Show 302, December 15, 2018: Chef / Restaurateur Steve Samson, Rossoblu

Steve Samson of Sotto and RossobluChef Steve Samson’s Rossoblu has been a big success since its opening Downtown mid-last year in the Fashion District. in a historic former produce warehouse. On Sept. 13th during service a small kitchen fire temporarily closed the establishment. The better news is that Rossoblu just reopened last week.

Don’t forget their comfortable outside patio for that special Holiday party.

Steve is a veteran of the kitchen at Valentino, Santa Monica which will close at year’s end. Proprietor Piero Selvaggio is a mentor. Steve shares a few memories of a staff reunion dinner there earlier in the month organized by Providence’s and Connie & Ted’s Donato Poto.

Congrats, also, to Chef Steve and Dina Samson for having both Rossoblu and Sotto Sotto (his other Century City adjacent restaurant) included in the closely watched Los Angeles Times’101 Restaurants We Love” list. Chef Steve is our guest.

Show 291, September 22, 2018: Executive Chef Antonia Lofaso, DAMA, City Market South, Downtown Los Angeles

Antonio Lofaso of Black Market Liquor Bar and Scopa Italian RootsDAMA is a Latin-inspired restaurant just launched (9 weeks ago) in the Fashion District of Downtown Los Angeles in City Market South featuring culinary dishes from Executive Chef Antonia Lofaso (Venice’s Scopa Italian Roots) and standout cocktails from Pablo Moix and Steve Livigni.

“Chef Antonia Lofaso’s menu draws from her time spent in Mexico City, Spain, Colombia and the Caribbean. The cocktail menu, from Pablo Moix, features long-forgotten classics and spectacular blended drinks like pina coladas and daiquiris. A sprawling, multi-level outdoor patio establishes Dama as a go-to spot for taking in LA’s flawless weather.”

Think Whole Soft Shell Crab Taco with hot pickled onions, radish, Persian cucumbers and cilantro. Also for a “Large Plate” the standout is the Crispy Pork Shank with lettuce cups, house-made warm tortillas, hot pickled vegetables and avocado crema. On the cocktail side look for Sandia y Mezcal with mezcal, watermelon, citrus and salt and pepper.

Chef Antonia takes a break from her busy kitchens to join us.

 

Show 229, June 24, 2017: Executive Chef / Proprietor Steve Samson, Rossoblu, City Market South

Steve Samson of SottoChef Steve Samson is well-known to lovers of regional Italian cuisine in Southern California. He first came into local prominence as the Executive Chef at Piero Selvaggio’s classic Valentino in Santa Monica. From there he was the opening chef at Pizzeria Ortica in South Coast Plaza. Next was branching out with his own establishment, Sotto, located near Century City. The distinctive wood-burning pizza oven there was imported from Italy and assembled inside the restaurant by skilled Italian artisans.

His newest project with his wife, Dina, is the ambitious Rossoblu in the emerging City Market South development in the Fashion District of Downtown Los Angeles. The complex of buildings was the first wholesale produce market in Los Angeles. The menu is influenced by Chef Steve’s summers in Bologna and Emilia- Romagna while he was growing up.

We’ll pull Chef Steve away from his wood-fired grill in the open kitchen for a full briefing.

Show 169, April 30, 2016: Proprietor / Executive Chef Steve Samson, Sotto, Los Angeles

Steve Samson of SottoChef Steve Samson’s Sotto located just East of Century City recently celebrated it’s 5th Anniversary. In recognition of the occasion there was a renovation. Chef Steve is with us with an update. He also has a new restaurant on the horizon, Rossoblu, in Downtown Los Angeles

At Sotto expect an honest, market-driven menu of regionally-inspired Southern Italian dishes, including fresh house-made pastas and Neapolitan pizza cooked in an artisan wood burning oven.

The wine program has been called “one of the most interesting lists” in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Times and “one of the best places to drink Italian wine in LA” by Los Angeles Magazine.

The food at Sotto is complemented by a fresh, seasonally relevant cocktail program with a strong background in the classics and the utilization of lesser known Italian liqueurs.

Chef Steve is very proud that as part of the renovation he was finally able to make room in the kitchen for a suitable gelato maker. Gelato is now on the dessert menu at Sotto!

Rossoblu, located in Downtown’s vibrant Fashion District, hopes to launch before year’s end. The menu with be a tribute to the foods of his Mother who is from Bologna in Northern Italy.