Ettore Vino e Cucina is the latest newcomer at the Original Farmers Market on 3rd and Fairfax. The 100-seat full-service Italian restaurant occupies a newly built space and comes from the owners of the 14-year-old Osteria Mamma on Melrose and Ettore winery in Mendocino. Daily lunch and dinner service commences on Thursday, October 3, 2024. Ettore Vino e Cucina is the largest sit-down restaurant at the Los Angeles shopping landmark.

The idea for Ettore Vino e Cucina was born two years ago when Osteria Mamma’s co-owner Filippo Cortivo linked up with Ettore’s managing director Fabrizio de Falco. Their shared passion for food and wine led them to collaborate on a restaurant that drew on both their strengths. Designed by de Falco, the indoor-outdoor dining room takes cues from southern Italy, specifically Puglia, where de Falco was born. Sturdy wooden tables and vintage furniture sourced from Italy and France bring character to the expansive space.

Executing the northern Italian menu is chef Mònica Angelats Coll, the former chef de cuisine at Brera Ristorante. Coll also worked as a pastry chef at the Avalon Hotel in Beverly Hills and the now-closed All ‘Angelo on Melrose; she opened the modern Spanish restaurant Flor y Solera in 2023 which closed earlier this year.

Aaron Feaver

The menu, which Coll shaped in tandem with Cortivo and his family, is divided into four main sections: appetizers, roasted vegetables, pasta, and large-format mains. Starters include shareable plates like marinated olives, fried squid with citrus mayonnaise, and a crudo of the day. Vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, and fennel are slow-roasted and brightened with various cheeses, herbs, and vinaigrettes. A half-dozen pasta sits at the heart of the menu, including a spinach pesto trofie, potato-stuffed ravioli with wild boar sugo, and gnocchi ladled with San Mariano tomato sauce.

A spatchcocked chicken, calamari steak with Calabrian chile, and braised lamb round out the menu’s savory dishes, while desserts like limoncello panna cotta, figs with pastry cream, and flourless chocolate cake make for a sweet finish. A selection of merlots, cabernets, and chardonnays sourced from Ettore and other wineries are on hand to pair with the food. A small selection of retail items like dried pasta, canned tomatoes, and Ettore olive oil are available for sale for those dining in or visiting the market.

The 90-year-old Original Farmers Market is home to more than 100 vendors, including newer businesses like regional Chinese food stall Noodle Art and longtime institutions like Du-Par’s. Ettore Vino e Cucina provides a more formal but still approachable (dishes range from $8 to $36) dining option at the market or while shopping at the Grove nearby.

Aaron Feaver

Ettore Vino e Cucina is located at 6333 W. 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90036, and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.