Scarpetta (Beverly Hills, CA) [3]

Scarpetta
Montage Beverly Hills
225 North Canon Dr.
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Dining date: 7/7/15

I’ve had some great meals at Scarpetta since it opened in 2010. It had been almost two years since I stopped in, so a return visit was long overdue. In my opinion, the restaurant’s best seats are the six at the kitchen counter; this would be my third time sitting here. We had a custom tasting menu built for the evening, picking a few old favorites and letting chef Freddy Vargas fill in the rest.

Scarpetta’s been known to have one of the best bread baskets in town and for good reason. A number of varieties are featured particularly a warm cheesy stromboli (in both meat and vegetarian form).

The meal began with prosecco.

YELLOWFIN TUNA CRUDO pickled fresno chiles, avocado & basil

In this take on one of the restaurant’s more popular starters, heat from the calabrian chili was the first note in this dish followed by the cool cucumber and tender fish. Avocado added some extra richness while basil oil provided subtle fresh herb flavor.

DI STEFANO BURRATA grilled peaches, pickled stone fruit, bitter greens & toasted almonds

Sweet peaches and cherries went really well with the creamy burrata, perfect for the season. Olive oil and balsamic rounded out the flavors.

CREAMY POLENTA fricassée of truffled mushrooms

I think I’ve had this dish almost every time I’ve been here; it’s one of my favorites. The polenta is so smooth and utterly savory with the earthy mushrooms and truffle. So good.

PORCINI TAGLIATELLE housemade veal sausage, cherry tomatoes & pecorino romano

The tagliatelle had a slight al dente chew, picking up the sausage flavors while sweet juicy cherry tomatoes provided some pop.

SPAGHETTI tomato & basil

Another favorite dish (and probably the most famous dish here), the spaghetti was excellent as always. The fresh pasta had a great bite, smothered in a buttery sweet tomato sauce.

CRISPY STRIPED BASS saffron potato “risotto”, frutti di mare & cherry tomatoes

The striped bass had a nice crispy skin and moist flesh while saffron and shellfish provided a lot of depth of flavor. Diced potatoes substituted for rice in this take on risotto.

GLAZED DOUBLE CUT BERKSHIRE PORK CHOP charred corn purée, grilled vegetables & red wine stewed plums

Pork chop was cooked medium rare leaving it very juicy and flavorful. Bright stewed potatoes were mixed in with pieces of cauliflower, zucchini and purple potato.

PEACH FRITTELLE marsala zabaglione & peach buttermilk sorbet

This desert was excellent featuring warm peaches with a crunchy fried coating. It had a great contrast between juicy sweet peach and crispy exterior. Extra peach flavor and a temperature contrast came from the sorbet.

This was a great meal. While I always love the polenta and spaghetti here, I really enjoyed the pork chop and peach dessert as well (there were no disappointments). The food was on point and the service just as strong this evening. Dining in Scarpetta’s kitchen is still one of the unique experiences in the city and always a highlight.