"Food is like life - it should be enjoyed." affirms Il Moro Co-Founder/Owner Elio De Santo.  When you enter the chic restaurant through its glass doors and are embraced by an amiable, yet sophisticated atmosphere, you suspect that Elio and Il Moro practice what they preach... by the time Il Moro's refined flavors bathe your palette, you know.

Located in West LA off of Purdue Ave. and Olympic Blvd., Il Moro has blessed Los Angeles with its brand of Emilia-Romagna's Northern Italian culture and food since 1993.   Elio De Santo (Owner/Founder), Gaetano Foiani (Owner/Founder), and Davide Ghizzoni (Chief Executive Chef) are at the helm of the restaurant that is rich with authenticity, innovation and elegant cuisine.   Colleague Marlon Ray, and I were fortunate enough to chat with Elio and Davide as we heard the sounds of food being prepared for yet another busy day... and as the smell of fine Italian tradition activated our salivary glands...   

Cazembe Abena (LA2DAY) - "What distinguishes Italian cuisine?"

Davide Ghizzoni - "The flavors are very strong. We use a lot of herbs, meat, mushrooms, and cheeses.  When I first came here to America to cook, I had to tone down the flavors to what Americans were used to.  They would say that it was too salty or too spicy.  I had to change my cooking a little.  I think that the idea of what Italian food is by Americans is different than what it actually is.   Italian food is supposed to taste rich."  

Elio De Santo - "For us at Il Moro, tradition is important. We want people to embrace the culture, but we have to satisfy the community as well.  We will and have only changed in certain areas, but we will always remain as authentic as possible when it comes to food.  We will not compromise on quality. Davide is an artist and has been practicing for over twenty years; he sees food as an art form.  He cooks our Ragu sauce for eight hours."  

Davide - "I cook it that long because I believe that it tastes much better.  In eight hours the meat releases the right amount of flavors when it is cooked in that way for that long."

Elio - "Davide could change it, but he knows that something important will be lost in the flavor if he does.  This is the way that he retains quality.  So, he will not cook it any other way because in order to do it right, that's what it takes. He believes in that.  Other places do it differently and that's fine for them.  This is one of the ways that we choose to be classic Italian."

Marlon (LA2DAY) - "What is the difference in Northern verses Southern Italian food?"

Davide - "Northern Italian food is richer, more flavorful than Southern Italian food."  

Elio - "It's about the climate.  In Southern Italy where it's hotter, your food may need to be milder to keep the body cool and light.  In Northern Italy where it is colder, you need richer, heavier meals to fuel the body in the cold and keep it warm.  Since the climate is a little tougher in the North, the cuisine tends to be more creative, finding ways to do things with simple foods.  In the South they have a lot of choices for foods so their meals tend to not be as adventurous sometimes. Everything is at their fingertips.   Understand that food is very important to the Italian culture.  If you sit down at dinner and start talking about a common dish in Italy everyone will say that they can do it the best!"

Laughter

Elio - "In Italy everything revolves around food.  But it is not just the food itself; it's the community that it creates as well.  When people come to eat it's about sharing the meat that was prepared earlier in the day and also about sharing a part of their lives and their experiences with stories.  It's part of our chemistry, it's in our DNA; it's what makes our culture."  

Il Moro literally translated means "The Moor" in Italian.  The term was conceived in the 1600s when Venice, Italy was one of the strongest, most affluent states in Europe and spoke of the bond between the Venetian and Moor cultures.  "Il Moro" represents a time in Italian history when a massive confluence of cultures synergized to spawn a highly financial and creatively prosperous period.  Elio, Gaetano, and Davide have brought that same ingenuity and passion to Il Moro in the 21st century - with style and flair.  

In keeping with their idea of inventiveness, Il Moro underwent a massive renovation last year. The result was a rustic colored, yet abstract and sleekly designed interior that is both warm and distinguished.  They also initiated several daily events and features to enhance their atmosphere:

THE WINE ROOM

*Tuesday Wine Tasting from 6p - 8p
*Live Jazz every Thurs. & Fri., 8p -12a
*Sunday Art Exhibitions
*Wine & Liquor Gastrobar open all day
*Mon. - Fri. Happy Hour with free finger foods from 5p - 7p
*Late Night Pizza Menu available 7 days a week from 7p to 1a (closing)

Marlon - "Has the remodeling and new direction improved your business?"

