Amarone's early reviews suggested something good, as did photos at Eater LA and Thrillist. It pays to advertise, because I would have never thought a restaurant in a location like this:
would produce something like this:
To be clear: Amarone Kitchen + Wine is a cozy storefront of a space, across the street from a tattoo parlor (one that's a lot bigger than Amarone) and the Whisky and a few doors west of the Viper Room. And yes, this is LA, the city that makes some of its best restaurants live in strip malls, but the restaurant's owners deserve a medal for bravery in venturing so far from the comforting grasp of Sunset Plaza.
And with a swordfish carpaccio like that, they also deserve your business. The fish was translucent, fresh and dotted with capers, olives, orange zest, pink peppercorns and drizzle of olive oil -- and for all that, was still more than the sum of its parts.
A ricotta ravioli appetizer was nice, but not as impressive -- the homemade pasta seemed a little thick -- but the pomodoro sauce was tart and silky. So was a glass of Umbrian Chardonnay. Also nice: the owners, who come from Emilie-Romagna and seem as sincere as "Big Night," only without Primo's attitude.
Amarone Kitchen + Wine, 8868 W Sunset Blvd. (310) 652-2233
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