Where to Eat: Traditional Southern Italian Cuisine @ Franco on Melrose

The Eats: The hearty cuisine of Campana in Southern Italy

The Location: Melrose District

The Vibes: Intimate, airy, discreet

Good for: Alone, dates, small groups

When-To-Go: Daily, for dinner only

The $$ Factor: Starters, $11 - $23; Entrées $16 - $35

The Names behind the scenes: Owner / Chef Franco De Dominicis

The 4-1-1: There's also a room that holds about 25 people if you want to have a private gathering

Parking Situation: Metered and free street parking

I’ll Be Back…: For the Ravioli Zucca!

Blink too fast and you just might miss it. 

Wedged between two buildings on the bustling Melrose Ave., just slightly east of La Cienega Blvd., you'll find Franco on Melrose, a restaurant dedicated to showcasing cuisine from the Campana region of Southern Italy.

Upon entering Franco, you’re standing smack in the middle of its kitchen. Yes, that might cause some confusion, but no, you didn’t go through the wrong entrance. A few short steps forward, and you’ll see that you’ve come to the right place — a tiny one-room seating area with a bar, lots of foliage and tables decked out in white linens. Vine-covered and muted steel blue walls soar high towards the open ceiling, which casts the entire space in soft, natural lighting, with strings of circular lights adding a festive touch.

For the past five years, Owner / Chef Franco De Dominicis has been bringing the flavors of his hometown Campana (total population, slightly over 2,000) to Los Angeles. Open for dinner only, the quaint — yet still uber-chic — restaurant changes its menus seasonally, but never strays far from old-school cooking traditions and styles.

Earlier this summer, I had the opportunity to get an exclusive tasting from Franco himself, sampling bits of everything, from piatti piccolo (small dishes) and antipasti (appetizers), to pastas, seafood and the star of the house, meat dishes.

Franco started me off with petite versions of five of the most selected small dishes and appetizers. 

The Carciofi Salad, pictured above, is tossed with artichokes and arugula, and a tart dressing comprising lemon and extra virgin olive oil. A thin slab of Parmiggiano, a.k.a. Parmesan cheese, balances carefully on top of the salad and helps cut the tart taste.

I typically don’t eat beef or cheese, but I wasn’t passing up the chance to try the Polpette Di Carne, pictured below — pork and beef meatballs topped with melted Mozzarella. With hints of tomato and basil, they oozed with flavor and were nice and plump and juicy!



Other starters included the Burrata Caprese, pictured below, the Olive Marinate, which is basically like a handful of olives, and a very interesting dish, the Zucchini Blossom, which is fried squash filled with herb ricotta cheese and spices. In total, there are 20 different piatti pccolo and antipasti to nibble on.



Obviously, pastas are quite a big deal in Italian cuisine, so it only made sense to try a few. From vegetarian to meat and seafood — and ravioli, linguine and spaghetti — Franco has practically every type covered. Plus, all pastas are made fresh, right in an upstairs room at the restaurant.

Hands down, my favorite pasta for the night was the Ravioli Zucca. Butternut squashed is roasted to the point where it’s actually surprisingly sweet and then stuffed into thin ravioli, which is lathered in a creamy, buttery sage sauce and topped with Parmiggiano. I’ve never had squash cooked that way!



Seafood lovers shouldn’t skip out on the Pestana, pictured below, which includes linguine tossed in a medley of clams, mussels, shrimp and calamari and a savory wine / tomato broth.



The Fusilli “Franco’s Mom” is one of the signature dishes. Comprising both pork sausage and beef meat Ragu, it’s a meat lover’s dream come true and extremely filling.



And speaking of signature dishes and meats, the Brasato di Manzo is one of the most popular entrées. It has such a rustic countryside feel, with a large chunk of short rib accompanied by sautéed spinach and other earthy veggies like carrots and potatoes.



All in all, the menu is remarkably diverse; from small to large options, vegetarian-friendly to carnivore-appealing dishes, there’s surely something to pleasure everyone and every appetite size. Most importantly, it’s incredibly tasty and inspires me to book a trip to Italy, ASAP.

So the next time you're looking for a quiet but still classy and authentic Italian dinner — perhaps with the fam or for a romantic rendezvous — I recommend heading on over to Franco on Melrose. Ambience is charming, the food delicious and the Italian wines nicely pair with the entrees.

See you there soon!

For more information: 

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Wilson's Words of Wisdom: August Round Up (Rooftops in Los Angeles)

Over the years it's been wonderful to see more and more rooftop bars, restaurants and lounges pop up all over Los Angeles. Pretty much no matter what part of the city you're in, being high up in the sky will afford you breathtaking views — of the San Gabriel Mountains, the glistening Pacific Ocean, the vast cityscape — or of all of these.

So, in an ode to spectacular rooftop destinations — and more specifically ones I've been loving this Summer '17 — this monthly roundup is dedicated to a few I highly recommend you make a point to visit sometime soon.

Take a look at the list below and leave your fave places in the comments section, too!

