I recently sampled a line of Italian vegan cuisine dishes. Branded Vetalian, this is a plant-based food concept developed by Chef Luigi Fineo of Osteria Venice West.
Fineo established his creds in Puglia where he earned a Michelin star working as the executive chef. After moving to the US, he worked at Celestino Drago and The French Laundry. Currently, he has plans to open another restaurant, Luigi al Teatro, nearby in Santa Monica.
Continuing the traditions he grew up with, Fineo continues to make pastas fresh daily, in-house. Their pizza dough is what sets them apart as they infuse organic green tea matcha powder into the gold standard of Italian pizza dough, Italian 00 flour. The result is a crust that is crispy.
Squash Blossom Pizza
We sampled two pizzas, the first was a margherita topped with tomato sauce and grated soy cheese. Way more interesting was the squash blossom pizza with tomato sauce, sliced mushrooms and vegan cheese. The squash blossoms were crisp and had a flash fried consistency.
Arancini filled with zucchini, tomatoes and onions
garganelli pasta with red wine, tomatoes and basil and topped with shredded vegan cheese and chopped parsley.
The arancini was made with croquettes of risotto filled with soy cheese, diced eggplant, zucchini and onions. The interior was reminiscent of ratatouille. The garganelli pasta, however, was my favorite. The sauce was made with red wine, tomatoes and basil and topped with shredded vegan cheese and chopped parsley.
Vegan mascarpone served as the base for their tiramisu. I looked around and everyone seemed to be enjoying it as much as I was.
I’d characterize Vetalian as Gourmet Vegan Italian Cuisine. Chef Fineo uses his knowledge of Italian cuisine to create an impressive list of vegan options. His second restaurant, Luigi al Teatro, is scheduled to open mid 2017.
Osteria Venice West, 5 Dudley Ave, Venice, CA 90291
http://www.osteriavenicewest.com/
Mon. – Thu. 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., Fri. 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m., Sat. 3:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m., Sun 3:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.