By Sharon Hori
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Summer evenings are never too cool to dine outdoors. And
especially on nights when the stars are aligned to foreshadow the
most perfect evenings, any carefree couple should take advantage of
the accommodation that a good Italian restaurant has to offer.
Olympic Boulevard’s classy Il Moro Ristorante takes its
hospitality a step further. With a grove of heat lamps planted on
their patio, the restaurant ensures that no one will receive a cold
shoulder.
And not just literally, either. Smiling waiters are prompt
without being intrusive, water glasses are never empty. They give
you the impression that you deserve more than just second-best. And
while they wine you, dine you and seduce you with their exotic
desserts, you can’t help but succumb to a pampered
evening.
The outdoor scene seems almost too relaxing when the muffle of
soft dinner conversations blends into equilibrium with the falling
water of an art-deco fountain. With flowers blanketing the grounds,
vines hugging the trees and a pond rippling nearby, the scene is a
bit like Eden ““ minus the apples.
And it’s the passive, starry-eyed atmosphere that gives Il
Moro its charm. With seating indoors and out, owners Gaetano Foiani
and Elio De Santo are determined not to let you down. Their exact
manipulation of sights and smells guarantees an effective backdrop
for a professional business lunch, a graduation celebration, an
indulgent dinner or a quiet candlelit evening for two. For whatever
occasion, restaurant connoisseurs cannot go wrong.
Kicking off the meal with baskets of just-baked bread tames
eager stomachs until the real feast begins. Il Moro prides itself
with its baked goods, ranging from rosemary and olive breads to the
regular French hoagie. A slice of toasted Tuscan, topped with
chopped tomatoes, basil and garlic or sauteed mushrooms and a layer
of mozzarella makes the bruschetta al pomodoro perfect.
Most dishes on the menu are as hard to pronounce as they are to
decide upon. That’s fine, though. The waiters will grin and
tell you just to point to the item of your desire. Offering more
than a dozen appetizers and a colony of pasta and main course
dishes, the waiters do not hesitate to recite the specials or make
personal recommendations.
The Agnolotti al Brasato Di Manzo ($13.50) are filled with beef
in a buttery sage sauce. Other pastas, such as the Ravioli Di Pollo
Al Ragu D’Anantra ($12.75), comes with chicken sauteed in a
ragu of duck. The tomato toppings are rich and thick and best eaten
while still steaming, topped with a sprinkle of parmesan.
Il Moro offers a spicy rendition of select meats, ranging from
grilled chicken and grilled lamb to beef filet mignon and veal chop
cutlets. The Tagliata con Arugola ($16.25) overlaps grilled beef
entrecote and a nest of arugola in a herby rendition of a classic
dish.
A meal is not over until the dessert menu arrives, even when
diners insist they are satisfied. For those with the endurance and
sweet tooth to ask about the desserts, Il Moro will offer light
delicacies, such as biscotti or citrus sorbets, and a downpour of
richer sweets. The crema de vaniglia ($5.95) drenches a vanilla
custard with a heavy caramel or chocolate sauce. The torte di mele
($5.95) follows the same over an apple tart.
The prices run a little higher than the average Italian
ristorantes, but Il Moro will remind you that you should not
compromise for anything less. Besides, you can’t argue with
Foiani, a man who attended the Culinary School of Bologna at the
age of 13, or De Santo, who worked in some of the best restaurants
in London.
They know how to appease hunger. The setting is first class, the
food is high class, and you’ll leave feeling like nothing
better.