Sylvio Martins

1 month ago | theinfatuation.com | Sylvio Martins |Cathy Park |Garrett Snyder

photo credit: Jessie ClappThere’s a reason why France and Belgium fight over who invented steak frites, and why this classic brasserie dish gets people visibly excited when it appears on a menu. It’s two great things that are even better together. And though you might have opinions on the ideal cut, style of fries, or which butter-infused sauce is involved, it’s ultimately a dish that’s hard to mess up—though even harder to perfect.

1 month ago | theinfatuation.com | Sylvio Martins

Asal Bakery & Kabob is a grocery run and quick meal built into one. This Persian market in Woodland Hills has various brands of honey, tea, and sour lavashak to peruse, as well as a counter-service restaurant that assembles plates of kabobs and stews in minutes. Apart from the dry tahdig that we almost chipped a tooth on, we like the saffron-tinted chicken koobideh and the tart ghormeh sabzi, though the latter could use more salt.

2 months ago | theinfatuation.com | Sylvio Martins

We never thought we’d say this, but the most romantic patio in LA might be in Westwood. Violet’s back patio looks like someone opened a bistro inside a lush sunroom, which, at night, is lit up with string lights. It’s an ideal place to flirt with someone who is equally into fussy French food, which this place does well enough, i.e., steak au poivre that sits in a kiddie pool of peppery cream or duck à l’orange with quinoa that tastes like the ‘90s heydays never left.

2 months ago | theinfatuation.com | Sylvio Martins |Garrett Snyder

Just AddedThings get intimate at Amiga Amore. This Mexican-Italian fusion spot in Highland Park is cozy but also teeny-tiny, so expect knees to touch, phones to stay on the table, and the street corn-inspired agnolotti—with pops of sweet corn cream and finger lime—to provide plenty to talk about.

2 months ago | theinfatuation.com | Sylvio Martins

Donna Jean is a vegan Italian spot in Sherman Oaks (with another location in San Diego) that deserves extra credit for making its plant-based ricotta in-house and fermenting its pizza dough for three days. Vegans with the urge to devour a cheesy pizza will find peace here, and non-vegans will find a useful spot for casual, tasty weeknight dinners. Most things besides the “Really Good Salad,” which absolutely lives up to its name, fall into hearty red sauce Italian territory.