Pici Enoteca

Home-​style cooking and atmosphere is what we found at Pici Enoteca.
It started with us being greeted by the owner who shook our hands and welcomed us to his restaurant and it continued through with a friendly and knowledgeable waiter who’s recommendations were spot on.
And obviously the food was outstanding — very light and flavorful: Artichoke Fritters — the batter was spot on — very lightweight and crispy with no excessive oil. The mushroom Soup of the Day was so light and flavorful and it set the stage for what came next — the hand made pastas! Perfectly cooked, just the right size portions and light and flavorful sauce — what ‘s not to like! Best Bolognese yet!

I heard about this place through groupon and figured I’d give it a try. Everything was pretty good, particularly the mushroom leek pizza with truffle and the artichoke frites. The Chicken Picatta would’ve been better had it not been so dry. We also tried the apple donut desert which was OK, I thought the donut was going to be stuffed with apples, but sadly it was not.
When the bill came the included a 22% gratuity on the bill. I have used groupons before and something like that would’ve been stated on deal but it wasn’t. I wouldn’t have minded giving a 20% gratuity but the face that they just went ahead and included it themselves like that is shady. The place was small and didn’t warrant a $ 30 tip to bring out a pizza and a pasta. The ambiance and environment doesn’t warrant that either. I’m much more perturbed that they had the audacity to just do that. It made the groupon totally worthless — considering we had never been and wanted to try it out.
Because of this I had to give 2 stars. There are MUCH better places you can go to and spend $ 80 on dinner and get A-​class service and a dining «experience».

I like this place because they purportedly offer «wild caught» salmon. The ocean is a cesspool, and sometimes I feel weird about eating salmon of questionable origins, but «wild caught» makes me think that these little salmon babies came from the pure clean waters of [insert name here]. However, adding those two little words to their menu gives me that peace of mind that I so desperately seek when enjoying a nice grilled salmon entrée (gotta get your protein, your fatty acids and your omega-​3s!!!) with some sensible fiber-​rich vegetables on the side and a glass of heart-​healthy antioxidant-​rich red wine.
–Soon to be writer for a women’s health magazine

2.5 Pretty empty evening at the enoteca… don’t know why, but that did not make the service prompt??? Why? was «kind» service but very slowwwwwwwww and disinterested… Mama Mia? Why? Why? Why? Well, there will never be an answer but it brings the rating down. now on to the real business:
mixed green salad very average to start then, artichoke ravioli and «house-​made» pici pasta were both very tasty… Canoli was nothing to write to Mom about… dessert elsewhere would have been the best decision… So Pici gets the 3 for the mains… 2 on the rest… with so much Italian in BH, on to the next!

Pici Enoteca («P.E.»), you had me the moment I saw your lunch specials written on the chalk board stand in front of your restaurant. Grilled chicken pesto sandwich? Ok, sounds tantalizing. Turkey burger with caramelized onions? I’m walking through the doors now. Turns out, my instincts for this place were right. P. E is a phenomenal spot.
Both specials were great (had them on two separate occasions for the record). Make sure to order the side of fries with your order. I can’t recall if they were curly or criss-​cut fries, but damn they were good too. In addition to the delicious and reasonably priced lunch specials, P.E. also has some other great dishes to offer. For starters, I recommend the chopped salad with salami, or pick one of their artisan pizzas (highly recommend the margarita pizza).
I’ve been here several times for lunch, and so far the service and the food has been a smooth and delectable experience. Keep it up, P.E.

I’ve been three times now and I have yet to be disappointed.
Food: I’ve had the portabello mushroom sandwich which was tasty and a great $ 10 price! I also had the hand made pici pasta which was also delicious. I had their turkey burger the last time, which was a little strange at an Italian restaurant, but it was huge and delicious. I am going again tomorrow and I think I am going to have the pizza! I can’t wait!
Service: The restaurant is surprisingly empty considering how busy all the other restaurants next door are. So the service has yet to be tested. But they are always nice and attentive; eager to give suggestions.
I like that it’s empty because then I never need to worry about a table, but if I want to keep them around, they need more customers. GO GROUPON, or something.
I really enjoy this place! You should go too!

Cute little bistro on Beverly. I had been wanting to try it for a while and no one would go w/​so I went alone.
I had the artichoke fritters (nom), a glass of wine (always good), a margarita pizza (nom) and the homemade gelato. The gelato was strawberry chocolate, but needed more chocolate. But I love chocolate so it could have been chocolate strawberry and I would think it still needed more chocolate.

