Italian for Non-Beginners
Your First Deep Look Inside Scarpetta

Today, palm fronds litter Wilshire Boulevard. Leaves surge past Rodeo Drive storefronts. Gleaming convertibles have their tops up.

Yes, the winds of change are blowing strong in Beverly Hills, and they bring the wafting scent of pumpkin soup, pasta and Italian awesomeness from New York…

Introducing a sprawling new home of decadent Italian feasts: Scarpetta opens tonight in the Montage hotel.

Offhand, there are at least three reasons you’ll be booking a table here soon. 1) You’re meeting her parents for the first time. 2) You’re making the reservation, but your boss is paying. 3) You’ve got dinner with Grazer coming up, and you heard he’s thinking sequel.

So here’s how it’ll go―before you check in, settle into the intimate lounge for a round of Negronis to shake off any lingering traffic trauma. Relax. You’re on a comfortable purple couch in Beverly Hills, about to enjoy a pretty expensive dinner. Life isn’t so bad.

Then you’re ready for your table in the soaring dining room. Before a wall of well-stocked wine cabinets, you’ll feast on Poached Mediterranean Octopus… and Duck and Foie Gras Ravioli… and Pancetta-Wrapped Veal Tenderloin.

And the kitchen itself is fancier than most restaurants’ dining rooms. So if you like, you can book a party of five at the marble counter right in the middle of it.

You won’t have to chop anything.