As a Los Angeles native, I have all of my go-to restaurants when I come home, but Jon and Vinny’s is my favorite. Located in the heart of Fairfax, there is so much to do. Fun street art is sprayed across the sidewalks, and iconic stores like Supreme create this emblematic neighborhood. Jon and Vinny’s opened in 2015 by the two chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo. This restaurants has been the “spot” since its opening, and here’s why.
The restaurant is extremely hip and trendy. Not only is the ambiance clean and fresh, but they also play extremely popular music, think Lil Uzi, Rihanna, and Kanye West. An ode to one of LA’s favorite musicians, Kanye, is their “Ham & Yeezy” pizza. The pizza has ham, vodka sauce, red onion, caciocavallo, smoked mozzarella and pickled Fresno chilies.
Jon and Vinny’s is best to go to with a big group of people. As they say, “the more the merrier.” Here is my go-to order guide for a group of 4+ people. Get ready to dig in!
1. Appetizer: Gem lettuce salad and sugar snap peas
Jon and Vinny’s gem lettuce salad is their take on a classic caesar, and a perfect appetizer to get your taste buds tingling. Fresh little gem lettuce, coated in a spicy caesar dressing with parmesan and bread crumbs. Yum!
My all time favorite are the charred sugar snap peas with buttermilk ranch dressings and pepper flakes. This is the perfect combination of spicy, salty, crunchy and fresh.
These meatballs are to die for. They come with a ricotta puree and grilled garlic bread. Now onto the entrees!
2. Entrees: LA Woman, Margherita, Cacio e Pepe and Spicy Fusilli
All of the entrees are sharing style, this way you can get a little bit of EVERYTHING. The LA Woman is a pizza with marinara sauce, fresh burrata, basil and olive oil. This pizza basically melts in your mouth, and who doesn’t love burrata? I still have yet to inquire about why this pizza is called the LA Woman, your guess is as good as mine.
Another classic is the Margherita pizza. You can’t go wrong with mozzarella and basil. This pizza is melty, gooey and has you drooling before you’ve taken a bite.
Cacio e Pepe is just a fancy name for pasta in cream and pepper sauce. These noodles are spicy, cheesy and an all around a win. This is definitely one of the richer dishes so feel free to share the love.
I saved the best for last. The Spicy Fusilli comes in a creamy vodka sauce with basil and parmesan. No words can even describe this dish, it just leaves you wanting to go back for more. The slightly al dente noodles paired with the velvety vodka sauce is the best combination anyone could think of.
3. Dessert: Soft Serve
If you have never had Strauss Family Creamery’s ice cream, this is the place to try it. Jon and Vinny’s serves vanilla, chocolate, or twist soft serve. I lucked out and they had chocolate nutella! Soft serve is a light and perfect way to end the meal, but if you’re not into that, they have an entire case of fresh baked goods.
If you’re ever in LA, Jon and Vinny’s should be number one on your list. If this sounds like the place for you, make a reservation in advance, because the line is literally out of the door! This restaurant is also a prime celebrity spot. Last time I was there, Cindy Crawford and her family were sitting behind me! Check out Jon and Vinny’s and enjoy a fantastic meal.