Chef Zach Pollack’s new solo restaurant, Alimento or food in Italian, just opened over a week ago in hip restaurant row of Silverlake. The food is eclectic with twists on classic comfort Italian.
The space is green with recycled wares throughout, the noise level is extreme, so be prepared to use your outdoor voice. The kitchen sets back behind the bar and the restaurant is only 48 seats.
The wine list is all Italian varietals that were hand picked by the sommelier. The menu is divided between Small Plates, Pasta and share Platters and is relatively small.
The Chopped Salad is all the buzz on the internet, so we started with that. The smear of garbanzo beans under the finely chopped lettuces, salami, pepperoncinis, sundried tomatoes, cheese and crispy garbanzo crumbs was fabulously put together.
The Pig in a Blanket is an upscale gourmet hot dog — a thick slice of mortadella, grainy mustard, ketchup, sauerkraut and cheese all sandwiched between two pieces of puff pastry, now that’s good.
As for the pastas, The tortellini in Brodo looked like a replica of a soup dumpling, but the Rye Tagliatelle with veal ragu bianco and porcini was the way to go. The sauce was delicate with great flavor and the pasta had a refreshingly lemony taste.
The best dish of the night was the Whole Grilled Orata over mashed and whole cannellini beans, calabrian chilis and pesto. The fish was one of the best grilled fish I have had in Los Angeles – super moist, not too charred and loaded with fresh flavors. The bean puree underneath was delicious and didn’t overpower the lightness of the fish.
Alimento is a great addition to the Los Angeles Italian restaurant scene. The food is creative without going overboard and the food is just fresh. The service was also very good considering they have only been open a little over a week.
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