Community property

SILVIO DE MORI has had more restaurants than Elizabeth Taylor has had husbands. But he loves every one of them. After his last, the ill-fated De Mori in Beverly Hills, was done in by an abysmal below-ground location, he teamed up with former Le Dome owner Eddie Kerkhofs, who missed having a restaurant too. They searched high and low -- but not east or south -- for something that felt familiar and would have a certain je ne sais quoi.

One day De Mori got to talking to someone at another table in the local coffee shop and somehow the subject of Il Piccolino on Robertson Boulevard came up as just the kind of space De Mori had in mind. It was, unfortunately, not for sale.

But this person knew the owner. A meeting was set up. They talked. De Mori and Kerkhofs made an offer, and presto, change-o: Il Piccolino had two eager new owners.

De Mori’s wife, Lidia, spruced up the decor with striped banquettes, candlelight and other romantic French touches, including an antique wooden birdcage tucked in with the giant birds of paradise. The place is really an outdoor tent hidden behind masses of tropical foliage, just two boho chic “rooms” with sides that roll down in inclement weather. Only the kitchen is housed in an actual building.

Neither of the two partners counts cooking among his professional skills, but each is a consummate host, among the best in the business. They kept Il Piccolino’s chef and, in the few months since assuming ownership, they’ve barely touched the menu. Regulars can still find pasta with chicken, broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes, a bastardized dish no self-respecting Italian would ever order -- De Mori included. The aglio olio probably wouldn’t go over that great with the same crowd either. But for the people who love it, it still has a home at Il Piccolino.

Meanwhile De Mori, who had a cafe in Florence, Italy, in his youth, is introducing a few new dishes, such as strozzaprete (spinach and ricotta dumplings with sage) or linguine with bottarga. He’s also offering bistecca alla fiorentina most nights as a special ... along with every other Italian restaurant in town. But, the thing is, even with a regular oven and certainly not a wood-burning one, his bistecca for two (and that’s the only way he’ll serve it) is by far the best I’ve had in Los Angeles.

It takes 20 minutes to cook, he points out apologetically, but it’s worth the wait. Come hungry -- he won’t slim down the cut to suit one rather than two, and it could actually feed three. The massive rib eye steak has to be thick in order to cook properly. How big is it? Two pounds, two ounces. The only garnish is a thread of good olive oil and a pinch of gray sea salt.

Oh, and he only cooks it rare. Perfect.

I can’t say the same for the rest of the food. Spaghetti alle vongole is far too oily, and the chef has a heavy hand with the garlic. My strozzaprete is comforting on a chilly night, nothing revelatory. But then this is only sampling the small menu. I’d definitely come back, though, for the bistecca and for the relaxed ambience, like someplace you’d find on the Cote d’Azur serving wood-burning pizzas and grilled meats.

I half expected to catch a glimpse of the Mediterranean peeking from behind the banana trees. Instead, you see people walking their dogs on Robertson Boulevard. Hidden behind its exuberant foliage, Il Piccolino waits for its big moment.

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Il Piccolino

Where: 350 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood

When: Lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; dinner, 6 to 11 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; open noon to 11 p.m. Saturdays. Beer and wine. Valet parking.

Cost: Dinner appetizers, $8.95 to $14.95; main courses, $15.95 to $24.95; lunch panini, $10.95; other lunch items, $9.95 to $22.95

Info: (310) 659-2220