A Pasta Chef With a Proud Pedigree Opens up Big in West LA

An LA Italian chef with a long resume is finally moving into his own Westside space this month. Chef-owner Lucio Bedon will debut his Vicini Ristorante & Wine Bar in a matter of days at 10645 W. Pico Boulevard, formerly the home of longtime hangout Louise’s Trattoria in the Rancho Park/West LA area. It’s a homecoming of sorts for Bedon, who has cooked at some of the best Italian places around — including this very address, years ago.

Bedon’s smile may be familiar to Angelenos with a penchant for fine Italian food. He worked for years at Michelin-starred Casa Bianca in Sardinia before moving to Los Angeles to cook under Gino Angelini at Louise’s and, later, with the Patina Group at the closed Zucca restaurant on Flower Street in Downtown. With the new Vicini he plans to wrap all of that knowledge into an approachable package, leaning on his Venetian heritage to turn out crudos, carpaccio, and staple starters like fried squash blossoms with ricotta. There will be salads, pasta and risotto in the primi section, and mains like grilled whole branzino, chicken paillard, and a bone-in ribeye for people seeing a red meat feast. The opening menu is below.

As for the former Louise’s space, which Bedon has been using for more than a year as a catering space while building out the dining room, diners will find an open and relaxed footprint with lots of medium-toned woods and royal blue touches. Long banquettes reach the length of the floor, while sunlight pours in past bar-top tables and the marble bar itself. There’s room for more than 80 people all in, with additional space for a private dining room to boot.

Vicini begins its new journey in mid-August, following a few nights of friends and family tastings and some tweaks along the way. Once open, expect hours from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday, with an extension to 10 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.