False Starts and Fine Fare at La Perla

It was a struggle, but La Perla finally seems to be up and running on the right track. For what seemed like months, a “coming soon” sign hung in the window, yet the restaurant never opened.

When at long last it did, we waited a few weeks and then made a reservation for dinner. The afternoon of that date someone called and very politely and apologetically explained plumbing problems were forcing them to close for the evening.

A week later we reserved another table. On our arrival, there was a new banner hanging in the window--this one saying “under new management.” “Already?” we asked.

Honestly, we never did get the story straight, but it seems there was a change in ownership after the restaurant had been in operation only 48 days. Our first visit turned out to be just the second night of operation for the current owners. There were still plenty of opening night jitters, but what they lacked in polish, they made up for in sincerity.

We were welcomed with complimentary mandarinetto and fragolino juices. The waiter so enthusiastically told us about the tortelloni di magro buongustaia that had been prepared just 20 minutes before our arrival, we decided to skip an antipasti and take his recommendation as a first course. The menu describes the dish as “tortelloni stuffed with fine herbs and ricotta cheese, mushroom sauce, cream.” Actually, that night the tortelloni was stuffed with pesto, but it married beautifully with the creamy mushroom sauce, so who could quibble?

We also tried a half portion of the penne ai quattro formaggi, with Gorgonzola, Parmesan, Gruyere and Fontina in a creamy sauce. It was well-balanced, with the Gorgonzola distinctive, but not overpowering the other cheeses.

When we requested explanations of the langoustine “La Perla” and pesce bianco “re Umberto” entrees, the waiter looked a bit embarrassed and excused himself for a moment. Back he came moments later with the chef in tow, then translated as the chef described the preparation of each dish. By the time they had finished, we were all speaking some combination of Italian/English.

The chef may not be proficient in English, but from the dishes we had already tasted it was obvious he knew his way around the kitchen. We ended up ordering capesante al visconti and, again, he didn’t disappoint us. The scallops were flambeed with Cognac and served with a sauce of white wine, fresh tomato, garlic and parsley. It was excellent--the scallops still moist and tender, the sauce not overpowered by garlic.

On another evening we began with their carpaccio, which is actually carne all’albese if you accept Anna Del Conte’s definition in “Gastronomy of Italy” (Prentice Hall Press: 1988: $35). “This is raw meat, either sliced or ground, dressed with olive oil and lemon juice and covered with sliced truffles, or, a poor man’s version, with flakes of Parmesan,” writes Del Conte. La Perla serves the poor man’s version, but it is well balanced in flavor, not too oily and attractively presented.

To sample their selection of nine pizzas, we chose the quattro stagioni. Tomato, mozzarella, artichokes, prosciutto and mushrooms are arranged on separate quarters (representing the four seasons) and baked on a thin, crispy crust.

The chicche del nonno (small green gnocchi with marinara sauce, cream and prosciutto) were well-prepared, but not as impressive as the pastas already mentioned. We also found the piccata alla lombarda a little salty and the veal slightly overcooked.

A Verbal Wine List

The lunch menu is slightly lower in price and a little less extensive. They add a half dozen types of panini, but omit the risotti, chicken entrees and have more limited veal and beef choices.

Since the wine list was still being printed, it was verbally presented on our visits. From what I can recall, they offer a Chianti Classico, a red and white Mouton Cadet, Riunite and a California Chardonnay. In addition there are four mineral waters, the juices already mentioned, as well as fresh orange and grapefruit, iced tea and soft drinks.

Hot drinks include espresso, cappuccino and coffee (all either regular or decaffeinated), caffe e latte and tea. Desserts are made on the premises. The only one we tried was their version of tiramisu, which was very good and not excessively sweet.

If La Perla comes up short in any way, it is probably the decor. Carpeting, softer lighting and wall treatments more in keeping with the gold-color upholstered chairs would bring the surroundings up to the caliber of the food. Still, it has an excellent chance of growing into a very good restaurant, if they smooth out some wrinkles in the service and make certain to add the necessary personnel as business grows.

La Perla, 12415 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, (818) 505-8212. Open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; dinner, Monday through Thursday from 5 to 10:30 p.m.; Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 5 p.m. to midnight. Reservations accepted. All major credit cards accepted. Street parking. Pastas, $7.50 to $12.95; pizzas, $6.50 to $9.95; entrees, $11.95 to $17.95.