The Review: A1 Cucina Italiana

An egg-rich pappardelle sauced in a gentle lamb ragu, Neapolitan style.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Zuppa inglese: Homemade pan di spagna, alchermes liquor, cream and chocolate.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Black cod over fregola sarda.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Managing partner Danilo Terribili, left, talks with Chef Fredy Escobar as he prepares a dish in the kitchen. The two had worked together before at Alto Palato.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Fresh flowers sit in an Italian vase in one of the indoor dining rooms.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Calamari with carmalized onions, sauteed squid and canellini beans.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Carciofi: Sliced raw artichoke and mâche salad with slivers of Parmigiano in a lemony dressing.   (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Pizza topped with Swiss chard, Calabrian hot peppers, mozzarella, pine nuts and guanciale.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Parked out front is owner Giacomino Drago’s color-coordinated orange Vespa.  (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)