Mama Shelter

Not only are there sweeping vistas of the nearby Hollywood Hills, but Mama Shelter's vibrantly colorful decor paired with the abundance of lush vegetation throughout the space make this rooftop restaurant/bar such a welcoming hideaway, high above the bustling streets of Tinseltown. Technically speaking, weekend brunch is only offered at the downstairs restaurant.  But, the rooftop lunch menu actually includes both breakfast and lunch items, so it really still feels like you're brunchin'. I recently went with a large group for a birthday get-together, sampling a ton of different entrees, all which were incredible. The ceviche had some of the largest slices of shrimp ever and the make-your-own-charcuterie board with a respectable selection of different cheeses, meats and fruits means you can tailor it exactly to your liking. Plus, the cocktails — like the Dreamscape pictured above, with vodka, creme de violette, lemon and cranberry — are on point. Very light and fruity, perfect for the season. Tip: apparently on weekends, a line starts to form around 2 p.m. to head up, so if you want to avoid the crowds, get there earlier in the day rather than later.
For more info


Spire 73




* Tableside S'mores photo cred: @NoIGLauren

As one of the newest additions to DTLA in the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown, Spire 73's claim to fame is that it's allegedly the highest lounge west of the Mississippi. And sitting 73 stories above ground level, you definitely feel like you're in the clouds, especially when you look out and see cars that look like the size of ants. Spire 73's biggest selling point is its breathtaking — and very high — location and the fact that if you are so inclined, you can literally sit right on the edge of the building, with nothing separating you from thousands of feet below but a glass wall. Both the decor and food options are quite curious; benches are covered in synthetic grass and appetizers are items like deviled eggs with squid ink. I'd say come here to catch the sunset, drink a cocktail and nibble on a dessert like the Tableside S'mores pictured above, which is great to share and to catch a case of childhood nostalgia.
For more info


High Rooftop Lounge



One of the best places in the world to catch a sunset is right on the beach...And if you're at the beach watching the sun glide gently into the water, then you might as well be doing it several hundred feet above ground level. Enter into the picture, High Rooftop Lounge. Situated on top of Hotel Erwin literally steps away from Venice Beach, this open air destination offers the ultimate view — and killer cocktails to match. The only fallback to High is that snagging a seat here can be a challenge. Reservations, while highly recommended, are extremely hard to come by, especially on weekends and beautiful summer afternoons like we're currently experiencing. Without booking in advance, seating can be super limited and you may be relegated to standing room only. Tip: I probably wouldn't come here without securing resys first, but the sunset views alone are worth any and every hassle of trying to get here.
For more info


Commissary @ The Line Hotel





Located in the very trendy and very crowded The Line Hotel in Koreatown, Commissary is a restaurant — housed in an airy and vibrant greenhouse. I'm in love with the fresh, earthy smell in here, thanks to the varied types of plants and shrubs hanging on the walls and overhead. There are also all kinds cutely quirky, detailed touches in everything — from the presentation of the menu (in an envelope) to the actual menu selections themselves (i.e., cocktails served in plastic containers, like the one above, the Pimp's Cup, with ginger, cucumber, rhubarb and shiso).  I've mainly hit up Commissary to grab a nightcap or before heading over to Break Room 86 in the hotel, but I'm also itching to try the weekend brunches, which include both buffet and set menu options. If you go before me to brunch, let me know how it is!
For more info


Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles





The Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles may have a Spanish Gothic facade, but its rooftop bar / lounge pays homage to the desert lifestyle, with a Southwestern style etched into everything from overhead canopies to throw pillows and artsy wooden furniture. Throw into the mix a nicely sized pool, a roaring fireplace, a few trees and shrubbery, and a DJ spinning ambient tunes, and you've got yourself a fine spot to soak up the sun and sip a cocktail. Speaking of cocktails, I'm loving the summer-themed libations, like the Amazing Frozen Drink, pictured above, with peaches, peach liqueur and peach Schnapps.
For more info


WEST Restaurant & Lounge @ Hotel Angeleno

So West Restaurant & Lounge in the iconic Hotel Angeleno is less rooftop and more penthouse, but I added this Westside hideaway to this list because it still has respectable views that stretch east across the Wilshire Corridor to as far west as the Pacific Ocean. And, there's really not a better time to enjoy these views than during the daily afternoon happy hour (5 to 7 p.m.). Coined "the 405," the happy hour has standard L.A. fare — think buffalo bites, hummus and mini tacos — and cocktails with tongue-in-cheek names like "carmageddon," "brake lights" and "@%#! the 405." The lounge decor is modernly chic, with lots of rich wooden panels and ceiling-to-floor windows, and the vibes here are definitely more low key and relaxed. Another big selling point: bartenders make a mean lemon drop martini!
For more info

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Other rooftops I've enjoyed throughout the years and can't wait to get back to: Perch, Hotel Shangrila, The Wilshire Hotel and The Standard in downtown LA.

I'll catch you at one of these soon!