Review
Melograno

words by Susan Michals

I’ve spent a great deal of time in Italy. On my last trip, my brother and I rented a house in Cortona, the town recently made famous by Francis Mayes' book, “Under the Tuscan Sun”. Together with our friends we relished the lifestyle, the wine, and of course the food. As Americans, we’re used to a meal lasting no longer than say, an hour; but in Italy, it’s a different story. Dinners can go on all night and into the wee hours of the morning. A friend of ours – let’s call her Adrienne – was not a fan of these Italian meals where we frequently languished between courses. She dubbed them “the meal ordeal” where hours were wasted, in her eyes, while waiting for the next course to appear. Fortunately, there are places in Los Angeles that don’t adhere to the notion of customer volume – they’re about quality, not quantity. Chef Albert Lazzarino falls into that category. His new restaurant, Melograno, deals in food that’s meant to be savored, not inhaled.

After many years of culinary education in Italy and working all over Europe, Lazzarino was recruited to Los Angeles by Mauro Vincenti to work at Rex II Ristorante. After Rex came Vincenti’s Alto Palato, and after that, Il Moro. Then in 2007, Lazzarino won the coveted Best Restaurant in Los Angeles from the acclaimed Zagat Guide for his food at Piccolo. Maybe it was that bit of praise; or maybe it was that he’d worked for others for so long, but in 2007 – after working over 16 years for other people, Lazzarino took the plunge.

Last November, he and his business partner, Sardinian-born sommelier Guiseppe Cossu, opened their own place on Hollywood Boulevard, Melograno. No, it’s not next to the Kodak Theater or the Roosevelt – it’s the other end of Los Angeles’ equivalent to the Great White Way – the more understated section that still holds true to the notion of Old Hollywood. The vibe of the restaurant is subdued, much like the lighting. Couples flutter in and out and even though tables are side-by-side, the feeling of the place remains completely intimate. Luxurious smells waft from the kitchen, conjuring up the comforting image of home with grandma – if grandma were cooking up a storm in her über-sophisticated penthouse on Fifth. Take for example his homemade angel hair pasta with braised hare: it mysteriously melts in your mouth, giving a feeling of complete satiation after only the first bite. The pan-roasted Alaskan halibut is light and flavorful, balanced with deep, rich wild mushrooms and sweet vermouth wine. And the panna cotta infused with hazelnut is something that even the most reticent twiggy model will blow their calories for the week to indulge in. So next time you’ve got someone you really want to spend a languorous Italian meal with, consider stopping in at Melograno; it’s a hell of a way to spend a gastronomic evening.

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Melograno
6541 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 465-6650