By Mike Vallens

Toscana Brentwood Review – World Class Service & Ingredients

Of the 9,432 full-service restaurants in Los Angeles county, few have gained an esteemed reputation for not only celebrity sightings, but for putting out authentic Italian cuisine as the legendary Brentwood mainstay, Toscana Brentwood. Over time, many well known publications have offered rave reviews of Toscana Brentwood Executive Chef Hugo Vasquez and their inspired staff. From Zagat and the Hollywood Reporter to the New York Daily News, the word is out: Toscana Brentwood is a place to be seen. The food, service and experience are nothing short of exquisite.

Known for their cozy 50 seat rustic dining room, Toscana Brentwood strives to give every customer the friendliest and most accommodating service. One report states that customers can even order their pasta to be boiled with bottled water and the staff will gladly acquiesce without a blink of an eye.

To truly appreciate this astonishing restaurant, one must know the history of the establishment. Owners Kathie and Mike Gordon have dedicated their lives to make this venture a success through hard work, intense research and the hiring of a staff that represents the restaurant as if each customer were being invited into their own home. With inspiration stemming from an interaction with famed Chef Wolfgang Puck years prior, Mike’s original idea was to open up a high class, made-to-order pizza joint with the quality of ingredients as the focal point. Fortunately, this potential venture did not pan out, but turned into the revelation that would become Toscana Brentwood.

From its opening, Toscana Brentwood was a triumph. This can be traced back to the two weeks Kathie and Mike spent in Italy, intensely researching all the attributes it takes to make an authentic Northern Italian Trattoria. Thanks to financial support from friends and business partners, Mike signed the lease in 1988. With the help of a friend, Kathie and Mike designed the restaurant based on their research from their recent Italian travels and doors opened in 1989.

For over 26 years, Toscana Brentwood has been a top choice for high profile celebrity and business types, where one might see Arnold Schwarzenegger or Robert Downey Jr. settling down for a lunch meeting, or a family gathering for an evening culinary extravaganza. Regulars, celebrity or not, are greeted by name and their meals may even be on their table waiting for them. If you dine alone, one will be seated at the bar and treated with the same respect and regard.

Upon our arrival, we noticed the vibrant Crudités, a traditional French appetizer of sliced vegetables on ice already on the table. Our waiter Mossimo was well versed, prompt and kind throughout the entire night. We insisted Mossimo bring us what he would consider the stand out dishes across the menu.

The first plate he brought out was the ever so popular Tartufo Nero E Burrata – Truffle Pizza. It consisted of immaculate silken textured Burrata along with aromatic, thin sliced black truffles that were of the highest quality. 

This marvel of a pizza baked in a wood fire oven visible to the diners is a vision of perfection. The insanely tasty pie will enrapture your tastebuds and you will not miss the traditional red pizza sauce even one iota.  Be sure to dip the crust in the complimentary side of olive oil and aged balsamic blend for a taste of Northern Italy in Los Angeles.

The next dish was the Trancie di Branzino, explained by Mossimo to be a Mediterranean Sea Bass. The fish was cooked and presented to us whole and then expertly deboned within our sight. It was paired with savory sautéed spinach and a bruschetta-like side of plump diced tomato and sweet smelling basil. The Branzino had a light, delicate flavored white flesh and was so succulent. When spritzed with lemon, the Branzino is one of the most palatable fish in the sea.

The last selection from the main course menu was the Tagliarini Pasta with King Crab, basil and tri-colored cherry tomato. The Tagliarini is a fresh egg noodle similar to linguini in shape and size and is prepared in house. When paired with the tender and choice King Crab meat and harmonious combo of the cherry tomato and basil, one can close their eyes and be transported to Northern Italy.

The exquisite experience left us stuffed, but we quickly regained our appetites when we were bestowed with five different samples of confection, we simply had to make room for. We started with Italy’s most popular dessert, Tiramisu. The ladyfingers are soaked in espresso, which makes for the perfect foil when matched with the mascarpone cheese and cocoa powder combo. This dessert is a true “pick me up”.

The next dessert we sampled was the White Chocolate pie, a creamy filling with melt in your mouth white chocolate shavings topped with a fresh raspberry is any chocolate lovers dream come true.

The Blueberry pie followed and shows there is a master baker in the kitchen. Sweet and fruity with plump fresh fruit and the perfect crisp latticed crust, I was begging for more when all was said and done.

The succeeding dish was the Banana Crème Pie, which consisted of thin sliced bananas with cocoa powder and velvety custard and a graham cracker crust. Being a sucker for Bananas, I pretty much devoured this whole piece myself before anyone noticed.

The final dessert is the Torta della Nonna, otherwise known as Grandma’s Cake, and was the most memorable of the evening. The Torta della Nonna consists of crème fraise encased by a buttery biscuit topped with toasted pine nuts. Every component in this dessert when combined, equaled more than the sum of its parts.

The experience at Toscana was a first-class affair. The attention to detail and knowledge the staff provided gave us background on what we consumed and made for a complete experience. The food was spectacular, especially the Tartufo Nero e Burrata and the Torta della Nonna. We left the restaurant satisfied and wanting to come back not only for the food, but because we felt as if we were leaving friends of the family that we would sorely miss. I look forward to a reunion in the near future at Toscana Brentwood.

Check out a Review of Brentwood Hotspot, Bar Toscana.