Chi Spacca- a Cleaver; A squarish, heavy knife used by butchers for hacking through bones. On the Million dollar Osteria Mozza corner at Highland and Melrose one will see a Cleaver knife with no sign- the entrance to Chi Spacca is at the Mozza2Go retail space. Enter within, and one would think they are ordering a pizza and a fancy bottle of wine, look beyond for a host to have month in advance reservations for a 30 seating dining room. Elegant interiors, wine filled shelves, a large chalkboard hovers over the dining room offering a wine list that changes daily via wine specialist Eduardo Bolanos. Although getting a reservation at Chi Spacca is difficult, and with only two seating’s a night, the best seat in the house are reserved for walk in’s at the chef’s counter. Here guests can sit at stools, meat the magicians of the meat heaven who work under Chef Chad Colby.
Chad Colby -Meat Extraordinaire, Chef Master of Meat, Salumi Specialist and as Jonathan Gold would say Meat Chef to watch will have any who dine at Chi Spacca return. During our visit to Chi Spacca not one part of the experience was off- needless to say all was 5 star and perfect.
The Bucket List at Chi Spacca-
The Necessary- Affettato Misti ($24) – The sampler platter of Colby’s coveted selection of Salumi. The capocollo or better said the coppa was unlike any salumi I have had in Los Angeles. It brought me back to when I visited Cinque Terre, Italy.
Vegan Glory- The Whole Branzino ($35) – Marinated in olive oil, and served over an herbed salad. Someone who cannot have red meat will have pleasure with this dish. In addition- there is more than enough to share family style.
The side dish- Creamed Corn ($12) -A reoccurring must for us please! Unlike any creamed corn, there is no cream here. Filled with cracked pepper, you need to try it to believe it, and when you do you will crave it over and over and over again.
The Craze- Beef and Bone Marrow ($40)- The dish that all are chattering about is this heavenly pie of Colby’s beef cheek , cippolini, funghi, and a side of mashed potato that just takes like heaven. The marrow sits on the center of the pie, and the crisp shell is perfect to layer over for a bite. In our opinion share this dish, it can fill the entire table. This dish is unlike any I have tasted before, and certainly deserves credit for its original and unique presentation.
Worth the Carbs- Two things the Pane Bianco and the Pana Cotta, one is their house made breads and the other is a dessert. Most recommend the Tiramisu, but after having both- the Pana Cotta is far beyond better.
Meat Please- if you even chose Chi Spacca as a venue to dine at for the night. The meat is a must. Chef Colby will never serve you wrong. From steak, lamb shoulder, braised veal, to pork loin, and porcini rubbed beef short ribs, the meat at Chi Spacca is indescribable – one must just taste.
The Magic- Other than the meat, my favorite part to dining at Chi Spacca is they actually reserve the best seat in the house for walk- in’s. The Chef’s Counter is where all the magic happens. One gets to see Chef Colby’s hard working line of talented chefs, become shocked with how well they cook spectacular meat, and get personal with Chef Colby himself. I choose to sit here, and will wait 48 hrs. before calling Chi Spacca just to have the waitress tell me they are booked for their 2 seating only table reservations to get sat at the counter.
This should cover it for now….. until next time
Chi Spacca
6610 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
(Source: chispacca.com)
