The Worldly - A World Culture Web Magazine and 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization

Italian Done Right - Fritto Misto
A Restaurant Review
Original posting: April 2003 Issue

by CATHERINE GARCIA, staff writer

Nestled in the bustling night-life of Santa Monica is a quaint Italian café, Fritto Misto. It was relaxing to sit in this small, cozy café after a hectic commute on Los Angeles’ infamous 405 freeway. The walls were sparsely ornamented by simple Italian décor and racks of aged wine. The room was filled with the sounds of soft music and the rich smells of carbonara and marinara sauces. I was greeted by a cheerful waitress and handed a menu with a wide variety of appealing dishes. As a college student, the first thing that caught my attention was the reasonable price range of the meals--from $9.00 to $15.00. The large variety of pasta specialties and vegetarian specialties was also very enticing. Being someone with a genuine love for good pasta, the “create your own pasta” section was particularly appealing. Customers could choose from a variety of pastas and stuffed pastas, and toss it with a choice of 17 different sauces and several add ins.

You could start off with the Fritto Misto appetizer—calamari, shrimp, artichoke hearts, and vegetables in a light, spicy batter and served with roasted garlic mayonnaise and cocktail sauce. Other appetizers included fried calamari, fried pillows, shrimp and garlic pasta, and mushroom ravioli. After glancing at three pages of specialties, I decided to take up the waitress’ suggestions; I ordered the special of the day—lobster ravioli in cream sauce, a popular pasta specialty—cajun seared chicken, and a vegetarian specialty—wild basil ravioli. The lobster ravioli was absolutely wonderful! The sauce was mouth-watering, rich and creamy and the lobster ravioli was tender and succulent. The Cajun seared chicken dish was also excellent. The flavorful slices of chicken and the light red bell pepper fettucini and garlic cream sauce was a wonderful combination.

My favorite dish of the night, however, was the wild basil ravioli. The dish consisted of tender ravioli stuffed with wild mushrooms and rich ricotta cheese, smothered with a creamy basil sauce, and topped with sundried tomatoes which added a wonderful tartness to the filling dish. Other popular dishes included the Mediterranean—lemon pepper fettucini tossed with artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, pesto, and sautéed mushrooms and the Santa Fe Ravioli—chicken ravioli with a garlic cream sauce and topped with pico de gallo.

The café also offered a small dessert section with homemade servings made fresh daily. Choices included flourless chocolate cake, tiramisu, and crème brulee.

If you are looking for a cozy ambiance with excellent food at reasonable prices, I definitely recommend Fritto Misto.

601 Colorado Ave.
Santa Monica, Ca 90401
(310) 458-2829
Corner of 6th and Colorado

Reviewer’s Rating: Five stars (out of 5)