We were looking for a good italian place in the area but our first option was already booked for the night so we checked this place out. It’s located right next to Cabbage patch and across from CPK. The chef was eating dinner outside and giving us a nice speal of they’re daily menu. So we decided to give this place a chance.
The menu is pretty straight forward with a variety of pastas, pizzas, and salads. We decided to go with the pesto pasta. The pasta itself was pretty tasty with its thick chewiness. However the downfall of the dish itself was the sauce itself. It was abit way too dry or maybe just too little for the amount of pasta in the plate. Every bite just tasted like a mouthful of plain pasta. That was pretty much the overall consensus of all the pasta dishes we ordered.
I had the daily special of fresh grilled salmon. The grilled fish itself was definitely fresh, however it was slightly over grilled to the point of being dry. The entire presentation of the dish just seemed very one dimensional. Even the grilled veggies on the plate was on the bland side. Sadly the best part was the baked mash potatoes. It would have been much more yummy with some sort of sauce served on top or even on the side. Maybe a cream sauce or white wine reduction? Or even a balsamic reduction would made this dish much more yummy. Otherwise for the $ 20 price tag it was abit overpriced. But then again we were in Beverley hills so i guess it was «cheap».
Parking is definitely a pain the area, but there is a parking structure directly next door with 2 hours free parking. Overall if you’re the area and looking for a bite to eat and have no other options you can check this place out.

Stumbled upon the spot the other day for lunch. The food was amazing and the vibe was really great! I had the lemongrass pizza and it was delicious. I also had the beet salad and that was pretty tasty too.
The staff is really friendly and we felt comfortable just hanging around and drinking some wine after lunch. There is some outside seating and the inside is very comfortable and cozy.

Met a friend at Pici recently for lunch to talk a little shop. From the moment I walked in, I knew I was going to like it. Really cool old, yet restored look that sets itself apart from the modern restaurants that seem to be everywhere.
I read some of the reviews before heading over and knew that I had to try the lemon grass pizza… everyone was raving about it! Well, I did (with chicken) and it was gooood! Nice thin crust and not overly spicy — perfect for lunch. My friend had the chopped mixed greens salad and enjoyed it, but you can get that anywhere. I’d recommend going with one of their specialities.
Parking can be a nightmare on Beverly, but luckily there is a garage next door with free 2-​hour parking. It is a bit small inside, but the outdoor tables alleviate any claustrophobia you might have!

After reading the reviews I will need to give them another try. The lasagna was very dry but the pizza was very good.
The special was «fish and chips»… should have tried it! Had to be better than what I had tonight.

The streets of Beverly Hills are lined with some of the best restaurants in the country, and maybe even the world. Most of the restaurants, along with the tourist attractions, are on the north side of Wilshire Blvd. However, all too often the south side of Wilshire gets forgotten. I admit that I haven’t ventured south too many times myself. To be completely honest I can only think of a few times I’ve crossed Wilshire. One was to track down the Banksy piece on Little Santa Monica and the others were when I would forget Beverly Drive doesn’t allow left turns onto Wilshire. But on a crisp December evening my family and I headed south to give Pici Enoteca a visit.
The interior of Pici instantly reminded me of the tiny eateries I’ve been to in New York that have maximum seating in a minimum amount of space. The tables are a bit smaller than most places in the area and they’re a lot closer together. The leather booths and wooden chairs really complete the rustic feel.
When we showed up the place was pretty busy and most, if not all of the eight or so tables were taken. Thankfully we had a reservation and were given a table toward the back by the small bar. Our table was by itself and almost in the back hallway. It worked perfectly because we didn’t have to worry about fighting for elbow room with the strangers at the next table over. Instead, we each had plenty of room to sprawl out and get comfortable.
The menu at Pici is classic Italian with pastas, pizzas, salads, and, of course, plenty of wine. We were all starving so we ended up order more than enough food. To start we got the artichoke fritters (with boursin cheese and herb aioli) and the chopped salad (Romaine, spinach, chick peas, roasted peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, peperoncini, asiago, and orange basil vinaigrette) to share. The fritters were delicious and each bite was filled with warm cheesy goodness. The chopped salad was humongous in a large white bowl filled with fresh ingredients. The top layer of the salad was great but as we got lower into the layers the dressing was almost nonexistent. I hate when restaurants completely drench their salads in rich, fatty dressings, but at the same time the raw taste of lettuce isn’t something I would do back flips over.
After these we got the roasted forest mushroom pizza (with truffle oil and crispy leeks). Pizza, and by that I mean REAL pizza, is one of the best things out there. Thin, crispy pizza made with the richest flavors and freshest fixings can rival any other meal, any other day. Pici’s pizza didn’t disappoint. It came thin, steaming hot, and on an even thinner tray. There was also enough truffle oil to enhance the taste, but not take away from the rest of the pizza.
For my entrée I went with another one of my favorite foods, lobster ravioli. The dish was a small portion of large ravioli stuffed with lobster and cheese. It was definitely better than the Trader Joe’s ravioli I always buy. The one downside was that the entire dish was slightly cooler than room temperature. Possibly the kitchen’s timing was thrown off and it had to sit on the counter for a while, or maybe it was any number of things. Regardless, I would have liked it hotter and right off the stove.
By some divine miracle we all managed to save room for dessert. We went with the homemade chocolate gelato and Chef J’s cheesecake of the day. We were given two ginormous scoops of gelato covered in chocolate sauce. Each bite was smooth and the consistency was like velvet. The slice of cheesecake was also a good size with even more chocolate sauce. As quickly and cleanly as possible we devoured both until there was nothing but spoon scrapes on the plate.
The parking in Beverly Hills is nothing less than a joke and if you happen to find a meter you should also buy a lottery ticket. The private garage right next door is a huge plus and makes the night that much less stressful.
Pici Enoteca is a relatively new restaurant that has already established a solid menu. Other than a bit of confusion between the staff, the night went smoothly as we enjoyed our meal. It’s also a great place to temporarily transport your mind out of stuffy, pretentious Beverly Hills and into TriBeCa or the Village in New York.

