Cube

08/07/09

Delicious Food & Great Atmosphere

by akp80 at Citysearch

The service is great, the atmosphere is great, the food is excellent, especially the sweet corn stuffed pasta with brown butter sauce. Yum, it is triangle shaped pasta stuffed with sweet corn sprinkled with perfectly crisped bacon pieces and topped with a delicious brown butter sauce, it melts in your mouth. I will be going back for sure.

06/09/09

Very delicious Italian in a small package

by jay2002 at Citysearch

Discovered this place today when looking for a lunch spot in Hollywood for a business lunch. Very cute little Italian cafe with a small number of tables inside and nice terrace outside (on La Brea). Inside has a wine section, a giant cheese selection, and lots of italian charm. The food was delicious. We had salads to start the heirloom tomatoes were super yummy and the wild arugula very spicy and crunchy. Veal Milanese for lunch with a side of (gasp) 4 cheese mac and cheese with black truffle oil. And actually felt good afterwords. The service was nice. I also had the sparkling home-made lemonade to drink which was good not too sweet. Of the pasta dishes about half were not available for lunch which was a shame since one of them (sweet corn stuffed pasta with brown butter) looked like it could have made the day... will have to wait to next time.

• Pros: Great lunch spot
• Cons: Some pasta dishes not available at lunch

11/14/08

Heady Feast Now with Wines!

by DianaVanFossen at Citysearch

The experience was like Babette's Feast only in Italy. First, a tasting of Prosecco was offered. I was on my own but began talking to other guests right away. We shared a feeling of delight!

A flight of cheese and mole salami was my starter. The name of each morsel was written on the slate tray bearing them. Cube is renowned for its stock of cheeses and salamis. Now they stock wines too!

Each dish was cooked beautifully. I had a honey polenta with baked apple and gorgonzola. Next, the wonderful pancetta wrapped pork and spaghetti squash with another shredded squash. My waitress insisted I at least taste the bread pudding. The cook is so brilliant I wanted to take her home but settled on my neat little take away box.

I told my waitress, an opera singer, that working with such exquisite food must be inspiring. And isn't Italian food simpatico with opera.

• Pros: Like being in a rare book room only filled with spices, oils and other specialties.
• Cons: The barran streetscape.

Divine Pasta Company's charming La Brea cafe draws couples, groups and food lovers with its fresh takes on Italian specialties, artisan cheeses, charcuterie and desserts.

by Martha Burr at Citysearch

In Short
Now that Cube stocks a fair amount of wine to accompany Chef Erin Eastland's ever-changing menu, the sidewalk patio is an even more popular spot for Angelenos serious about eating good food without sacrificing atmosphere or enduring a Hollywood-esque scene. The interior's deep-red tones and gleaming cheese bar--surrounded by artful retail shelves lined with fresh pastas and gourmet items--lend the small space a surprisingly lively feel. Eastland's menu straddles Old-World Italian comfort food and Molto-Mario style haute cuisine, and the friendly staff is equally low-key when discussing it. While the offerings are updated weekly, past standouts have included the shaved brussel sprout salad, olive oil poached tuna loin, black truffle pizza, balsamic glazed hanger steak and wild mushroom and zucchini stuffed pasta to name a very few. It's also easy to make a dinner out of the epic cheese flights and general selection--85 or so from around the world--and charcuterie (especially the 500-day aged prosciutto). Luckily the meal portions are perfect, so you should have plenty of room for desserts like the crumbly, warm French plum and berry cobbler.

07/06/08

A Charming, Flavor-Focused Experience...BYOB

by winefiend at Citysearch

Initially I was skeptical. I really enjoy AOC and was afraid this was going to be lackluster. I was pleasantly surprised. Their presentation with their cheeses is very unique; swirls of rare honey, fruit, and nuts to accompany, and hand written names on the plates so you can remember what you're eating. Refreshingly, every week they have a new menu which focuses on a certain region of Italy. I've been here twice so far and definitely will be going back. I would call ahead for reservations, as the place is small. The atmosphere is great, dim lighting and low music create an atmosphere that focuses on the flavor experience. One downside, they do not serve alcohol, BUT, there is no corkage fee, so you can bring your own. Personally, I like this. Its fun to bring your own and it definitely makes the bill more reasonable at the end of the night.

• Pros: Great Food, Presentation, Ambience, Plentiful Street Parking, Not Overly Pricey
• Cons: No Alcohol

06/24/08

Amazing Cheeses!!!

by winelovinlady at Citysearch

I recently went to Cube on a first date and I had such an amazing experience. We sat on the quaint sidewalk patio and were immediately greeted and brought out a small cheese plate of the day to give us a taste of their cheese selection and to feature one of their new cheeses. The establishment does not have an alcohol license, but they allow you to bring your favorite bottle of wine (or two!) without any corkage fees! Even with this, the customer service is still one of the best I've experienced in Los Angeles. In addition to their great selection of cheeses and their unique way of featuring them (on a black chalkboard-type plate with the names of the cheeses written on), they have a number of wonderful pastas and raviolis. I would highly recommend this place whether as a great casual date spot or a fun place to sit with friends over a bottle of wine. Definitely give it a try!!!

06/04/08

Cheese... YUMMY

by NellieBean at Citysearch

They have an amazing selection of cheese!!! It was great! The pasta was decent but there wasn't a huge selection. And be sure to make a reservation because it gets pretty packed!

• Pros: decent prices, great cheese, knowledgable waiters
• Cons: not much pasta

04/09/08

favorite casual restaurant

by laeatnow at Citysearch

cube has become a favorite of mine (and my friends) for a casual lunch or fun night out to dinner. their menus change weekly and are totally seasonal/fresh which is unusual considering the low key atmosphere. i cannot imagine anyone having a less than stellar experience here--the staff is friendly and eager to recommend cheeses (they really prevent the long list of AMAZING cheese from becoming overwhelming) and there is something for everyone. last time i visited we split the green nettle gnocchi which was fantastic, as was the broken arrow ranch venison. just remember to make a reservation because they get crowded on the weekends.

04/04/08

Worst Pasta Ever!

by lolitanbuck at Citysearch

To a carb freak like me, how could pasta ever be bad, so I had thought. Until I went to Cube, now I don't like to talk down on a restaurant only having tried one or two options, so I have probably had 7 of their pasta dishes. Why, because I have given this restaurant a fair number of chances, four to be exact. Each time I was with a group of friends that all wanted to go here, so I sucked it up again and again, but these pastas taste like water, I know you think I'm exagerating, but I actually suggest that you go this restaurant and you will know what I mean. The reason they get two stars instead of the obliterated one, is because my friend loves their cheese and they don't have a liquor license so you can bring your own bottle of wine. So if you like cheese, no atmosphere and byob than this is your place...

• Pros: cheese and byob
• Cons: pasta, pasta, pasta

01/05/08

Terrible Place

by mattt14 at Citysearch

The service is terribe and the food is as well....i could not figure out what was worse. Do not go to this place if you have a party of 6 or more...They split us up and would not allow us to sit next to each other....no one was in the place either so i dont see what the big deal was...Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else,