bacaro LA

bacaro LA
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

bacaro is the kind of place you want in your neighborhood--a casual, unpretentious wine bar with delicious small bites. i sure wish it were in mine. the beauty of italian food is its simplicity, and though the food here is more mediterranean-inspired meets gourmet pub grub, it leaves you with the same comfort food satisfaction.

except for the leeks that came with the seared scallops being overly salted, i'd recommend most of the cicheti that we tasted. they include:

bruschetta w/ roasted red peppers & white beans - you get a choice of two different bruschetta from their selection. classic, tangy vinegar marinated toppings on crispy bread. they were as good as they looked

crostinis: chevre w/ dill, ricotta w/ olive tapenade, & mascarpone w/ sun dried tomato pesto - all were great creamy, soft cheeses paired with a salty and/or sweet spread on slices of crunchy french bread.

artichokes, parmesan - fresh artichokes topped with parmesan and and browned.

estancia grass-fed beef burger - bacaro's version of a burger. a quality piece of juicy, smoky meat on a thick slice of toast with sweet carmelized onions, heaped with a creamy sauce with a slight kick. thank goodness i could eat it with a fork.

i will definitely come back to try their vast, ever-changing selection of wines, cicheti and their sunday all you can eat steak special. for the quality of food and drink you get, this place is also a great deal, especially compared to what they charge at other restaurants for similar food. even the wine is reasonable.