Post-biking adventure lunch with friends.
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Who: Sarah, Matt, Gabby, Sabrina, & I
Where: C&O Trattoria near Venice Fishing Pier
When: Saturday at 11:30 AM
The Restaurant: A rather unassuming place, C&O Trattoria. One of the many restaurants and shops along the half street leading up to the Venice Beach Fishing Pier, C&O doesn't have flashy artwork outside or anything that really sets it apart aesthetically from the other storefronts nearby. However, it does have a reputation that precedes it; Sarah, Matt, and Gabby all had eaten here before and highly recommended it as our brunch spot post-biking.
I'm not sure if there is indoor seating, but the entire exterior length of the restaurant has small tables for two along the sidewalk. If you want to hide your sparkly self from the sun, there are giant umbrellas to shade you; for those cold-blooded types, there are also heat lamps for cooler oceanfront evenings.
The inner terrace is reserved for those with more than two people in their party. We originally had eight, so we were given one of larger tables near the entrance. It was pretty quiet during lunchtime, so when three of our friends had to head back to Westwood, we didn't have to switch tables. {Note: It says on their menu that there is a minimum $10 charge per person? We weren't sure if that truly meant everyone had to order more than $10 worth of food (that means no splitting an order), so the three girls left before we ordered just in case. Be forewarned}.
I loved the various murals they had painted along the inside of the terrace. There are about four/five different scenes that look like inviting entrances into the Italian countryside. Combine that with the burbling of the small fountain in the middle of all the tables and the strings of white lights overhead... it's pretty amazing.
The Food: Sarah, Matt, and Gabby came for the Killer Garlic Rolls. Just putting that out there. And I'll admit, those little knots of dough are pretty darn delicious. Very flavorful without being over-powering, crispy on the outside but chewy inside, served piping hot. A little too addicting if anything. You should try them.
Since we arrived during that overlap between breakfast and lunch hours, we got to look over both the full menu and the one-page breakfast menu. So. Many. Choices. We felt a bit bad for our waitress because we took so long to order {and went through three small plates of garlic rolls while making up our minds}. She was very chill though; when she accidentally hit Gabby's hair while walking past, she joked, "Oops. Sorry for smacking you in the bun."
Sarah ended up being the only one who ordered from the regular menu. She got the Penne Spinachi {ricotta cheese, pecorino romano (I have no idea what that is), and a hint of nutmeg in a spinach cream sauce}, while the rest of us decided to get breakfast dishes. Matt tried the special of the day, Apple Walnut Crepes {with fresh fruit and mascarpone on top, Italian sausage and eggs on the side}. Sabrina had the Al Fumo Omelette {smoked mozzarella cheese, fresh roma tomatoes, roasted eggplant, and fresh basil} and Gabby had something similar {I can't remember which omelette she ordered}.
I stood by my rule of always ordering something I can't make at home and took a chance on the Lobster and Shrimp Frittata {slipper lobster and shrimp, fresh asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, and roasted portobello mushrooms, topped with romano cheese}. Perfection. That is all I have to say. I kept thinking that the slices of sun-dried tomato were red bell pepper, but then I'd remember that they weren't bell peppers and all was right in the world again. (:
I'm not sure if there is indoor seating, but the entire exterior length of the restaurant has small tables for two along the sidewalk. If you want to hide your sparkly self from the sun, there are giant umbrellas to shade you; for those cold-blooded types, there are also heat lamps for cooler oceanfront evenings.
The inner terrace is reserved for those with more than two people in their party. We originally had eight, so we were given one of larger tables near the entrance. It was pretty quiet during lunchtime, so when three of our friends had to head back to Westwood, we didn't have to switch tables. {Note: It says on their menu that there is a minimum $10 charge per person? We weren't sure if that truly meant everyone had to order more than $10 worth of food (that means no splitting an order), so the three girls left before we ordered just in case. Be forewarned}.
I loved the various murals they had painted along the inside of the terrace. There are about four/five different scenes that look like inviting entrances into the Italian countryside. Combine that with the burbling of the small fountain in the middle of all the tables and the strings of white lights overhead... it's pretty amazing.
The Food: Sarah, Matt, and Gabby came for the Killer Garlic Rolls. Just putting that out there. And I'll admit, those little knots of dough are pretty darn delicious. Very flavorful without being over-powering, crispy on the outside but chewy inside, served piping hot. A little too addicting if anything. You should try them.
Since we arrived during that overlap between breakfast and lunch hours, we got to look over both the full menu and the one-page breakfast menu. So. Many. Choices. We felt a bit bad for our waitress because we took so long to order {and went through three small plates of garlic rolls while making up our minds}. She was very chill though; when she accidentally hit Gabby's hair while walking past, she joked, "Oops. Sorry for smacking you in the bun."
Sarah ended up being the only one who ordered from the regular menu. She got the Penne Spinachi {ricotta cheese, pecorino romano (I have no idea what that is), and a hint of nutmeg in a spinach cream sauce}, while the rest of us decided to get breakfast dishes. Matt tried the special of the day, Apple Walnut Crepes {with fresh fruit and mascarpone on top, Italian sausage and eggs on the side}. Sabrina had the Al Fumo Omelette {smoked mozzarella cheese, fresh roma tomatoes, roasted eggplant, and fresh basil} and Gabby had something similar {I can't remember which omelette she ordered}.
I stood by my rule of always ordering something I can't make at home and took a chance on the Lobster and Shrimp Frittata {slipper lobster and shrimp, fresh asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, and roasted portobello mushrooms, topped with romano cheese}. Perfection. That is all I have to say. I kept thinking that the slices of sun-dried tomato were red bell pepper, but then I'd remember that they weren't bell peppers and all was right in the world again. (:
The Conversation: Everything, really. We jumped topics so often, I can honestly say that I have no clue what we chattered about for the almost an hour and a half we sat there. Sarah's job at Northern Lights, I think came up, as well as places we had been and ones we wanted to visit.
Conclusion: Highly recommend. This is one of those places I would definitely bring my parents to if they're in town and feel confident that they'll like it, too. The staff is so friendly and the food is downright amazingness. Be aware that the parking situation isn't so hot, but we happened to luck out and find spaces one storefront down. It is metered parking, but they take smaller change than quarters if you're not staying long.
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C&O Trattoria near Venice Pier
31 Washington Blvd.
Marina del Rey, California 90292
Oh yum! Those rolls DO look good - will def take you up on your invite. Your treat, yes?
ReplyDeleteMaybs. When're you coming down to visit? (:
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