Al Dente is one of those small neighborhood spots where the food feels much more ambitious than the…read morespace. The pasta is all handmade, and you can genuinely taste the difference in both quality and flavor. The noodles have that fresh, slightly chewy texture that packaged pasta just does not have, and everything tastes carefully made rather than mass produced. The bolognese is spectacular: deep, rich, meaty, and comforting without feeling overwhelmingly heavy. It is the kind of dish that makes you slow down because every bite is worth paying attention to. The salads are also surprisingly substantial. The chopped salad, in particular, is a generous portion and packed with flavor, so it feels like a real part of the meal instead of an afterthought. Save room for the tiramisu, which is very good: creamy, balanced, and a great finish after the richer pasta. The only downside is the ambiance. The interior is tiny, so when it gets busy it can feel hectic and cramped. Still, the service is amazing, friendly, attentive, and impressively efficient despite the limited space inside.

We ordered the Bucatini Carbonara, and my boyfriend ordered the eggplant pasta dish. The pasta…read moretexture was very good, and we absolutely loved the eggplant dish! The only thing I didn't understand was the Carbonara. It tasted very different from other carbonaras we've tried, it was greasy oily and bitter! . I noticed other people who ordered it before and after us seemed to enjoy theirs, but I couldn't even finish mine. I'm not sure if there was something off only with my dish or if the flavor just wasn't for us. Other than that, it's a very nice restaurant with excellent service.

The food was amazing!!! The staff is insanely friendly, constantly check up on how you're doing…read more The ambiance was great as well. Super friendly/homey vibe and I love it. I love Italian food, and this has already become one of my favorite places! I wholeheartedly recommend, and I'm definitely coming back! (I'd add a photo but I ate the food too fast)

Got four gelatos for free! Had my friends get dissed for liking Alfredo sauce. 10/10 experience,…read morewould recommend.

The sandwiches were awful. Maybe it's just not my cup of tea but they're overpriced and taste major…read moremeh. Service was great and the girl at the counter was lovely but the price of everything was way too steep and it didn't deliver at all. We ordered the mortadella and the artichoke. We didn't even finish our sandwiches. Ended up going to a different restaurant for food.

My wife was in the mood for sandwiches last week, so I took to Yelp and found Ferrazzani's Pasta &…read moreMarket deep in Pasadena. I've been married to an Italian woman for years and have eaten sandwiches from Little Italy's all over the states to many in Italy as well, so I was definitely interested to order some sandwiches and giving this place a go. This small shop doesn't have much seating, but it does have a counter to sit at as well as a small section of pasta, sauces, drinks, and various other things for you to purchase when you walk in. The menu here isn't massie, but you don't really need it to be at an Italian sandwich shop so who cares? I ended up ordering the Chicken Confit which description is "Our newest sandwich! Dark meat chicken sourced from Cream Co. Meats, confited in olive oil, then tossed it with an orange-Calabrian chili agrodolce spiked with fennel seed and garlic that's bright, deeply savory, a touch spicy, and a little addictive. It all comes together with spicy arugula and tangy pecorino Toscano on a Bub & Grandma's baguette.". The sandwich was about $15 and I gotta say, it's not very big and it didn't really do the job of filling me up and neither did my wife's. The flavour wasn't bad at all, it was solid enough and I don't have any complaints other then It was simply kind of small for the price. Overall, Ferrazzani's Pasta & Market is fine. I didn't leave blown away by anything, and in fact I was left still kind of wanting to eat. The sandwich was fine, but I don't think the amount of food matches the price and I can't really see myself driving back to Pasadena to give this place another go, but hey, this may be the perfect shop for somebody.

What an amazing experience at Ma's! Went for a joint birthday dinner and fell in love. Every single…read moredish we ordered was amazing! *chef's kiss* That arugula salad is definitely the best I've ever had. You also have to try their butterscotch dessert. OMG Service was excellent! Our server was so attentive and nice! I loved the whole vibe of the place. Dimly lit, romantic, great date night vibes. Definitely my new favorite Italian spot in the area! 10/10

