I first had this restaurant recommended to me by a local sommelier; she said it was authentic, delicious, & well-priced Italian cuisine, and she was not kidding. La Vecchia combines classic, old school Italian food with a modern design and updated style. It’s hybrid California-Italian food at its best!

La Vecchia is a big Main Street hotspot for local Santa Monica diners, and has been since opening in 1990. It went through a slight decline a few years back when it switched chefs, but now that Executive Chef Mark Mollica is back running the place, the food and the clientele have never been better. The restaurant is packed nearly every night of the week, which means the dining room can get quite loud with everyone squeezed in there. The noise level didn’t bother me though; it actually energizes the place. Just don’t go expecting peace and quiet, you’ll be sorely disappointed.

The menu is filled with familiar dishes, such as Pasta and Pizza, Veal Marsala, Bruschetta, Caprese Salad, & Shrimp Scampi, and though these choices may seem boring up against a plethora of restaurants making parmesan out of foam, it’s actually refreshing to have basic food taste utterly exquisite. The entrees were rustic and hearty, and the homemade sauces left plenty to be savored. For instance, I partook in the Veal Marsala and the Filleto al Porto (Filet Mignon in Port Wine Sauce). Both meats were tender and juicy (the leanest Filet I’ve had in years), while the sauces were both so tasty and savory, that every last drop was mopped up from the plate. Besides those key components, I must say the mashed potatoes (an overlooked side order) were heavenly and perfectly whipped. We brought our own wine (only a $15 corkage fee, not bad!), but I must say the wine list was lengthy and impressive.

The bar menu better be good, because La Vecchia caters highly to bar patrons with their long half-moon shaped bar, all set for dining and schmoozing, and prime-locale for happy-hour every Mon thru Fri 5-7pm. On the same wall is the open kitchen, padded down with stainless steel in all of its exposed glory. On the left side of the restaurant you have scattered art-deco paintings on pale green paint, with candle-lit tables lined up side by side; so close in fact that a diner at the table next to us felt comfortable enough to start a friendly conversation about the entrees we ordered. There’s a sense of community there, even for the hip crowd that attends. With comforting meals at an affordable price and an uplifting ambience, I see no wrong in this trendy neighborhood fixture. I will go back for the pasta and the wine…and I am sure it will be scrumptious and entirely satisfying.

Author: Erin Landsberg

La Vecchia Cucina
2654 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Located between Ocean Park Blvd. & Hill St.
Phone: 310-399-7979
www.lavecchia.com