Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura

Chef Massimo Bottura has put the talented Mattia Agazzi in charge of this kitchen housed within the Gucci boutique on Rodeo Drive, and the results are very impressive indeed. This is cooking that is at once whimsical and grounded. Seafood salad arrives perfectly warm and tender, dressed with lemon, olive oil and shaved radish; while risotto is camouflaged as pizza with tomato, stracciatella and burnt caper dust evoking the taste of a charred crust. Thumb-sized tortellini, filled with the classic mortadella, veal and prosciutto mixture, sits pretty in a glossy pool of Parmigiano Reggiano-enriched sauce.The meal ends with a concise choice of desserts, including the colorfully named A Bunch of Flowers, with a scoop of chamomile ice cream on green apple sauce with candied lemon peel.