JON & VINNY'S (FAIRFAX, LOS ANGELES, CA)

Jon & Vinny's
412 N. Fairfax Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
www.jonandvinnys.com
Tel: 323.334.3369
$$$ ($30-$45)
Cuisine: Italian
Thurs, 05/14/2015, 9:00pm reservation
     (4.5 Piglets)

Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo are the duo behind Animal, Son of a Gun and the anticipated new restaurant Jon and Vinny's. The structure for Jon and Vinny's stems away from the complicated and unorthodox cooking that they're known to produce. Forget the foie gras and pig ears! Jon and Vinny's is straight, simple and to the point. In my opinion, it's good food done right.

Jon and Vinny's is comparable to an upscale diner that I would want to revisit repeatedly. A long bar top is situated along an open kitchen and wood burning oven. In the kitchen, you can see Jon or Vinny working their magic to create delicious pieces. Diners can eat their hearts out while listening to some Kanye or Jay-Z. In the back of the restaurant, a neon sign glowing with "Helen's" (the wine shop) is mesmerizing to the eye. Simple, clean lines create a casual décor.  

The interior with Vinny working in the open kitchen

2013 FAVORITA, ROAGNA ($40.00/btl): Clean, crisp, refreshing. It went well with all the dishes we ordered. 

MARINARA BRAISED MEATBALLS ($15.25): Ricotta, garlic bread. These are one heck of some meatballs! If you never liked meatballs, you may convert simply by this dish. Super moist and super delicious! The sauce was amazing, the ricotta was creamy and the garlic bread was heavenly! I could eat that bread for days!!  Together, they were the perfect combination. 

LITTLE NATS PIZZA ($17.00): Pepperoni, tomato, oregano, caciocavallo, parmesan. I respect this pizza. The crust had optimal firmness and texture that was able to hold its shape for a thin crust. The crust was a little burnt, but who cares? It was a little spicy and full of flavor. My only downer to this pizza was that it was a little greasy. Nonetheless, it didn't stop me from finishing this pizza cause it was still that good. A simple pizza made for a simple piglet like me (but I still prefer Pizzeria Mozza though)! 

Ode to the grease..mmmm

WOOD GRILLED ASPARAGUS ($11.75): Lemon, olive oil, parmesan, black pepper. A plate full of asparagus? Yes, please! The asparagus was cooked well. The lemon added a nice acidity and brought out the flavor to the dish . This was a simple dish and tasted delicious. 

SPICY FUSILLI VODKA ($17.50): Basil, parmesan. The pasta was cooked al dente. The spiciness was not overpowering. It was a simple pasta with a creamy sauce. It was good, but was probably my least favorite dish of the night. 

BUCATINI CACIO E PEPE ($15.75): Pecorino romano. The simplicity of this dish is amazing. Jon and Vinny were able to make this dish perfectly.  The bucatini was fresh and coated well in the buttery cheese sauce. It was comforting and delicious. 

MY FAVORITE DISH. 49TH PARALLEL ESPRESSO SOAKED TIRAMISU ($8.00): Somehow, we ended up with this dish by default cause our original planned dessert was eaten by all the hungry diners. So thankful for that situation or we probably would've never tried one of the best tiramisus in Los Angeles. The  lady fingers were light and airy, the mascarpone was rich and the espresso wasn't overwhelming. This was heavenly! 

Overall, Jon and Vinny's is simple, uncomplicated delicious food. Everything is made in-house. Nothing fancy, just downright homemade ingredients cooked to perfection which I appreciate. For a new restaurant, they've done a good job on keeping the food tasting delicious. How delicious? Well, they ran out of three dishes that night. There were complications with booking a reservation, but seems like they've got that sorted. And the best part...they deliver (but they're still trying to work on the kinks with that situation). Word of advice: Parking is extremely difficult so your best bet is to valet.

Notable dishes: Tiramisu and Marinara Braised Meatballs