C & O Trattoria

09/04/2008 Posted by gotmlk135

Be prepared to jump through some hoops if you have a large party. Parties over 15 people require a pre fixed menu. For around $25 per person (includes tax) they get a choice of 2 pastas, a salad and a chicken breast or 1 meatball. The problem is, you have to know exactly who is eating what before you can put in an order. They wont accept the "half and half" order. They say they need an exact count, even for the salads (ie; 10 caesars and 6 gardens). You also have to give them your credit card number to hold the table and sign a catering contract which gives you an exact time frame of how long you can have the table. I had my table until 9pm and I was being rushed out the door at 8:45 pm. I wasn't thrilled about that after my party had coughed up over $600 for dinner. You are also required to pay $0.75 per person if you choose to bring a cake or even cupcakes into the restaurant. They will not budge what so ever on that policy. Also, if somebody in your party cancels, you are required to give them 48 hours notice, otherwise you will be charged for their food. Also, they seem to overcharge on the wine because it's hard for people to keep track. If you start with a glass of wine, they will take it upon themselves to fill your glass, even if you don't ask and then charge you for a whole bottle. If you can stomach all of the rules and regulations and keep your party from getting annoyed at having to provide all of their details... it can be a fun time. My party had no idea what a hassle the whole thing was, so they showed up and thoroughly enjoyed the experience... even though we did have to take our dessert elsewhere. The rigatoni and pollo marsala were delicious and everybody got to take home left overs.

08/04/2008 Posted by ricmor555

This is honestly my favorite restaurant up until now. It's where I take everyone that comes visit me in Socal. The service is great, the patio seating is cozy, the garlic rolls are AWESOME ( I even take some home with me at the end of the meal with my leftovers), and the food is excellent. I have yet to have a bad experience there and everyone that I bring ends up liking it too. The only negative thing I can think of is parking. It's located at the end of Washington Blvd so that area overall suffers from lack of parking spots. If you don't mind the walk, you could probably find something on Pacific, or you might get lucky on a meter right in front.

Pros: Everything: food, value, service, patio,etc

Cons: Parking

07/15/2008 Posted by kiercemartin

Really cool place that is definitely worth the wait, which you can usually avoid if you call earlier that day. Has a really nice, hole in the wall kind of feel. Definitely offers solid, authentic Italian with jars of wine and barrel wine taps hung on the walls. It gets super crowded, and is definitely not an intimate dining experience, but it's all worth it for the garlic knots. The food is pretty good Italian, and they have a great selection, but the truth is the place is all about the endless garlic knots that keep coming and coming and coming to your table. Don't fill up on them, because the food is good and portions are pretty generous. But facts are facts, C &O's might as well be called "The Garlic Knot Factory"

07/02/2008 Posted by janaschreiber8

Where else do the waiters & hosts sing and clink their wine glasses in delight with their patrons swarming the outdoor patio? The trattoria is very festive and fun and the menu offers endless options of traditional Italian dishes- plus the killer garlic rolls are really killer! I went here with my family for the first time last week and we had a wonderful time. There is a very genunine Italian authenticity about this place- I have never been to Itally- but I imagine it to be something like this restaurant!

Pros: fun for the whole family

Cons: crowded- but its worth it

05/31/2008 Posted by Gabgab

Having moved to Los Angeles from the East Coast, I was one that some would call a "food snob". When my new L.A. friends decided that it was time for me to try C & O Trattoria, I was doubtful that the restaurant would meet my lofty expectations. Boy, was I in for a treat! Immediately upon arrival to the restaurant I was greeted by a very friendly host who made sure that we got to try one of the famous "Killer Garlic Rolls" while we waited. I was hooked immediately. Once my guests and I were sat, our server explained that the staff works as a "team", and made some suggestions. The server was jovial and professional. I ordered the Linguini with Lobster, which was absolutely heavenly. The Calamari Fritti was cooked to perfection, and we drank the House Chianti, described to us as being part of an "honor wine system" which I thought was fun and fitting given the atmosphere and decor. I was absolutely blown away once the sing- a-long started. All of the staff and guests clinked glasses and shared in the jubilence of the night. We had so much fun!! Once I decided to post about my great experience at C & O, I was surprised to view DrStoddart's inflammatory and libelous posting. I think that restaurant blogs should serve to share dining experiences, not to sound off or vent personal slander. In short, I highly recommend this boisterously fun place. Located right by the Venice Pier, it has the perfect location, food, and ambiance. I left sated and happy that night and thanked my friends for converting a prior "food snob" into a C & O fan!!

