This week my family made the long trek from Iowa for a cousin’s wedding in Long Beach. As you might imagine, they wanted to take me out for dinner, and they wanted meto decide where to eat. So the thought process began: Yamato? No, they’re not big sushi fans. CPK? We could get that anywhere. Fat Sals? Too casual. How about that little Italian place on Westwood? And so we decided — Tanino it was.
You may have walked by Tanino on your way to Victoria’s Secret or Urban Outfitters. It has a cute little Italian-looking storefront complete with shrubbery and string lights. It’s just as adorable on the inside, too. Stepping in, I felt like I’d teleported straight to Italy. The architecture, the music and the smells were all spot on. And even though we were seated right next to the doorway, we got a cozy fireplace to sit next to. Tanino gets an A for ambiance.
The next thing I had to judge was the service. It was awfully chilly out that night, and we wanted to be seated quickly. Luckily, they whipped us up a table for six in no time. Drinks and bread came out immediately, and the waiter was always at our service. Everyone was starving — you know, there’s a two-hour time difference from Iowa — so thankfully the food came right away. No wait for the check either. Even the friendly wait-staff seemed authentic and Italian (If not, all those ‘buon appetito’s were pretty convincing).
They had the mood and the service, but what I was really looking for was a tasty Italian meal, and that’s exactly what I got. The menu offers appetizers and soups, risottos, pastas and bigger main dishes. They also give you the option of a truffle meal for a whopping $70 or more, so I opted out (save that one for when your rich grandparents come to visit). The bread to start off with was delicious; take it from me, I’m a bread snob. Once the main course came around, I sampled a bit of everyone’s orders. I had choices of baked spaghetti, spinach ravioli, tomato basil angel hair pasta and pumpkin tortellini. I ordered the angel hair pasta and was pretty pleased. It was a flavorful take on a classic. The baked spaghetti and spinach ravioli were similarly decent. However, the pumpkin tortellini was simply to die for. While I have to admit, I didn’t exactly detect the pumpkin, this dish was the perfect combination of rich and creamy. Nobody had dessert, but Italian desserts and coffees are offered.
The only downfall of Tanino is that it’s a little on the pricey side. I’d rate it as moderately priced, but on a college budget, most of us probably can’t afford too many nights out here. My pasta was $15, and most other dishes were in the vicinity of $20 or more. Fortunately, family pays. It seemed appropriate for the occasion.
Things to take away:
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Price: moderate-high
Perfect for: dinner with your parents
Standout dish: pumpkin tortellini
Photo Credit:http://www.localresearch.com/site_media/media/uploads/img/2010/Nov/24/P1…