kettle black, silverlake.
we stopped by newish restaurant kettle black in silverlake for some comforting italian food. in addition to making pastas in house and pizzas in a wood-burning oven, they have a lovely space with high ceilings and an impressive counter-to-ceiling bar.
rye, meletti anisette, lime, mint.
aperol spritz.
pulpo: octopus, fregola sarda insalata, 'nduja, mint, sherry vinegar.
we sat at the pizza counter at the back of the restaurant, so we got to watch all the pizzas being made along with other dishes being cooked in the pizza oven. the pizza is thin with a pleasing chew to it - i particularly like the gentle sprinkle of seasoning on the crust.
pizza de parma: arugula, lemon vinaigrette, proscuitto di parma, parmesan reggiano.
chef at work.
wood burning oven.
we had two pastas and both were exceptional. i loved the pepperiness of the cacio e pepe and the cappellini was a thinner noodle than i'm used to but i loved the different texture it provided to a familiar dish. the braised lamb sauce for the pappardelle was surprisingly light and stuck really well to the wide, flat noodles.
cacio e pepe with cappellini, parmesan brodo, black peppercorn.
pappardelle with braised lamb, sundried tomato, mint.
the mango panna cotta was really special. it was not a traditional panna cotta, but more of a soft and fluffy whipped cream, and it was heavenly over the tangy mango compote.
mango panna cotta: vanilla panna cotta schiuma, mango compote, lemon zest, turbinado sugar.
i really loved the food at kettle black, but i'm not the biggest fan of the ambience. maybe i'm just getting old, but it's a bit loud and raucous for me. it was a saturday night though, and the food was amazing, so i'll definitely be back, just probably during the week.
3705 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
