Honoring the traditions of classic Italian cuisine and marrying them to contemporary California sensibilities, Innovative Dining Group’s (IDG) newest concept RivaBella brings a distinctive dining experience to the bustling Sunset Strip. A partnership between Michelin-starred Chef Luigi Fineo and the trend-setting IDG, the fine-dining restaurant is an 8,000-square-foot, indoor-outdoor space designed by the award-winning Studio Collective that evokes the feeling of stepping into a rustic Tuscan farmhouse, accented by modern details. Serving lunch and dinner daily, the restaurant’s modern and refined-rustic Northern Italian cuisine reflects IDG’s dynamic and contemporary approach to the dining experience.
CHEF AND CUISINE
A Michelin-starred chef who infuses his Italian heritage with a refined-rustic approach to contemporary cuisine, Luigi Fineo brings a modern flair to RivaBella as executive chef. At the restaurant, he develops new menu and dish concepts that bring life to Innovative Dining Group’s vibrant dining aesthetic encompassing exquisite food, striking design, and stylish clientele. With Chef-Partner Gino Angelini’s classic, Northern Italian fare as a starting point for transforming classic dishes into experiences for the sophisticated palate, Fineo describes his food philosophy as “old-school Italian fundamentals twisted into new-school preparations and presentations.” He adds, “That inspires me to approach simple ingredients with playfulness and creativity. Even something like a vegetable can be transformed into art.”
Born in Gioia Del Colle, Italy, and the youngest of five children, Fineo first developed a penchant for cooking while helping his mother prepare large family meals. At RivaBella, Fineo offers a selection of his signature dishes—including classics such as the Cavatelli recipe handed down to him from his grandmother—as well as contemporary innovations that speak to IDG’s own traditions.
Both the lunch and dinner menus include appetizer, salad, pizza, pasta, and main selections. Unique to the RivaBella menu are standout creations such as Lamb Ruben with pickled red cabbage, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing, and dark rye; Pranzo Completo featuring four plates hand-crafted by Chef Luigi Fineo; Grilled Whole Branzino, grilled filet of branzino with salt duo and Salmoriglio Sicilian style sauce; Porcini Risotto with trufflesand finished tableside in a 24-month aged wheel of parmigiano reggiano; and PistachioPappardelle with lamb and peach ragu.
Meals may begin with selections from the Antipasti, and Insalate offerings, including highlights such as the Poached Lobster withricotta, candied cashew, and peach; Roasted Octopus with taggiasca olive, potato, and salsa verde; Prosciutto di Parma and Burrata with wild arugula, aged balsamic; and Pizza varieties like the fresh porcini mushrooms and gorgonzola cheese, or Calabrian salami, and olives, to name just two.
Favorites at RivaBella among the Paste and Secondi offerings, including Cavatelli with broccolini, chile, and salmoriglio; and Bucatini Carbonara with a 63 degree egg, prosciutto, and pecorino; Bone-in Wood-Fired 20 oz. Rib Eye with rosemary olive oil.
Dessert selections also reflect Italian specialties, while adding California flair. Sweet finales available to guests include the tableside Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream, which is poured in a fire engine red hand-cranked Kitchen Aid to whip up milk, cream, vanilla and sugar. The mixture then transforms into frothy vanilla ice cream, which is served alongside an assortment of toppings such as Nutella, salted caramel, and macerated strawberries; The Italian Cronut with a vanilla cream filling, drizzled with chocolate and finished with seasonal berries.
WINE AND BAR
RivaBella’s wine, beer, and cocktail menus are assembled to pair beautifully with Angelini’s cuisine as well as to be enjoyed on their own. The wine list incorporates sparkling, red, white, and rosé, with a focus on Italian, Californian, and French labels. Highlights from the By the Glass list include Michele Chiarlo Gavi Le Marne from Piedmont and Damilano Barolo Lecinquevigne, also from Piedmont, as well as classic Tuscan Chianti and Prosecco offerings. With over 150 bottles available, the wine list is further broken down to highlight the unique characteristics of each varietal. For example, Whites include “Light and Crisp,” “Aromatic,” “Rich and Full-Bodied,” and “Fruit Forward,” while Reds include such subsections as “Robust and Spicy” and “Super Tuscan.” Over two dozen wines are poured by the glass or 375 ml half-decanter.
Seasonal, handcrafted cocktails, including twists on American and Italian classics, are created from premium spirits and market-fresh ingredients. RivaBella’s signature cocktails include the Bella Bellini (Belvedere Unfiltered Vodka, Housemade Peach Purée, Peach Bitters, and Maraschino Liqueur, finished with Mionetto Prosecco); Notte Scura (Maker’s Mark Whiskey, Nonino Amaro, and Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth, with Luxardo Cherry); and a Negroni Nuovo (Bombay Sapphire Gin, Calisaya, Cayenne Pepper, Grapefruit, and Crystalized Grapefruit Rind). A selection of craft beers from around the world rounds out the drink list.
A bar menu features a variety of enticing small plates to pair with drinks and is available during happy hour 5-7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
DESIGN AND DÉCOR
RivaBella’s exquisite design emulates the energy and intrinsic glamour of Italy and is an essential part of the overall dining experience. The airy and inviting space is the creative vision of IDG’s partners working in tandem with Studio Collective, recipients of the AIA/LA Restaurant Design Awards People’s Choice Award for their work with Spare Room Lounge.Encompassing 8,000-square-feet of indoor-outdoor space, the setting is a linked series of versatile spaces in which several distinct fine-dining experiences are possible.