Elio - "Yes.  We stayed open during the renovation and experienced a little growth in that time.  However, since the renovation has been completed, we have experienced the most growth ever.  Initially, there were four partners in 1981.  Gaetano and I had a vision to make this more than just a typical restaurant business; the other two partners left.  It's been incredible ever since the renovation."  

Cazembe - "What is the secret behind your pizzas?"

Elio - "Pizza can be a main course, but usually it's not.  We make our pizzas with very little flour.  They are very thin, very light - like a snack.  We keep our topping simple and consistent, but focus on flavor.  Our toppings are simple because the flour is made thin and cannot hold a bunch of toppings.  What we make is more like flavored and tasty bread.  Our pizzas are good appetizers."  

Cazembe - "What did you seek to accomplish with your menu?"

Elio - "We always try and create an original menu with an eye on traditions and an eye on trends of the culinary culture.    We change our menu often, following the seasons, so we can use what mother earth has to offer. Just coming up is our seasonal traditional specialty "Pumpkin Tortelloni", which comes from a recipe that has been around since the 1600s.  Many of our customers know that we serve this and some even visit from overseas to experience it.  The beginning of October to the end of December is when we serve this dish.  It's important for us because it is so unique. We like to work with a few different flavors and we think that this separates us from most other Italian restaurants where everything tastes the same."
 
Marlon - "That's true.  In most other Italian restaurants everything either tastes like parmesan, garlic, or tomato." 

Elio - "Yes.  And what also helps us stand out is the top quality of our fish, meat, produce, and our breads.  We believe that if you start with low quality ingredients, it doesn't matter how good your chefs are the food will only be so good.  Over the years, some of the costs of our produce, meats, etc. have increased for us, but we won't change to something of a lesser value because that will ultimately affect the quality of our dishes.  We absorb the costs as much as we can to make it easy on the customer.   As a result we have very loyal customers.  They travel all over the world and they always come back." 

Cazembe - "What image did you want to create with Il Moro?  What do you want your customers to walk away with after coming here?"

Elio - "The atmosphere that we create is very important to us. We want people to have an experience beyond a simple restaurant.  We want them to come here and be able to engage in good conversation, enjoy good music, wine, and meeting different people.  We want to bring more uplifting energy to the front of the restaurant (our Gastrobar), which is different than our main restaurant area in the back [or our open patio area].  We want a good vibe that the customers can enjoy, but also that me and my employees can enjoy.  I believe that one should enjoy coming to work.  We want people to have a dynamic experience here - like life.  Engaging, fun, relaxed, and positive.  The music and the live Jazz have become a niche for us.  We have several standing events throughout the week and some people in the past have asked us what these things have to do with food?  I tell them everything, because it is about life and food is life and experiences." 

JAZZ AT IL MORO

Amen.  Our plan was to come back to the restaurant for dinner to review, but being the gracious people that they are, Elio, Davide and Gaetano convinced us to stay and experience their lunch.  Who are we to say no?

Davide prepared something special for us.  We were honored, and frankly in awe of the quality.  Here is the adventure, dish by dish - try not to drool over your keyboard...

THE DINING EXPERIENCE -

Antipasti (Appetizer)
*Verdure del Dosso (Pizza with tomato, mozzarella, asparagus, eggplant, and zucchini, and spinach). As with all of their pizzas this was a light, ultra-thin crust, with a smooth marinara sauce, topped with thin slices of vegetables.  Everything in this pizza had a flavor of its own, but each complemented the entire taste experience.  At first glance it may appear that the pizza has ‘light' toppings, but its taste explodes in your mouth.

Paste & Risotti (Pasta & Rice)
  We were told that despite many American-Italian restaurants serving pasta as a main dish, it is usually not served as such in traditional Italian meals.  Davide served us a plate with three separate pasta dishes, and each one was distinct and fabulous:

*Ravioli di Manzo Brasato e Spinachi al Burro Fusso (Agnolotti filled with braised beef in Barolo wine and spinach in a golden butter sauce). Agnolotti (a type of ravioli) was stuffed with fine, braised beef and spinach in a wine butter sauce.  This delicious pasta was hearty and the Barolo wine added just the right amount of lift to the creamy butter sauce. 

*Tagliatelle del Buongustaio (Flat, long pasta sautéed with diced beef filet mignon, porcini mushroom, carrots, onions, celery, dry white wine, and a touch of tomato sauce). Similar to Fettuccine, the Tagliatelle was accompanied by a light, rich and salty tomato flavor accentuated well by the many vegetables included in the sauce.  The diced fillet mignon adds depth to the dish's flavor.  Tagliatelle is an excellent pasta for fettuccini lovers.   This was an incredible dish.

