Ado - I Love You
Venice, CA

I found a little house built in 1908 that was made into a restaurant with all the charm one could ask for. It's called "Ado" in Venice. The kitchen is downstairs with a dining room above. It's decked out in chocolate walls of wood, and everything is wooden - exposed beams and wooden floors - along with large sconces, the walls a'la candlelight. There's one table downstairs next to the kitchen.

The chef explains that the place is so small, that everything must be made fresh, and the food is fabulous. The place is so warm and cozy, and the staff does a lot of kissing as they welcome the guests. I especially want to mention the beautiful serving pieces, with huge beautiful bowls, with a gorgeous wine list in a book of its own. One gets the feeling of a private club.

I got the impression that most the diners were regulars because of all the hugging and comradely. The service was "top of the line" and we began our meal with braised Lentil Procciuto soup topped with lobster tail, followed with Jumbo Sea Scallops, grilled on a bed of fondue, topped with black truffle shavings. It couldn't get better!

Our next course was Ravioli in a creamy black truffle sauce topped with black truffles, and then Pistachio encrusted Sea bass with Asparagus puree. There were other things that I probably couldn't spell.

We also had Chilean Sea Bass encrusted with ground pistachios. Needless to say, our desserts were magnificent. One was a half frozen gelato with almond nougats and dark chocolate served with a caramel sauce. Our second dessert was classic vanilla custard with toasted pistachios sprinkled across the top. I may not have gotten all of it, and I probably forgot to mention the slow braised Oxtail on creamy polenta, but trust me, it was there! Much of the spelling might not have been correct, but if we spoke Italian, how well could we spell in English. I did my best and loved the place.

Some other menu items were Grilled Duck Breast sliced and served with caramelized onions and aged balsamic. Of course there was Filet Mignon, Veal Scaloppini, and even Grilled Wild Boar Tenderloin. And anything that sounds Italian, with every kind of pasta, was on the menu.

Ado is located at 796 Main Street Venice, CA. For more information, call (310) 399-9010 or visit www.adovenice.com