Intimate Italian

(Editor's note: Melograno is now closed.)

Along the Hollywood Walk of Fame,  where you'd least expect an authentic low-key Italian experience, you'll find Melograno.

The white-walled, intimate room with wood floors and high ceilings is suited for nights where the focus is on food: decadent Northern Italian country fare served without pretense.

From the moment you’re greeted warmly with a palate-cleansing glass of prosecco, you’re in for a treat. Follow it up with subtle appetizers, from a vegetable flan over Fontina cheese with black truffle to a daily special like burrata cheese and prosciutto with vinaigrette.

The small menu of eight uncompromising entrees is not for everyone. Pastas are prepared al dente with rich ingredients, whether angel hair with rabbit and pomegranate (melograno) sauce or lobster tail pappardelle. Meat eaters will savor short ribs, lamb chops and Kobe steak.

Pair your meal with a drink from the full bar or the extensive wine list, including more than a dozen reasonably priced red and whites by the glass. Finish with a fluffy budino (pumpkin flan in caramel sauce) bursting with flavor.