*Tortelloni d'Aragosta in Colata di Zafferano (Tortellini filled with lobster and shrimp, bathed in a saffron sauce). This was our favorite dish.  Tortelloni is larger than Tortellini and is great for substitutions with that pasta.  With the deep golden saffron sauce, this dish looks delectable and tastes even better.  Although rich, the seafood filling of lobster and shrimp take this to the outer limits of dining nirvana.  Exquisite texture and smoothness give your mouth a fresh experience it will not soon forget.  Outstanding. 

I should note that by this time our palettes are simply oversaturated, and our bellies stuffed with little room to spare.  But, keeping in mind that Il Moro prides itself on providing gracious and unparalleled service, it shouldn't have surprised me to see that our meal was only half over... 

Secondi (Main Entrée)
*Costiccine d'Agnello alla senape (Grilled baby rack of New Zealand Lamb brushed with herbs in a mustard sauce, served with potato mousse and fresh sautéed asparagus).
This dish was simply too good to stop eating.  We knew that we would pay for it later, but so be it.  Lamb has never tasted so good.  Davide had prepared it medium rare to maintain its flavor.  The mustard sauce... the mustard sauce... was... brilliant.  Not too over-powering; just plain brilliant.  The meat, the vegetables, and the sauce - they all worked great together and melted in your mouth as one with the most tender lamb that I have ever tasted.   OK, maybe this is my favorite dish... 

Dessert
* Tiramisu (Italian for "pick me up"). This delightful dish was served in a tall glass dessert dish that was filled with layers of whip cream, rich mascarpone and an espresso infused pastry.  Wonderful texture, the ideal dish for espresso lovers. 

* Brule di Cioccolato e salsa di Fragole (Chocolate Brule served with fresh strawberry sauce).  Smooth.  The perfect indulgence for a chocolate fanatic.  Served more like a piece of solid mousse pie with a thin, crispy chocolate top, it is accented by strawberry sauce.  The Brule's flavor is a flawless balance of sweet, rich and smooth chocolate tastes.   I died and went to chocolate heaven...

** Dessert Honorable Mention - Although we did not order it that day, I must HIGHLY recommend the Torta Di Mele (Homemade Apple Tart with a sweet balsamic caramel sauce), which I had on another occasion.  You've never tasted an apple tart this good!  The seasoned apple chunks, the sweet caramel sauce... it's almost too much to take.  Be sure to get it a la mode. 
 
Il Moro's affable and impeccable staff are experts at pairing wine with your dishes, but we chose not to indulge this time, opting not to spiral out of control in the land of "flavordom".  After all, the senses can only handle so much. 

The menu for lunch and dinner offer perfectly portioned dishes that are moderately priced; entrees are $19-$25 (lunch) and $23-$30 (dinner).  Menus are separated by the traditional Italian delineations (Zuppe (Soups), Insalate (Salads), Antipasti (Appetizer), Secondi (Entrée), etc.).  Menu choices abound for nearly every occasion whether it's late night, after work, lunch, traditional, corporate, elegant, or hanging out with friends.  Il Moro impressively meets all these experiences with the cuisine and atmosphere to match by providing a Gastrobar menu, a wine and cocktail list, a happy hour finger food menu, a lunch menu, a dinner menu, a dessert menu (originated by their in-house Dessert Chef, Riccardo Bautista), and a late night menu.  

At Il Moro food, art and life are seen as one consummate inseparable affair.  Il Moro seeks, in the most unpretentious fashion, to educate experientially.  They invite you to partake in not only the best of Italian culture and food, but of life itself.   It is endearing to encounter such cultural inclusion and miscegenation in dining. 

By the time we left Il Moro, the words that Elio spoke at the top of the interview rang truer than ever, "Food is like life - it should be enjoyed." 

Well, we enjoyed ourselves immensely and will be back - with friends. 

Il Moro
11400 Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
P 310-575-3530

Lunch
11:30am - 3:00pm (Mon. - Fri.)

Dinner
5:00pm - 10:00pm (Mon. - Thurs.)
5:00pm - 10:30pm (Fri. - Sat.)
4:30pm -  9:30pm  (Sunday)

Late Night Menu
10:00pm - 1:00am (Thurs. - Sat.)

Happy Hour (Complimentary Finger Foods)
5:00pm - 7:00pm (Mon. - Fri.)

www.Ilmoro.com