Bacaro L.A. is brimming with good taste

Located off of Hoover between 23rd and 24th St and packed tightly between other restaurants and cafes lies a hot spot for authentic, Italian cuisine. Being in walking distance (or a cheap Uber­able trip) from campus, Bacaro L.A. welcomes guests with a refined menu and a quaint, hip environment. The restaurant opened in 2008 and from a visit on a Saturday night, Bacaro seems to be pleasing customers with its polished and sophisticated dishes.

Bacaro serves its guests in the style of “cicchetti,” or Italian small plates. Each plate costs $8, or one can order three plates for $21. For entrees, the menu is broken up into cold, hot and grilled pizza categories. Seasonal items may have a price hike on them, but the desserts and cheese/salumi plates range from $5 to $6.

When I say the plates are small, I mean that they are, in fact, small. They are more the size of appetizers when compared to other restaurants that serve you American­sized (oversized most often) portions. If you haven’t eaten all day and were planning to fill up on the missed calories over dinner, don’t pick Bacaro unless you’re willing to dish out the extra cash. Pick up a burger beforehand.

Despite surprise over the portion size, my friend and I split three plates. The beautifully crafted platters served on our little wooden table outdoors were simply exquisite masterpieces.

We, of course, had to start out with the Bruschetta with roasted garlic, balsamic and basil walnut pesto, a classic “cold” Italian appetizer.

The presentation and aroma had me sold before I even picked up a piece of the crisp bread topped with colorful cherry tomatoes and bronzed garlic. I give the bruschetta a 10/10, quite possibly just for the fact that I was eating chunks of garlic without even knowing it. The cloves of garlic were roasted brown, their taste tender and completely transformed.

For the “hot” dishes, my dinner date friend picked the Mac and Cheese. A word of warning, my fellow classmates: this was no ordinary Easy Mac we’re talking about. The five­-cheese fondue and truffle oil smothered noodles came served in a little dish with crispy panko and green onions on top delicately tying the dish together. This pasta dish was very unlike those I have tried before, and I’ve had my fair share of pastas and varieties of mac and cheeses. Bacaro definitely takes on a different taste, but they do so well­. The pasta was both light and indulgently creamy, and the top had a contrasting crispness to it.

The final plate was probably the most filling (or perhaps my friend and I had been already feeling full from the delicious bruschetta and pasta.)

My roommates and I have a panini press in our kitchen. After visiting Bacaro, I feel almost ashamed at my pathetic attempt of using soft whole wheat bread to try and recreate a classic Italian panini.

Bacaro’s “hot” menu served us chicken breast and fire-roasted bell peppers melted between mozzarella and slices of softly crisped bread with a fantastic side of Cornichon shallot aioli.

My friend said she was already full and didn’t want any of the panini, but after convincing her to take a bite, her eyes lit up. Yeah, it was good, to say the least.

I’m a big fan of aioli and sauces/dips that give off the right balance of creaminess, softness and that still have a little sharpness to them in flavor. Bacaro’s aioli is definitely a crowd pleaser.

Bacaro is small all around when it comes to plate size and location, but flavor, service, the dining experience and hospitality are anything but small. You will find the place packed on weekend nights with USC students crammed into the benches and small tables against tall chalkboards talking and laughing over wine, or you can spot a few friends catching up over Italian sodas and coke served in glass bottles outside. (Being underage, I was unable to consume and review Bacaro’s selection of alcoholic beverages, but from the looks of the restaurant and 21+ students enjoying themselves, Bacaro also appears to succeed in this area.)

A+ on your class, Bacaro. I’ll be back soon.

Natalie Laczewski is a freshman majoring in communication. Her column, “Food for Thought,” runs Wednesdays.