in a great pizza. The saltiness from the mortadella and grana padano and the creaminess from the caciocavallo cheese was tempered with the aged balsamic.
Kurobuta pork is a heritage breed originating from Berkshire UK and was imported to Japan. It is praised for its marbled meat and considered more flavorful than the common pork. Bestia’s Kurobuta pork chop is seasoned with herb salt, drizzled with meyer lemon and honey, topped with dressed endives and roasted sesame seeds. Grilled to perfection with a slight pink middle with a hint of smokiness was a great main course.
Bestia is a popular Los Angeles eatery and deservedly so. It is a worth while taste of L.A., should one be willing to open their wallet. It has more hits than misses in its ever changing menu and a great representation of the culinary landscape in the L.A. food scene. Even its location and price is indicative of the direction that L.A. food is headed.