Last night was our 1st time going to Ma's...it was a bday celebration for my bf & we were joined by…read morea couple of old friends..When arriving our friends were already seated on the patio, I had chosen indoor seating bc of the heatwave we've had lately, but it was tolerable bc of the fans that kind of moved the hot air away from the patio...Indoors was very noisy & seemingly chaotic. Overall the food was good, I had the eggplant parm, the pasta was coldish, but I ate some of it anyway, my bf had the veal piccata, he had the same thing w/cold pasta & hot veal... Friends ordered the vodka penne & grilled salmon w/arugala salad, both said it was fine....The negative...our waitress kept disappearing! She didn't come back to take our order, the host did as she was m-i-a..for dessert they gave my bf their house specialty, the pudding cup w/sparkler...cute...she asked if we were 1st timers, as they offer free dessert of same pudding, yes, we were 1st timers!! But, again, disappeared, when she came back we asked for the free dessert & she again said,"Oh, this is your 1st time here??" yes....so she quickly brought the pudding....We had to ask for the check, then wait again for it to be processed....To me, the service is almost more important than the food as it can change your opinion, even if the food was cold....Overall we had a nice time, we enjoyed our friends, the food was good, the atmosphere is very upbeat indoors, outside it's very mellow....I'd go again, it was a Monday night, it's probably crazier on weekends...make a res online only!!!

Finally got to try Pasta e Pasta after hearing so many good things about it, and I'm really happy I…read moredid! The restaurant is small but has such a cozy atmosphere, with just enough tables to feel intimate without being cramped. My husband and I ordered the uni cream pasta and the bolognese - the uni pasta was delicious, rich and briny with that unmistakable uni flavor coming through, however it was a bit too heavy by the end but still worth trying though if you're a fan of uni! The bolognese on the other hand was ABSOLUTELY delicious, probably top 3 pastas I've had in my life. It was really flavorful and you could tell it had been simmered for quite a while, and the wine flavor really complimented the whole dish so well without being overpowering. Both pastas were cooked perfectly al dente and honestly left me wanting more. The chef actually came out and brought us our pastas himself, which was such a kind and personal touch. You could tell he genuinely cared about the food and the experience he was giving us and little details like that made the whole meal feel even more special. Overall such a great find, and I'm so glad I finally checked it out after hearing the hype. Would definitely come back to try more of their menu!

Comparable to the Little Tokyo location. The pasta was well prepared: creamy, texture , and savory…read more Service was mid but the chef would step in and ensure we were tended to. Ambiance was on the darker and quieter side. Would return.

This place is a great spot for Japanese Italian food. I got the uni & scallop pasta which was full…read moreof garlic and the pasta was al dente. It was very delicious and flavorful. The staff was very nice and attentive. The decor was dark and a nice touch to the atmosphere of the Japanese restaurant.

We are a simple group, we see Japanese and Italian fusion pasta and we go. The parking was a bit of…read morea nightmare, so if you manage to find it, this place is a must-try so you don't the opportunity. Luckily our group had about 6-8 people so we were able to try quite a bit of the food. Glapponese - Ground pork, garlic, bacon, soy sauce for pasta. Very strong umami in this. It's for when you'd like a simple pasta with meat and nothing too overpowering. Tarako - Cod roe and nori. This is another simple pasta when you'd like something with a strong salty flavor but want to mostly enjoy the texture of the pasta, which was soft and chewy btw. If you want a familiar Japanese flavor, this is the one to order Carbonara - A very familiar pasta in case you want to stay on the safe side. They still make it very delicious and creamy if you're in a simple mood for an Italian style pasta Keema Curry - This is where you start going for a more complex taste for your pasta. If you can't decide if you want an Italian or Japanese pasta, combine the tastes with pasta in curry Service I feel can be a bit more attentive. When they sat 6 of us down first, there were only 5 settings, so it seemed pretty natural to bring us a sixth set of utensils. But when we realized they missed it, we ended asked them. Not a big deal. But when our remaining two friends came, they sat them with us and brought out only 1 set of utensils, so we had to ask for it again. Just a small detail that had me a bit confused during the experience, but the food itself was great and we'd love to come back when they reopen

Great service! And All You Can Eat pasta was super delicious, thank you to Francisco for the help…read more:) I loved all the pasta options!

Thanks a lot to our server Francisco and the kitchen staff for the delicious food at Pasta Amore!…read moreHighly recommend and definitely will be coming back.

Local favorite. Delicious food, beautiful architecture and design, and knowledgeable and friendly…read morestaff. I have eaten here multiple times and the mainstay items are delicious and I'm always excited to see the seasonal variations.