When the chef/​owner of the place comes over to the door and greets you and welcomes you into his restaurant, you know you’re in a good place. That’s the vibe you get as soon as you open the door at Pici.
My girlfriend and I wanted to try various things on the menu so we ordered the meatballs, the artichokes, the short ribs, mac n’ cheese and the Mediterranean pizza.
Everything was amazing. The meatballs were tasty and the tomatoe sauce complimented them quite nicely. The artichokes stuffed with Boursin cheese were extraordinary — still thinking about them. The mac n’ cheese was also quite good. Not too cheesy but still having great flavor. My short ribs were cooked perfectly and my girlfriend’s pizza was light and delicious. The pumpkin cheesecake we had for dessert was a great finisher for the wonderful meal we just had. Looking forward to trying the homemade gelatto next time.
Service was excellent too.
Living right around the corner, I’ve been waiting for a neighborhood Italian restaurant like this. Can’t wait to go back.

Bypassing The Cabbage Patch and heading to Honor Bar, my BFF and I were stopped by the owner/​chef of Pici dining on one of his yummy looking pizza creations on their small outdoor patio. We checked out the menu and decided to try it out!
It was about 7PM on Friday night and the place was pretty empty, with only two other tables occupied we had no problem getting a table.
We perused the menu for a bit but admittedly were swayed by the pizza that had lured us inside.
We decided on two appetizers, the Meatballs in tomato sauce and the Baked Mac ‘n’ Cheese. The Meatballs were 6 pieces in the serving and were nestled in a shallow bath of tomato sauce. The Meatballs were light (not dense) and the sauce a light smooth tomato purée that merried well with the meat. Very nice start! The Mac ‘n’ Cheese is served in small casserole dish also with a light bechamel sauce, not super cheesy, but a nice creamy sauce and topped with a panko bread crumb topping.
For dinner we both decided on pizzas. The pizzas have a super thin crust, about as thin as matzo, crispy and delicious! I chose the Mediterranean which has Feta and Olives and I added prosciutto and arugula. Should’ve thought it out a bit more, since the Feta, Olives and Prosciutto made it a bit salty… however, it was still tasty! Tasty= I could taste every single ingredient on that pizza! From the tangy feta to the bitter/​peppery arugula to the abundantly scattered tender prosciutto and olives. Enjoyed every bite of it!
For dessert I chose the Chocolate Pudding Pistachio Tart. A mix between a pudding and fudge, a bit denser than a mousse. Nice deep chocolate flavor on a shortbread crust and crushed pistachios on top.
Seeing as how the restaurant wasn’t too crowded, service was good. Courteous and quick. They still seem a bit green, not super savvy and clear on delivering the daily specials. Almost like it was their 1^st or 2^nd day on the job. However, the food came quickly, drinks were always filled, table cleared timely and no one hovering over you or checking on (interrupting you) after every bite.
While the food was tasty and service solid, I couldn’t quite push it up to a four star based on price. The appetizers and pizza alone not too bad, but when you add toppings to the pizza it definitely drives up the price! My pizza with the added toppings ended up being $ 21. Now that’s what I paid for my Pizzeria Mozza pizza that was about double the size (and still remains MY FAVORITE pizza). Pici charged $ 5 for the Prosciutto and $ 3 for the Arugula. Now don’t get me wrong, the toppings were generous and tasty. But at the end of my meal realizing that my pizza nearly doubled in price to add two toppings seemed a bit much.
Good food and good service, I’ll definitely be returning!

