Tucked on an unassuming stretch of Westwood Boulevard, La Bruschetta appears cosmetically as an unlikely candidate for your ideal, authentic neighborhood Italian spot. Family-owned since 1984 by Angelo Peloni, alongside his son Roberto and grandson Jonathan, it’s a hidden gem that’s endured the test of time, where old-school hospitality embraces traditional cuisine with 40 years in the books.
Upon entering the warmly lit trattoria, guests are instantly enveloped by the hearty aroma of homemade bread intertwined with the lively chatter of a Saturday night crowd, where an enticing plate of complimentary bruschetta appears at the table even before you take a seat. Although classically simple, this Italian appetizer lives up to being the restaurant’s namesake, where you can genuinely taste the juicy freshness of the tomato toppings.
The interior is elegantly illuminated and thoughtfully decorated to curate an intimate yet cozy atmosphere that offers the perfect balance between romantic dinners and family gatherings. The rustic-feeling brick walls are adorned with an impressive selection of wines nested in custom wine racks that Peloni himself helped design. Surveying the other guests, it also appears that La Bruschetta is a favorite amongst the older crowd, perhaps serving as further testament to its identity as a cherished local favorite.
As an Italian food fanatic with a soft spot for traditional, family-run kitchen trattorias, La Bruschetta proved to be exactly that. Having the personal pleasure of talking to Peloni and his family, we were greeted with nothing but inviting warmth as they introduced themselves and the eatery to us in a way where you can instantly tell the family takes pride in what they do.
To set the tone for the evening, we started our meal with a quintessential Italian appetizer that’s been tried and true–the Insalata Caprese. This simple yet delicious dish is brought together by fresh tomato slices, basil and buffalo mozzarella. While I did not feel that this Caprese salad was particularly outstanding, the ingredients were notably fresh and airily creamy in terms of the stringy mozzarella. It could be noted that this dish was rather well-received by my colleagues, but fell slightly short for me, given the price and past experiences.
With all pastas being made from scratch in-house and sounding equally delicious, settling our orders required some careful deliberation that led us to ultimately decide upon their popular Rigatoni Bolognese and Gnocchi al Pesto. If in the mood for a different entrée but still craving that fulfilling bite of doughy pasta, the menu conveniently offers the pasta as a side, along with an insider secret of being able to personalize which sauce to pair it with. Gluten-free substitutions are available for all pastas.
Choosing turkey as the meat of choice for the Rigatoni Bolognese turned out to be pleasantly perfect as a lighter alternative to the more traditional beef bolognese sauce, where savory bursts of flavor still shone through each bite of pasta without being too heavy or oily. Lightly blanketed by parmesan, the meat-based sauce was slow-simmered to reach a delectable flavor that paired incredibly well with rigatoni pasta cooked to al dente perfection. The sauce-to-pasta ratio was also well-balanced, which added to the overall enjoyability of this dish.
Switching up the taste palate to a creamier base, the Gnocchi al Pesto quickly became a fan-favorite. Perhaps I simply have a weak spot for pesto, but the sauce was utterly delightful without being overly thick or pungent while still retaining strong basil notes and a nutty richness. Biting into the chewy potato dumplings was a blissful experience in both taste and texture, with each mouthful becoming more addictive than the last. As gnocchi could fall on the more filling side of the pasta spectrum, the portion size was perfect as a sharing option for the table.
Now, a cardinal rule at Italian restaurants is to always try their tiramisu – a traditional dessert that could reveal more about the restaurant than you’d think. As the dinner coincided with my birthday weekend, dessert was graciously presented to us on the house, which arguably augmented the taste even more. Lusciously creamy in the velvety mascarpone layers and the right amount of spongey moisture in the lady fingers, I was further delighted to taste the stronger espresso accords that weren’t overpowered by blatant sweetness in the tiramisu.
In recapping the overall dinner, my colleagues and I agreed fully that the real star of the show – surprisingly non-food-related – may have actually been the service. You simply cannot review La Bruschetta without highlighting their remarkable hospitality – an elevated dining experience complemented by staff with the most attentive eyes and charming demeanor that truly makes La Bruschetta feel like family. And it appears that this memorable service quality is not coincidental, but rather has been widely shared by most other diners, where the easygoing, lighthearted banter of the servers makes you feel like a regular even on your first visit.
Impeccable service complementing a wondrously satisfying meal – what more could one wish for? La Bruschetta certainly deserves greater attention and a rightful name in Los Angeles’ best-kept Italian dining secrets. As for those local to the Westwood area, it is undoubtedly worth the slight splurge as a well-rounded, upscale spot to reserve for your next dinner, whether it’s a birthday celebration, graduation get-together, visiting family dinner or merely to satisfy cravings for authentic Italian cuisine without needing to brave the daunting LA dinnertime traffic.
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Featured Image Photographed by Siena Hunt/BruinLife
