Vitello's
On my third day in Los Angeles, I was really craving a chicken parm for lunch, so my Grandmother and I ventured off to find an Italian restaurant. Being an Italian grandmother, I was very surprised to hear that she was actually a fan of Olive Garden. However, she suggested we head over to Studio City, where she knew of a good restaurant. We made the short drive into Studio City, where we drove along Ventura Boulevard. Unfortunately, we had little success finding an Italian Restaurant that seemed worth going to. One restaurant claimed to serve Italian food, yet featured only pizza and American-style sandwiches! There was not even any pasta on the menu! The other restaurant we knew to have good Italian food was closed due to the fact that it was a Sunday. This led us to Vitello's on Tujunga, just a few minutes from Studio City.
Upon arriving, we were a bit frustrated to find the parking lot next to the restaurant to only offer valet, which in this case was more of a hassle than help. Heading into Vitello's, we found a uniquely designed restaurant with dim lighting and a wall of celebrity autographed photos of past diners. The room we were led into featured a number of booths suitable for five to six guests. Painted on the wall was a mural of an Italian city situated on the Mediterranean. The restaurant was nice and quiet, which was perfect for my grandmother, who can have some trouble hearing in loud restaurants, and our waiter was very friendly.
As an appetizer, my grandmother ordered the fried calamari, while I got a cup of straciatella. The calamari was easily the best calamari I had ever tasted in my life. Breaded lightly with tremendous flavor, I got a nicely, but not overdone salty-citrus taste. It was so good, I could not stop throwing more calamari into my throat! The calamari also came with a marinara sauce that complemented the salt well.
After finishing our amazing calamari, my chicken parm arrived. A small side of pasta with marinara sauce complemented my large piece of chicken. The chicken was excellent, with a perfect blend of marinara sauce, cheese and chicken, none overpowered the other. The chicken had a light breading that added a slight crisp to it and the cheese was applied generously. With the calamari as an appetizer, this was enough to fill my appetite and satisfy my craving for a chicken parm. Both my grandmother and I were very pleased with our meals, and she also found the tiramisu to be delicious. A return trip to Vitello's is sure to be in the works.
Calamari: 10
Chicken Parm: 8
Straciatella: 5
Atmosphere: 6
Overall: 8
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