NEIGHBORHOOD EATERY : Taster’s Choice

Seated in one of the vibrantly blue booths at El Caserio, you may notice how the music switches from a classical Spanish guitar to a beautiful aria from a Puccini opera. You may also notice the bottom of the menu reads grazie and muchas gracias. And, after studying the menu, you’ll know the food matches the music and the thank-yous, for this restaurant features Italian and Ecuadorean cuisine.

The chef-owner of El Caserio, Williams Velasco, grew up in Quito, Ecuador, where he savored the pungently flavored food his parents prepared. He learned about Italian food when he moved to Los Angeles and waited tables at Gianfranco, a Westside cafe-deli.

Velasco planned on opening a purely Italian restaurant, but he liberally sprinkled his menu with favorite dishes of his native country to make his place stand out from the rest.

To begin, consider two South American favorites: the empanadas de carne ($2.25), a flaky turnover filled with chunks of beef, olives and eggs; or the humitas ($2.25), a sweet corn and mozzarella cheese tamale with hot peppers.

Among the six pastas, my favorite is the farfalle al gusto ($7.50), bow-tie pasta with sun-dried tomatoes, basil, balsamic vinegar and mushrooms in a light cream sauce.

For a taste of Ecuador, try the llapingachos con fritada u hornado ($7.50), a potato pancake filled with mozzarella and served with eggs and roasted pork in peanut sauce. Go back to Italy for the pesce al limone ($7.95), grilled sea bass with lemon, butter, capers and fresh baby dill. *

El Caserio, 309 N. Virgil Ave.; (213) 664-9266; open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursday through Tuesday.