There is a new Italian spot on the section of Beverly that I like to refer to as lunchtime row. So, accordingly, I stopped in for lunch on Monday. It was busy as everybody wants to check out the new kid on the block.
I dig the vibe here. Whoever did the interior deserves a pat on the back. It’s super tiny but has an industrial meets pizzeria look.
Onto the food: the chopped salad came out first and it was pretty basic. I didn’t love it. But I didn’t order it, nor would I usually order a chopped salad. I like more umph in my salads. I did however like the little mozzarella balls in it.
I was told I must order the lemongrass ginger pizza. Weird I know. But I will say it worked. I particularly like the thinness and crispiness of the crust. I’d like to see how they do a margherita. We also had the polenta onion rings. I really liked these. They were skinny, just how I like my onions. I asked for ketchup and they were good to go.
On my way out I noticed someone eating the pici pasta and it looked really good – I think I’ll try that next time.
Prices are where they should be, which is nice and rare for Beverly Hills.

The food here is great but you have to hit it at the right time. I went after noon and the lunch crowd was crazy but then I went back a few day later at 11:45 and it was empty. The service is great when slow and better when busy.
Parking can also be a problem and on a hot day circling the block can be deadly especially when you are hot.

The espresso cheesecake is one of the most blissful bites I’ve had this year. It’s light, airy, creamy, mocha-​y… a luxurious, silky slice. This is not to downplay the fine (and reasonably priced) menu of mostly vegetarian Italian dishes (and some experimental dishes with an Italian foundation like the lemongrass, crisp ginger Neapolitan pizza), but that dessert was the ultimate in after-​dinner glee. When we mentioned that the cheesecake was ridiculously light, but thoroughly enjoyable, the owner informed us that he created the cheesecake for the Zone diet so apparently it boasts more egg whites than normal cheesecake or something like that.
Go for a nice meal. End on a bodacious note with the cheesecake.

I wish Unilocal has ‘No Star’ rating system. 1 star is even too generous for Pici.
Went there tonight for dinner. I mean, just a dinner, not a fancy Spago kind of dinner. And who knew this place thought themselves as a Four Seasons hotel restaurant.
My fiancé and I live only a few blocks from Pici and like I said we wanted to grab a dinner at one of restaurants on Beverly like we usually do. Coming from NYC, we are connoisseures when it comes to Italian food. And I have several native Italian friends who grow tomato and basil in a little pot to make authentic home food. — yes, I’m spoiled when it comes to Italian food.
Like I said, because I live just a few blocks from Pici, I was wearing moderately casual clothing. I wasn’t wearing 10 inch heels nor 2inch makeup with perfectly done hair. I just kind of ‘stepped out’ to dine.
Above all the bad things happened there (all servers look pissed off, no communication w customer, poorly preped-​only one crushed pepper for entire tables?, trying to clean the table while I’m putting food in my mouth, etc.) worst thing is their HOSPITALITY.
We sat right in front of the door, not the one next to the door for a large group but a 2 seater table.
We ordered food and it never came out. It was about 7:30pm and started to get chilly. We wanted to move to other table but couldn’t grab any server’s attention. My fiancé walked over to a server who were standing around at the kitchen entrance and asked if we can move to other table. Then the owner JASON came out to tell us that we can only move to 1 other spot because all the other tables are for 4 people.
Ok. As you can see in the picture they don’t have a big table for 4 people. It’s all 2 seater table put together. So what the owner Jason said was they couldn’t split those 2 tables a few inches to accommodate us. I would have understood it if it had been a 5 star hotel restaurant. In a such a little restaurant, they just couldn’t split 2 tables to give a room for 2 people?
So he basically told us to move to a spot where those 2 seats of 4 seater tables were already taken by 2 other customers. It’s like 4 of us would eat at the same table because they didn’t want to move (split) tables a few inches. — Eating at a same table w another couple can be a little awkward so we decided to stay at our table.
Seating right in front of the restaurant entrance, I felt chiller every minute.
Then, an old couple eating at a table we had been offered to move left. So we walked over to the server again to tell them we’re moving there and moved all our utensils and water glasses ourselves.
Food came out. — completely over priced. Not even fresh ingredients, over cooked pizza– too greasy for thin crust pizza. It’s like NY style greasy pizza with Northern Italian style thin crust pizza. Store bought taste like pasta sauce. Like I said, I’ve tasted very good Italian food that Italian native friends made. And my ex was an Italian guy whose grand parents made food from their great grand parents’ recipe book. PICI did not serve Italian food.
We were eating and getting very upset at the food and server’s attitude which I would usually pass thinking I would just not eat there again.
THEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED.
A typical Beverly Hills woman walked in alone. — thick makeup, big lips, high rise high heels.etc.
Like he did to us, Jason came out and shook hands to introduce himself. Then, HE SAT HER IN THE BACK BY THE BAR WHERE HE TOLD US IT’S ONLY FOR 4 PEOPLE.
He even said «Let’s have you sit right here. It’s nice spot at our restaurant» something like this.
Huh, ok. Maybe she reserved a seat? No. Jason didn’t tell us the seat is reserved. Maybe rest of 3 friends of her would show up soon?
So we waited.
Well, only 1 friend show up.
I just could not believe.
After we left, we started walk to Honor Bar.(btw very nice bar for a great price) until I got even more upset and walked back to PICI. I went back just to see if 2 other friends showed up. NO. It was just 2 of them.
Jason told us we could either seat by the entrance door or by the old couple at the same table with them. Because the rest of the tables are for a group of 4 people.
Now, this is a kind of hospitality you’ll get while paying for an over priced, unauthentic Italian food.
DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. Either go to better Italian restaurants around the area or cook at home. Whichever you do, at least you wouldn’t pay to get treated like shit.