05/30/2008 Posted by eraolk13

Upon first moving to Los Angeles, I was told the best place to find Italian food was at a local place in Marina Del Rey. I drove 40 minutes in crazy traffic to get to this "gem," and brought multiple friends. As we entered the front door, the manager greeted us with playfulness and made us feel very important. We did have to wait, but were sat in a timely manner. The outdoor patio area reminded me I was at the beach but the ambiance of the lighting, music, smells and rustic murals made me feel like I was really in Italy. The server was friendly and knowledgeable, and amidst the frustrating LA traffic we had endured to get here, the energy of my friends and myself changed to jovial play. The killer garlic rolls lived up to their name and the reputation from the many people that suggested this restaurant to me. But the restaurant had much to offer besides the rolls. The liveliness of the restaurant and the gung-ho staff was contagious. The food was more than satisfying and the singing impressive. How do they get so many good singers to work there? Must be the free garlic rolls :) I read some other reviews and I was shocked by some other comments. DrStoddart made some terrible comments that seem to me more like a personal attack on Mr. Singer than a restaurant review. I found his comments erroneous and outlandish. C&O Trattoria is a place I dine regularly and love!!!

03/26/2008 Posted by nobbie

The ambiance is nice enough. The food palatable. But they really screw you when the bill arrives. They misrepresented the pricing and denied any wrongdoing when challenged. In the end, our party didn't want to haggle or deal with the hassle and paid. We'll never return there, that's for sure. C&O managed to turn an enjoyable evening for our group into a nightmare. And all the singing of "Amore" won't make it go away. Basically, this is what happened: We booked for a group, including drinks. We were specifically quoted a price that "included drinks." When we arrived, there were bottles of Chianti sitting at the tables. So, no one drank anything else. Then the bill arrived and we were charged for both the all-you-can-drink prices AND the cost of the multiple bottles of wine! We wouldn’t have drank so much if we knew that those were not included in the all you can drink group package. I wonder how many groups they've bilked in this manner.

Pros: singing "Amore"

Cons: Unscrupulous business ethics.

03/22/2008 Posted by dthstar

if you love pasta, not carb-conscious at all, & don't mind putting on a little weight, you should definitely come here. as soon as they seat you, they give you endless garlic rolls, 1st of all. then they wow you w/ their vast menu, which comes in 1/2 size or full portions (i usually get the full & take the left overs home)... if seated out in the patio, when the sun goes down (after 5pm usually), you get to join in on singing along to deano's (dean martin) rendition of 'that's amore'- and people do really join in! i've eaten pretty much everything on the menu here, and while everything's not excellent, most are on the 'very good' side. if you like seafood, you'll love their seafood pasta... and anything w/ cream sauce or cheese on it is recommended too.

Pros: heaping portions

Cons: carbs, carbs, carbs!!

03/10/2008 Posted by DrStoddart

The owner of the restaurant is Bob (Robert) Singer, and gives a bad name to all the rest of the chosen people by being as cheap as the stereotype preaches...... re-using old food and hounding his staff in all aspects of the business. He used to be pleasent before his wife left him and took away the newer classier restaurant the 'Cucina'. I guess you would be bitter too if she took the house and the CLS500! He lives on his boat in the harbor and watches the cameras to harass his staff of whom he likes to get the female servers up in his office to 'dicipline'. IF YOU ARE GOING OUT FOR ITALIAN FOOD, LOOK ELSEWHERE! If you get food there be warned....you can have an insect in your food and they will haggle to make you pay half price! The food is Mediocre at best! The Killer Garlic Rolls are the only concept that works in this restaurant and Bob Singer just stole that from the previous owner! Bob will invite 10-15 'friends' to come to his restaurant and then get a separate check for himself, CHARGING EVERYONE ELSE! How pathetic is this man? I use the term 'man' loosely as he lacks most of the characteristics...... By the way BOB....your hair plugs look like a dolls hair! DROP DEAD AND SAVE THE VENICE SQUARE!! YOU SELL OUT BOBBY!!

Pros: location

Cons: Bob Singer the cheap a$$ pathetic owner of R@t infe$ted walls (i saw them)

02/19/2008 Posted by Godzuki24

C&O is not on the cutting edge of cuisine. C&O is not fine dining. C&O confuses the hell out of people by having two locations on the same street (0.5 mile apart). C&O doesn't offer anything that the competition doesn't. So, why am I reviewing this place? Because of the magic they have captured. The food is so good that you can't explain it to others without taking them here. The menu is standard fare that EVERY other italian joint has. The service is hospitable, but otherwise unmemorable. But the food is AMAZING. The Egglpant Lasagna that they tout as spectacular is just so-so, but everything else rocks. And for the coup de grace, they make possibly the world's best garlic knots. The secret ingedient must be some sort of pharmaceutical because anyone who has them becomes addicted to them. Thank God they are free, and endless. I wish I could tell you why I love this place so much. I wish it was a simple explanation about better ingredients or grandma in the kitchen or some other reason. There is magic in this place, so go now and get some while its hot.

Pros: Garlic Knots, Gravy, location

Cons: Parking