Address: | 14533 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403, USA |
Phone: | +1 818-981-7218 |
Site: | spumonishermanoaks.com |
Rating: | 4.4 |
Working: | 5–10PM Closed 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–10PM |
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Rick Lupert
Weve been walking or driving by Spumoni what seems like our entire lives and decided to give it a try because their website menu goes the extra mile by displaying separate vegan and vegetarian options. The staff couldnt have been friendlier...giant smiles and humor from the moment we walked in to when we left. We wish the food was as good as the smiles we got. The place is indeed cozy and looks like it, at one point, had been updated, but feels a bit like it may need another interior design update...or maybe thats part of the charm, the old-school Italian joint, serving classic Italian dishes, by an Italian family. I can live with it. I had the Penne Caprino which (from their menu) is small tube pasta with sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, and garlic in a light cream sauce. The dish was much richer than I would have expected from a "light cream sauce". It was light on the sun-dried tomatoes, and if it had goat cheese in it, it was lost in the light cream sauce. Too rich for me this evening. They offer a nightly gluten-free pasta option. My wife ordered the primavera with this option...the vegetables were fresh and the gluten free pasta was perfectly cooked, (which if youre a gluten-free-er, you know is hard to do) but the sauce tasted like just tomatoes with not much seasoning or anything else in it. We also ordered a plate of plain spaghetti with no butter or oil for our child who just about eats only that. It came out with oil, so order not correct, but luckily our kid enjoyed it anyway. Very reasonably priced for a generous kids serving of pasta. At the end we were brought vanilla ice cream with a little bit of chocolate sauce on it. We hadnt ordered this and thought it was very cool that everyone seems to get a free dessert...(Another table was brought a tiramisu.) The ice cream wasnt great though...that kind of generic vanilla ice cream restaurants get in large tubs. Tasted a little stale too. If youre called "spumoni" and youre doling out free dessert...shouldnt it be spumoni? (Or give folks a choice...that tiramisu at the other table looked pretty good.) I think wed give it another try, order some different dishes, if only for the fact that its a local place that could use support, and mainly because the staff seemed so incredibly accommodating and friendly.
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Steve Cha
I went here with my friends after hearing some pretty good reviews about their food. By the end of the night, I thought my meal was just okay good, and nothing spectacular. I ordered the chicken marsala, which came with pasta and vegetables. I knew after ordering this dish that this restaurant was slightly commercialized, because really authentic Italian joints would not give the kind of vegetables that they put into my dish arrangement. Anyways, the texture of the chicken was a bit raggedy, and the marsala sauce was a bit too watery and did not fully absorb into the overall chicken. After feeling slightly disappointed with my dish, I went on ahead and tried my other two friends dishes as well to see if it was just mine that was lacking. And it was pretty much the same. The two other dishes were chicken picatta and some kind of cream pasta dish. These two also tasted just okay. Anyways, I dont know what all the good reviews were really about. This place probably did taste good at one point in time, but just not when I paid them a visit recently. Its sad to say that Studio City/Sherman Oaks dont really have any really great Italian food. Areas in West Hollywood and Brentwood still reign surpreme in this cuisine. Other than the food, the service was fairly good. The waiter gave us a free tiramisu/ice cream dessert that made our night better. Even the tiramisu was just okay. Oi. But its the thought that counts, right
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Judy Robinson
My fave dish is Penne Paesana which is always prepared beyond perfection: rich, creamy, cheesy - just thinking about it brings tears of joy to my eyes - and a couple of extra inches to my waistline. The owner is an absolute sweetheart - greeting and treating you as if youre family. The rest of the staff can be a little hit and miss Im afraid. But take heart, a free tiramisu dessert is almost always guaranteed for your troubles! I used to go often, then moved away from the area and stopped for the longest time - but a recent visit reminded me of how much I love this place. Yes its a tiny, not entirely comfortable space - usually a no-no for me, but I love Italian food so am willing to overlook this inconvenience (very big of me, I know) - but obviously its not too suitable for big groups, although they will do their best to accommodate. Parking is rather limited too, but I have never been anything other than completely happy with my visits, and lets face it, that is a minor miracle in itself!
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Lynn Thomas
Its tough to find the perfect place for a rehearsal dinner here in LA. We wanted intimate, reasonably priced, private and, well, awesome food and service! There are plenty of locations, but NONE like Spumonis. We were given the entire restaurant with a special menu. My husband and I are both vegans, and special meals were prepared for us. The restaurant boasts that eating at their restaurant is like eating in mamas kitchen, and its true! When we asked if they had champagne for toasting, Spumonis went out of their way to provide a true Italian sparkling wine for toasting. Of the 30 guests, more than 2/3 came to me afterwards and said it was one of the best rehearsal dinners theyve ever been to. Seriously, if youre looking for something special, this is the place. Theyll treat you like family!
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A Private User
Dont bother going anywhere else, you have FOUND your new favorite restaurant here! The location is cozy and not overstated, like many Italian restaurants tend to be. If you can nab one of the outside tables, it makes for a most romantic evening, though inside is full of the warmth of a loved Italian family restaurant. Im pretty sure our waiter was the owner, and gave fantastic advise on the best dish to suit our taste buds. They make their pesto fresh; it was light, flavorful and did not overbalance the fresh, warm flatbread. I had the Gnocci Michelangelo (4 cheese cream sauce and he added sun dried tomatoes!) paired with a house Pinot Grigio wine. End it all with the tiramisu and a cappuccino. You have just had the most wonderful meal you have had in a really, REALLY long time.
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Matt Duffy Chidley
Delicious food, satisfying without being too heavy, certainly high-quality enough to satisfy the sophisticated palate, yet tasty enough to please the most plebeian of uncultured swine. The staff are EXTREMELY attentive, courteous and friendly -- they consistently go out of their way to make you feel welcome and at home. This location happens to be an excellent intimate setting for dates (Ive taken my share here), as well as accomodating for larger family-style groups. The menu (selection- and price range-wise) is well-suited for parties of any size. Theyve catered large-scale lunches for me also, all successes. I cant say enough good about this place. Ive taken tons of people here over the years, and not one of them regretted it -- at least not that I know of!
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A Private User
I reserved the place for party of five and couldn’t be more pleased. Every single one us left happy and content with the food and service. The service was kind, friendly, and very helpful. The food was also very good and delicious. It has truly been some time since I have received such great service in any restaurant. We did not feel rushed to order or to leave. Which is something I really liked, since most places will bring you the check before you can swallow your last bite. I highly recommend this place to any one going on a date, or looking for a nice relaxed and cozy atmosphere to dine in.