For some odd reason, a lot of Italian spots have seemingly cropped up overnight in Echo Park and…read morethe greater region. Out of sheer luck, my best friend decided to chose this spot for our girls' night dinner, and we have decided on consensus that we savored every bite of our meal. We started our meal with the absolutely delectable focaccia erbraica, a cinnamon roll looking starter bread with olives, currant and a generous sprinkle of rosemary and salt. It came with a pad of homemade honey butter and a dab of olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. It was so umami and paired with the butter seemingly melted in our mouths. We also countered that carb bomb with deliciously charred broccolini with walnuts and a squeeze of citrus. Highly cruciferous veggies should only be grilled based on how fast we cleaned our plate. As for the entrees, the plates are meant to share, but I skipped lunch and ate my own bowl of mafaldine short rib pasta (yes you read that right). It was so hearty and satisfying. As a kid, I loved stealing the cooked lasagna noodles and eating them by itself when my mom would make lasagna, so having it on my own bowl of pasta (in the form of mafaldine) gratified my inner child. The short rib was so tender and it was perfectly sauced. I could have eaten another bowl. My friend ordered a steak and a rigatoni alla carbonara, and while I didn't try the former, the latter rigatoni was so delicious as well. For dessert, we ordered the tiramisu, and luckily the last one of the night. It had equal parts espresso soaked cake and cream, and it was the perfect sweet note to end our epically delicious meal.

Il NIdo is a new find for us. We enjoy the food which is prepared and presented beautifully. Our…read morefavorites so far are the Panzanella Salad, Eggplant Parmigiana, Cacio e Pepe, Chicken Marsala and Torta Della Nonna for dessert. We appreciate their good service and the noise level is low. Homemade pasta, too!

We came to IL Nido to celebrate some birthdays over a nice meal. IL Nido did not disappoint! Our…read morereservation was super easy to make through Google, and we were seated immediately at a pre-set table. The ambiance is absolutely wonderful -- perfect vibe for a date or small, intimate gathering. Dark-ish lighting, but lit enough to see everything without trouble (for my not-so-great eyes, at least). Our server was super attentive and considerate of our conversations while making sure that we were served promptly. A really great experience from start to finish! The menu was great. All pasta besides the penne is made in house, and it's absolutely DELICIOUS. We shared the burrata caprese, which was great, but a slightly small portion. I ordered the rigatoni with vodka sauce, and it was absolutely fantastic. Perfect portion size, amazing texture for the sauce and noodles, and I was blown away by the sauce. My spouse ordered the cacio e pepe, and it was excellent--I must admit that I stole a few of her noodles and dipped them in the little puddles of vodka I still had left on my plate after I devoured my pasta. For dessert, we shared a tiramisu, and it was stellar. Perfect balance, textures, and flavors. This was my favorite Italian restaurant experience I've had in LA so far. I cannot wait to return!

What's not to love about this place. I would say that I am torn between gate keeping and making…read morethis place known cuz it's that good LOL. But that would be selfish. If you're looking for some of the best eats you've ever had ... I literally drive all the way from the SFV to come to this place when I'm craving a delicious sandwich and the best chocolate chip cookie you can buy. Italian dishes made fresh and even to go options galore. It's like a boutique deli grocery store. Parking: small free parking lot on site ( literally only 4 spaces) + handicap parking. There is a lot across the street you can park at as well. Ambiance: Rustic, quaint, casual. But cute enough to have a date at as there is limited seating. Trust me, if your date likes some good Seating: seat yourself. small tables though, up to 4 maybe 6 people max. And cute two people tables for a sweet date. Food: Prosciutto de Parma with pesto mayo is my go to. I even ask for them to today it because I like the miserable melted. I'll be honest and say I don't like cheese... Except the mozzarella they have here, it's exquisite. Secret ingredient is there pesto mayo. It elevated an already tasty sandwich to an incredibly delectable masterpiece with the prosciutto slightly toasted. Turkey Sandwich: hearty and so fresh. My husband loves this. Pick up hair pink sauce and some fresh pasta too! This place has so many options to try out! Chocolate chip cookie: do not leave this place without trying their cookie. They sell out quick too so call ahead and reserve it!

Padua Pasta Makers: where the noodles are handmade, the ambience is okay, and the owner is…read moreauditioning for a reboot of Seinfeld. The pasta? Fantastic. The owner? Imagine the Soup Nazi but with less charm and harsher stares. I asked a simple question about the menu and got a response that felt like I'd violated a sacred oath. I half expected her to slam the counter and yell, "NO FETTUCCINE FOR YOU!" while banishing me from the premises. Still... the food is good enough that I might return. I'll just rehearse my order beforehand like it's a Broadway monologue.