Modo Mio

15200 Sunset Boulevard
310-459-0979
restaurantmodomio.com

By MERV HECHT | Contributing Writer

What a wonderful place Pacific Palisades has become. When I moved here in 1964 there was one Chinese restaurant, one Italian restaurant, a hot dog stand, maybe a deli, but not much more.

Now there is a wonderful selection of a variety of restaurants. Did you know that there are about 12 restaurants serving Italian food in this area?

Among the best of these is a small rustic Italian restaurant named Modo Mio. It’s truly a little gem, and when I had lunch there in November, I felt as if I were back in Tuscany.

The decor, with one brick wall with a skillet hanging and a shelf of Italian wine bottles, was reminiscent of many small Italian restaurants I’ve been to when I was a wine buyer in Italy years ago. And when the server turned out to be the wife of the couple that own it, that cinched it. There was only one difference: Veronique was speaking French instead of Italian.

I asked her why a French couple would serve Italian food. She replied with some energy: “Because Italian food is more healthy.”

After a few moments, a delicious piece of rustic toast in oil, with chopped tomato on top, appeared. Then I asked what the most popular dish was, and Veronique answered, “Our gnocchi.” So that’s what I ordered, and it was delicious.

When I’ve had gnocchi in Italy, it usually came with a thick rich sauce with cheese flavor, and the gnocchi were a bit dense. Not here. This gnocchi was bathed in a light olive oil with specks of basil and a touch of marinara and had the texture of a feather—very Iight and flavorful. When I first looked at the serving, I thought, “This is enough for three people,” but surprisingly I ate the whole thing.

I’ve had many dinners at Mio Modo, and I usually have the clam linguini, which is also very good. The menu is very full, and there are excellent fish and meat dishes made Italian style. The wine list is full of traditional Italian wines at reasonable prices. Veronique mentioned that they have a number of specialties every week.

Modo Mio is a really good Italian restaurant in a sea of Italian restaurants, with excellent service, a great menu and a friendly atmosphere. It’s no wonder it has survived for almost 40 years.

The current chef has been there since the beginning, first as a dishwasher then worked his way up to the top position. In addition to all of the above, there is great parking in a spacious lot under the restaurant. Who could ask for anything more?

Merv Hecht, like many Harvard Law School graduates, went into the wine business after law. In 1988, he began writing restaurant reviews and books. His latest book, “The Instant Wine Connoisseur, 3d edition,” is available on Amazon. He currently works for several companies that source and distribute food and wine products internationally. Comments can be sent to mervynhecht@yahoo.com.