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With my girlfriend having work at night and myself having a prior engagment on Valentine’s Day, we both decided to celebrate it a week early. Granted, this doesn’t have the same romantic effect of knowing that you’re dining with millions of other couples, but neither of us had any qualms about the decision. Of course, there are practical reasons for this as well, which include not having to worry about reservations, last minute rush to buy gifts, etc. etc. Having decided upon Italian, I chose to take her to Amici in Brentwood.

Situated on the corner of San Vicente and 26th, it allows for a great meal-time view of the multitude of runners who jog on the grassy middle on San Vicente. For me, being one of those runners (and having just run that route), this adds a unique experience to my dining; one that is particular to this neighborhood.

From the beginning, Amici distinguishes itself from most of the other Italian restaurants I’ve been to. Rather than bread alone, they offer thin, crunchy, pita-type bread in addition to the normal offering. Instead of olive oil, there is a bowl of tomato chunks with garlic and fresh basil as well as a bowl of pureed cannelloni beans. This was a welcome departure from the typical olive oil/balsamic vinegar.

Having sated myself on the free offerings, we ordered the Fritto Misto di Pesce to start off with. I considered the price to be unusually high. But when the plate came out, I understood why. It was an enormous oval full of fried goodness. The shrimp and calamari were very fresh and the batter was light enough such that I was able to enjoy the seafood taste yet still have that fried flavor. I had to eat the zucchini quickly in order to prevent them from becoming soggy, but each bite was bursting with flavor. The addition of vegetables to this normally seafood-only was a welcome twist.

For the main entrees, I had the Aragosta alla Griglia con Spaghetti al Granchio (try saying that three times fast). The whole grilled lobster came on a bed of pasta, which provided for great presentation. Of course the meat was mostly in the tail (unless you’re adept at picking apart a lobster). The meat itself was done very well. It was juicy and fresh. The slightly spicy tomato sauce acted as the perfect complement to the lobster. The addition of fresh crab meat added a unique texture to eat bite. Since the crab meat was shredded, it’s natural taste was lost since it had absorbed the sauce.

My girlfriend had the Linguine alla Vongole Veraci. Of course, being curious, I had to sample a bite. The clams were very fresh and I loved the lack of sauce so I could enjoy the seafood. The linguine was perfectly cooked: firm but not too hard. Being a fan of olive oil, I was also pleased to see its generous use in the dish. The pasta was literally swimming in the oil by the end. I was also happy to see that the white wine was used sparingly. White wine can overpower a dish is not used properly.

So obviously, I was very happy with the dishes. Sadly to say, I cannot say the same of the service. It wasn’t a busy night and there were a lot of empty tables so I would expect the staff to be more attentive to the customers that were there. However, when I wanted more water and a replacement utensil, I had to almost jump up and down to get our waiter’s attention. I also felt that the staff was a little pushy and somewhat disdainful, almost as if we didn’t belong there. Granted, being young, I get that occasionally at places that are reserved for more affluent diners. But, even with those same conditions, I felt like royalty at Divino.

Thus, even though the food was great, the experience was tempered by the service. On the bright side, my girlfriend was happy and I did manage to avoid the havoc normally associated with eating out on Valentine’s Day.

By Jeff (see more of his posts).