Capperi- A Little Italian in Little Tokyo
After seeing many amazing reviews of this tiny Italian restaurant in Little Tokyo, I decided to take a friend there. The atmosphere is both romantic and crowded, if that makes sense. But the evening quickly went downhill once we were seated.
The reviews spoke of great “homemade sangria”- sounded perfect but the waiter had never heard of it. I asked for an appetizer that was on lunch menu (which the server gave us by mistake) and he graciously said they would make it for us- Prosciutto Ham wrapped around melon. The appetizer arrived with much more melon than ham; the ham was very tasty but too sparse for the dish.
Then my friend and I made the unfortunate mistake of ordering the same item- “Bistecchine alla pozzoiola” - filet mignon sauteed with white wine, garlic, and oregano in a light tomato sauce. Not that it matters, but this was the most expensive item on menu at $24 (on internet site it is $21 but whose counting?).
The steak came butterflied (even my friends, who asked for medium rare, and I for medium). It had the consistancy of a good Salsbury steak from dorm room days. Not terrible, but not a filet. Mine had a little scoop of mashed potatoes, and I wanted something more so I asked the waiter what I could order as a side dish. His response was that sometimes they have roasted potatoes, but not tonite, and that they were out of mashed potatoes. How disappointing! But I guess a good forced dietary restriction…
All-in-all, I should have selected a chicken and pasta dish; I’m sure it would have been better. I will try the restaurant again and not let my fondness for steak cause me to order the wrong dish. As for my final review, it’s still open. I need to try another meal there sometime and order a real Italian meal. Anyone want to join me? 