La Bella Barrique

Think of dining options in the Venice Beach area and the Abbot Kinney, Washington Boulevard, and Windward Circle restaurant rows tend to come to mind. But that's not all, folks. Just off the eaten path is Barrique, a gem of an Italian eatery and wine bar situated in a cozy two-story yellow cottage on a sleepy strip of Main Street, serving homemade pasta and creative dishes from a Michelin-awarded chef.

Chef Antonio Murè was born in Sicily and grew up in Parma, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. His aunt and mamma put him to work making pasta in the kitchen on Sundays as a child: Folding ravioli and kneading gnocchi are the perfect tasks for the wee hands of a 10-yearold boy. At 14 Murè realized he wanted to become a chef, although it wasn’t the cooking that initially attracted him. While working at a dry cleaner, he met a globe-trotting restaurateur who spoke several languages. Murè was in awe of his lifestyle, and decided he wanted the same for himself. Glitz and glamour first attracted him to the culinary arts, but he ended up finding his true calling.

Chef Murè graduated from the prestigious Istituto Alberghiero di Stato and spent several years perfecting his skills in exclusive restaurants and hotels in Italy, including the renowned Il Meloncino in Veneto.

In 1995 he moved to Los Angeles and became the chef at Il Moro. He has helmed other top-notch restaurants in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and in 2004 he opened Venice’s Piccolo, which was rated among Los Angeles’s best by Zagat. He then went on to launch the Ado brand, which included Casa Ado in Marina del Rey, Adoteca Brentwood, and the Ado Italian Marketplace line. Chef Murè’s most recent venture is Barrique, currently his only restaurant, and he is enjoying every minute of it.

When asked about the impressive Michelin star, Chef Murè’s response made it clear he doesn’t take himself too seriously. He simply loves to cook. He laughed and said, “I thought I was just going to a party and then they announced that I was receiving a Michelin star. I was like, Who? Me? I had no idea.” Same thing happened with his Zagat rating.

Executive Sous Chef Victorino Balbino and Chef Antonio Murè strategizing before the dinner rush.

Murè offering up an abbondanza of antipasti.

The romantic candlelit atmosphere of the second-floor dining room.

Inky black linguine with lobster tail and peppery arugula is a house-made favorite.

Since then, Murè opened Barrique, a cozy fine dining restaurant and wine bar with a rooftop terrace in the heart of Venice Beach. With only 45 seats, and a welcoming staff that includes Victorino Balbino, Barrique’s executive sous chef since 2003, the restaurant feels as if you’re walking into a friend’s home. Known for house-made pasta, they plate about 60 servings of it each day, and once people discover a favorite they often get hooked. Chef Murè says the biggest complaint he hears is that people get addicted to one dish and never try anything else. One of the most popular signature dishes is the Tagliolini Rossi con Ragú di Quaglia in Fonduta di Taleggio, homemade beet pasta in a marsala quail ragú served on taleggio cheese fondue (which has been nicknamed “crack sauce”). This plate of pasta is one of the best dishes you will ever taste. The hearty meat sauce balances perfectly with the savory, slightly sweet cheese sauce, and the thin ribbon pasta is the ideal vessel to bring it all together.

Barrique’s selection of ravioli is equally satisfying. Try the cheesey version with a showering of black truffles, or the homemade duck-and-cabbage ravioli served on a bed of marinara with brown butter and sage. The restaurant also features squid ink linguini, and pappardelle paired with such sauces as rabbit ragú, bison Bolognese, almond pesto, and traditional Sicilian Norma sauce.

Everything is seasonal, everything is fresh, and everything is served with passion. Antipasti selections include grilled octopus with smoked potatoes and green beans, and ahi tuna tartare with avocados, red onions, and capers, served on a bed of caramelized balsamic. If you can get past the pasta course, secondi like grilled Mediterranean sea bass on a bed of braised Sicilian zucchini with a blood orange reduction; a dry-aged rib eye with arugula, shaved Parmesan and aged balsamic dressing; and a grilled Colorado lamb T-bone with a foraged wild mushroom ragú await.

Second to his pasta priorities, Murè loves to make pastries, and frequently bakes them with his daughters at home. Do yourself a favor and save room for the layered chocolate bar that customers rave about, with three types of chocolate. It’s the ideal ending to an eye-opening dining experience. It’s admirable and unusual that a Michelin-starred chef with such notable talent is extremely humble, fun, and relaxed. His staff is happy and warmhearted, and his restaurant is adorable and sophisticated at the same time. Murè’s talent and love for cooking shine through in his dishes, and this little yellow house is turning out some of the best food Los Angeles has to offer.

BARRIQUE 796 Main Street Venice, CA 90291 Ph. 310.399.9010 barriquevenice.com

BY WHITNEY ESHLEMAN

PHOTO MONICA PAREDES