The Astronomer and I traded in Baby for pasta one evening a couple weeks back. With my mom in town helping with June for a few days, we seized the opportunity to enjoy a night out on the town—just the two of us.

We’ve been meaning to return to Bestia for quite some time now, and thanks to Reserve (a “personal dining concierge” app that I highly recommend), we were able to snag a table at the last minute. It’s amazing what a three hour getaway can do for the psyche of new parents!

Upon arriving at the restaurant, The Astronomer and I were led to the hottest seat in the house, literally. Perched in front of the grill and wood-burning oven, we were treated to pizza-tossing, bone marrow-roasting, tomahawk-grilling, and ribeye-searing all night long. It was a splendid performance.

Sommelier Anthony Calian got us started with pours of Bio-Secco Rosé, which he aptly described as “liquid Jolly Ranchers.” My first postpartum drink—mmm, bubbly.

To start, I was tempted to welcome foie gras back to the great state of California with the terrine, but our waiter insisted that the Chicken Liver Crostino ($10) was not to be missed. Seasoned with chives, marjoram, aged balsamic, and sea salt and slathered on house-made bread, the chicken liver was as fantastic as billed.

The Astronomer desired a vegetable of some kind, so we settled on the Persimmon Salad ($14) with whipped burrata, scarlet frill, pea tendrils, pickled shallots, and aged balsamic. The bites that included cubes of ripe and juicy late-season persimmon with a swipe of creamy burrata were positively dreamy.

While we loved every dish that we shared this evening, the one that left us gobsmacked was the roasted bone marrow ($18) served with spinach gnocchetti, crispy breadcrumbs, and aged balsamic.

To eat, we were instructed to scrape the marrow onto the rustic, irregularly-shaped pasta and stir the two together. Even though it’s only February, I’ll go ahead and declare this dish one of the very best of 2015—it was simply amazing.

The only repeat from our first visit to Bestia was the Cavatelli alla Norcina ($29), supple ricotta dumplings served with house-made pork sausage, black truffles, and grana padano.  It was fragrant, rich, and totally satisfying.

Our third and final pasta of the evening was the Agnolotti alla Vaccinara ($20), cacao pasta parcels filled with braised oxtail and sauced and garnished to the nines with burro fuso (melted butter), grana padano, pine nuts, and currants.

The Astronomer and I were in the mood for an out-of-the-ordinary pasta preparation, and this one hit the mark. The sweet, sticky currants were an especially lovely touch.

For dessert, we shared the astonishingly good Valrhona Bittersweet Chocolate Budino Tart ($12) with salted caramel, olive oil, and sea salt. The tender, crumbly cacao crust was divine.

Equally wow-inducing was the Creamsicle Torte ($10), a new menu addition comprised of layers of buttercake, coconut, sour tangerine, Meyer lemon, and Italian meringue garnished with toasted coconut. This one hit a light and bracing note that I couldn’t get enough of.

With our bellies full and spirits reenergized, The Astronomer and I left the restaurant ready to resume our parental duties. Thanks for a great night out, Bestia!

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Bestia
2121 7th Place
Los Angeles CA, 90021
Phone: 213-514-5724

One year ago: Cafe Artist – Garden Grove
Two years ago: Mile End Sandwich – New York City
Three years ago: Hungry Cat – Los Angeles (Hollywood)
Four years ago: Mori Sushi – Los Angeles
Five years ago: Amaro Bar at Osteria Mozza – Los Angeles
Six years ago: Bake-Sale Brownies
Seven years ago: The Art of Making Bánh Chưng
Eight years ago: Naked Chocolate Cafe – Philadelphia