Felix Trattoria

Both of my boys, when asked where they’d like to go for our summer trip, simultaneously and without consulting the other, answered: “Los Angeles.”

We were staying at an Airbnb near Venice Beach, which is also very close to a strip of hip places on Abbot Kinney Boulevard. I dubbed it Portland Avenue since it reminded me of the Oregonian city, including a Salt & Straw location.

In researching local places to eat on Foursquare (as I do), Felix came up as a top Italian place nearby to eat. Highly rated and slightly upscale. Reservations were necessary to snag ourselves a table.

The place was already packed upon our relatively early arrival to the restaurant. This is clearly a popular place and we’d soon experience why.

We were quickly seated and reviewing the menu. The staff was friendly and prompt.

The dishes come “family style” making it easy to share. We started with the fiori di zucca and the prosciutto with melon. The fiori is a deep fried squash blossom. While everybody at the table liked these, I loved them. The slight crunchy outside contrasted with the creamy insides. It was a perfect appetizer.

For the mains, we ordered the diavola, orecchiette, tagliatelle, and the foglie d’oliva. The diavola and the orecchiette had some spice to it and were definitely my favourites. The salami on the diavola was so tasty.

I had a super Tuscan wine, the name of which I didn’t make note of, but it paired wonderfully well with the spicy meal.

My boys can be picky eaters but they managed to find something that they enjoyed. (Hard to go wrong with well-made pasta and pizza.)

Verdict: Worth it. A perfect place for a date night. If I lived in L.A., I could see myself becoming a regular of this restaurant.

Experience:	★★☆
Value:	★★★
Food:	★★★
Drinks:	★★★
Service:	★★★