The restaurant melds elements evocative of a rustic, centuries-old Tuscan farmhouse, layered with sleek contemporary details that make it very much at home on 21st-century Sunset Boulevard. “Instead of simply re-creating the past, we provided authenticity through furnishings, finishings, and details, and also introduced a more contemporary California look that holds true to our design aesthetic,” IDG Partner Philip Cummins explains.
Guests enter the space via a sleek lounge area in which a vaulted, Galleria-inspired skylight spans a space anchored by a bar topped with jade-green marble. The stunning back bar, a towering series of shelves with vintage-style engraved and beveled glass, is quintessentially Venetian. On the other side of the bar lies an intimate dining room where linen-clad tables are aligned along banquettes upholstered in rich leather and fabric.
The wall separating the interior from the 2,800-square-foot al fresco dining area is punctuated with stone-framed arches that open up to the terrace, enhancing an indoor-outdoor experience that is as Mediterranean as it is Californian. “We created the kind of space reminiscent of grand Mediterranean homes, providing shade and privacy,” Studio Collective Principal Christian Schulz notes. Lushly landscaped in the tradition of an Italian villa, the terrace features cozy, curvilinear booths along its perimeter and a soaring double-sided brick fireplace at its center. Underfoot, tumbled black-and-white marble tiles create the feel of European cobblestones, while rough-hewn timbers overhead comprise a protective trellis from which decorative vines and picturesque lanterns hang.
For yet another distinctive experience, IDG conceptualized an expansive wine cave-turned-private dining room that not only houses the extensive wine selections but also a large community dining table which accommodates up to 50 for dinner. Featuring a brick-vaulted ceiling inspired by the aging caves hidden beneath wine estates in Tuscany, the wine cave is a blend of rusticity and sophistication that makes for an unforgettable dinner backdrop.
GROUP DINING AND SPECIAL EVENTS
With a prime location, at the end of the Sunset Strip where West Hollywood meets Beverly Hills, and stunning design, RivaBella is an ideal venue for special events of all types. As well suited for entertainment industry gatherings as it is for large-scale parties, the multifaceted venue is versatile enough to accommodate multiple events simultaneously, for up to 750 guests. Those looking for a more intimate affair may reserve the rustic wine cave designed to accommodate private dinners of up to 50 guests.
RuthAnne Gibson,Director of Sales, Catering & Special Events, oversees a team at RivaBella that can expertly execute whatever vision a host may have, in terms of décor, entertainment, and cuisine. Gibson additionally works in tandem with Angelini and his culinary team to customize menus for each event.
Pistachio Pappardelle
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 0.5 kg 00 flour
- 125 gr whole eggs
- 125 gr egg yolk
- 40 gr Sicilian pistachio powder
Procedure:
- Create a crown with the flour; sprinkle the pistachio powder in the center of the crown.
- Add all the eggs and start to break down the eggs yolk with a fork and incorporate the flour from the inside out.
- Begin work the the dough with both hands, add flour if needed and work it until becomes uniform.
- Let it rest for 20 minutes covered with a wet towel before start making the pappardelle
Chardonnay tagliatelle
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 0.5 kg 00 flour
- 125 gr whole eggs
- 125 gr egg yolk
- 30 gr chardonnay grape flour
Procedure:
- Create a crown with the flour; sprinkle the chardonnay grape flour in the center of the crown.
- Add all the eggs and start to break down the eggs yolk with a fork and incorporate the flour from the inside out.
- Begin work the the dough with both hands, add flour if needed and work it until becomes uniform.
- Let it rest for 20 minutes covered with a wet towel before start making the tagliatelle
Baby Kale Salad with Crispy Guanciale and Cara Cara Oranges from RivaBella
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ oz. baby kale
- ¼ oz. fine julienne red onion
- ¼ oz. crispy guanciale
- 8 cara cara orange segments
- 1 ½ oz. burnt meyer lemon vinaigrette (see below)
Instructions:
- Toss kale, red onions and vinaigrette together in a bowl.
- Garnish with orange segments and guanciale
Burnt Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette from RivaBella
Ingredients:
- 2 meyer lemons, zested & juiced
- 5 oz. extra virgin olive oil
- 10 oz. canola oil
Instructions:
- Toss meyer lemon zest in a small amount of the evoo (¼ oz.) and place on a baking sheet.
- Char the zest in a very hot oven, a wood-burning oven is preferred, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Combine lemon zest and juice in blender and turn on to medium speed.
- Slowly add the evoo and canola oil until completely mixed.
- Season with salt and pepper & strain through a fine sieve
ABOUT INNOVATIVE DINING GROUP
Innovative Dining Group (IDG) operates nine of the most popular and successful restaurants and lounges in Los Angeles: Sushi Roku (with locations in West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Pasadena), BOA Steakhouse (with locations in West Hollywood and Santa Monica), Katana in West Hollywood, Robata Bar in Santa Monica, and Delphine at the W Hollywood, with two adjacent lounges: Station Hollywood and the Living Room. Their latest concept, Soleto Trattoria & Pizza Bar, opened in July 2012, and offers a refined version of a classic trattoria and pizzeria located in Downtown Los Angeles. The company also operates a Sushi Roku at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and another at the W Scottsdale. All of IDG’s venues reflect bold, modern interpretations of traditional concepts, reflective of the company’s dynamic partners. For more information on IDG, please visit www.innovativedining.com or IDG’s page on Facebook