One of the best restaurants I have been to in a long time. When we arrived we received a warm welcome by Chef Jay, the owner. At first glance the restaurants seemed very small and crammed but it was designed well and cozy. I didn’t like the fact that the tables were so close to each other. It feels as if the people at the table next to you are sitting at your table and can hear everything that is said. It was particularly annoying since I was sitting next to an obnoxious french family that was complaining about everything! (my gf’s french finally came in handy). The tables are also too small to order two pizzas as it will take up almost all of the available surface area. Other than that everything was perfect.
BURRATA SALAD — It was delicious! The plate was piled high with fresh chopped romaine lettuce drizzled with pesto sauce and small chunks of burrata. The salad topped with an upside down ripe tomato filled with burrata with a few strings of delicious onion strings.
GARLIC BAGUETTE — I never thought something so simple could be so delicious. Small sliced pieces of baguette covered in a perfect ratio of garlic and butter.
LEMONGRASS PIZZA — At first glance this pizza seemed unusual and not very appetizing. Since it was their signature pizza dish we decided to give it a shot. After the first bite I couldn’t put the slice down. It was the perfect ratio of cheese and bread. The combo of lemongrass, crispy ginger, and caramelized onions is the best combo since the invention of a Jack and Coke. THIS IS A MUST TRY DISH.
BAKED MAC & CHEESE — We wanted to try it but unfortunately they ran out claiming that they make the pasta fresh daily and they underestimated the demand that day. Seems reasonable as the restaurant just opened less than a week ago.
MUSHROOM PIZZA — My gf ordered this dish and while I’m not a big fan of mushrooms she enjoyed it. It seemed to be a very good mushroom pizza but it lacked the creative and mouth watering effects of the lemongrass pizza. If you have to pick one I would definitely go with the lemongrass. She concurs.
DESSERT — We ordered the dessert sampler. It came with a Cannoli filled with pistachio cream, some sort of chocolate/​pistachio tart that was too thick to be edible, the homemade strawberry gelato with chocolate chips was heavenly and was so fresh it seems like they made it an hour before. The final item was an espresso cheesecake which would put cheesecake factory’s cheesecakes to shame.

The menu is small and well-​selected, the prices are reasonable, the produce is local, and everything is homemade.
The Lemongrass pizza with ginger and caramelized onions is one of my favorite pizzas in the city. The homemade pici pastas are delicious and perfectly cooked. There is a nice wine menu and a couple decent pilsners. The homemade cheesecakes are delicious.
I wish there were more places like this in Beverly Hills — small restaurants with only homemade food and great service.