Chi Spacca (Los Angeles, CA) [2]

Chi Spacca
6610 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Dining date: 3/27/15

I thoroughly enjoyed my first trip to Chi Spacca. Being a bit of a carnivore, the restaurant is right up my alley and a return trip was definitely in order. Plus, they were out of the beef and bone marrow pie last time…and I had to try it! We returned as a party of four to introduce two others who were new to the restaurant.

We first got pre-dinner drinks at the next door Osteria Mozza’s full bar (both the pizzeria and Chi Spacca are beer & wine only).

Sibona Highball sibona, ginger, lemon, soda
Punch of the Day farmers market apples, bourbon, rye

While the steaks at the restaurant are probably its claim to fame, I don’t think calling Chi Spacca a ‘steakhouse’ gives the restaurant enough credit. It does so much more, preparing a pretty wide variety of meats and even having an in-house salumi program (a rarity in this city). We ended up a small assortment of the menu (mostly new items compared to the first visit).

The restaurant is about as ‘open kitchen’ as it gets with an open grill in full display.

Our meal began with a light bodied red.

Affettati Misti

We enjoyed a small selection of the housemade salumi. All were good with my favorite being the crispy trotter fritters for the rich flavor and textural contrast.

Focaccia di Recco stracchino, olive oil

To pair with the salumi we ordered the focaccia. It was light with a crispy crust and plenty of cheese.

We moved on to our second bottle of wine, a fuller red, to pair with the upcoming meat-heavy dishes.

Costata alla Fiorentina 36oz prime dry-aged bone-in new york

On our first visit, we tried the porterhouse bistecca fiorentina. On this visit (with a smaller party) we went with the costata, a 36oz bone-in New York with a little bit of filet attached. It was again excellent – perfectly cooked, beefy and juicy.

Beef & Bone Marrow Pie beef cheek, cippolini, funghi

The restaurant ran out of this item during my last visit so this was a must-order this time. The dish was truly a sight with its bone marrow center. It was about as rich and hearty as expected with the beef cheeks and marrow bathed in a savory gravy. With a buttery, flaky crust, it was pretty delicious.

Grilled Broccoli di Cicco garlic lemon vinaigrette

Mashed Potatoes

A couple of side dishes were ordered to pair with meat and pie, one vegetable and one starch.

Butterscotch Budino sea salt & rosemary pine nut cookies

Mozza’s famous butterscotch budino completed our meal at Chi Spacca.

We next went back next door to get an affogato with amaro inspired by a recent visit to NYC’s Marea.

Greek Yogurt Gelato olive oil

We were surprised by the gift of an additional dessert. A Greek yogurt gelato with olive oil made for a delicious combination, all topped with a crispy light wafer.

We had another very enjoyable meal at Chi Spacca. The restaurant satisfies the most primal of instincts with its meat-forward menu (oftentimes in large quantities) executed just right. I hope to return again soon.