Bar Toscana Brentwood - A Slice of Italy in Los Angeles

By Mike Vallens Photographs by Michelle Kroytor

Bar Toscana Brentwood – A Slice of Italy in Los Angeles

With a population of 18.5 million people, the greater Los Angeles area is a fast paced, high stress metropolis. Where can one go to decompress after a “hard” day/night’s work? The answer lies in Brentwood hot spot, Bar Toscana. Situated next to the storied restaurant Toscana, Bar Toscana offers an eclectic array of mixed cocktails and legit Italian cuisine that impresses. The bar has a mysterious yet inviting lounge-like atmosphere where one can feel relaxed as soon as they enter. The psychedelic projections of vine-like plants swirling on the far wall and on the floor next to the windows add a cool vibe to Bar Toscana.

Head mixologist William Perbellini is a master of his craft. While offering helpful suggestions, his passion for making cocktails with freshly juiced fruit paired with garden fresh herbs and spirits is clearly evident. Crisp fruit, herbs and spices like pears, peaches, apples, jalapeno, ginger, sage, mint and rosemary plants are on display, emphasizing the natural essence of the libations. In fact, Mr. Perbellini showed us the two separate juicers at the bar, one for citrus and the other for whole fruits, vegetables and spices. It was astounding to see juice bar caliber equipment at a bar!

The first beverage prepared for us was the Toscarita – a tangy fusion of Partido Blanco tequila, orancello and fresh lime juice topped with Blood Orange Grand Mariner foam and orange peel sea salt. The blood orange foam is light, citrusy and tart. The orange peel sea salt provides the sodium element that is commonly paired with margaritas but with a lovely fragrance. The tequila is of high quality and combines with the orancello splendidly to make a refreshing cocktail with a Brentwood twist.

The Red Passion is a charming and captivating concoction of Ketel One Vodka, muddled green apple and fresh ginger, laced together with fresh lemon juice and raspberry garnished with a green apple slice and sage. The sage engulfs your senses with its herbal aroma and cleansing properties. The cocktail is smooth and flavorful with moderate spice from the ginger. The sharpness of both the green apple and lemon juice give the drink a bitter and tasty edge, while the raspberry notes complement the beverage’s beautiful ruby red color.

The Pearbellini, named after Mixologist William Perbellini is the signature drink on the menu. It’s an intriguing and vibrant seduction of grey goose le piore, st germain, and muddled fresh pears laced together with fresh lime juice and peychard bitters. This thirst quenching Pearbellini is invigorating and unforgettable.

The final beverage prepared was the Mexico Piccante, a spicy and uplifting fusion of jalapeño infused Resposado tequila, fresh lime and cucumber juice, laced together with El Silencio Espadin mezcal and fresh mint. Packing a punch, the Mexico Piccante is the most memorable drink of the evening with a beautiful and unique flavor profile. It’s not for the faint of heart, but is for someone who is looking for a bold and adventurous mixed drink.

Fairly lubricated from the exquisite libations we decided to nosh on the Carpacio Piemontese, a mouth watering Piemontese beef filet carpaccio with marinated artichokes, shaved pecorino and black truffle. The combination of high quality ingredients create a swirl of heaven in your mouth and the presentation is a sight to behold. The beef, pecorino and truffle are sliced thin and paired with freshly baked foccacia. From the first bite, you know they are serious about catering to their clientele. Take a gander at the large luscious slices of black truffle that beckon you.

After some deliberation (the menu is far too enticing to easily narrow down), we chose to sample the half sized portions of the Lasagnetta di Zucca and Lasagnetta di Carne. The Lasagnetta di Zucca is a homemade cheese lasagna with pumpkin, Chantrelle mushrooms and pecorino. The pecorino is light and creamy and the pumpkin is nutty and spiced just right. But it’s the chanterelles that are the hero of the dish.

The Lasagnetta di Carne is homemade spinach lasagna with a beef ragu, besciamella sauce and parmigiano. A rich and filling choice, the fresh pasta and beef ragu tastes as if it’s been whipped up by grandma herself. One would be so lucky to possess an old school recipe that goes back generations as the Lasagnetta di Carne, but since you probably don’t, let Bar Toscana show you the way.

The experience at Bar Toscana was beyond impressive. The enticing atmosphere, the attentiveness of the staff, the love and dedication infused by expert Mixologist William Perbellini into the cocktails and the high quality of Italian ingredients in the fare make Bar Toscana a very special destination. A true Must Try for Los Angeles.