Great news! Canele is opening in the former Osteria Nonni space and they have done a tremendous job in fixing up the space. It's now a warm, pleasant, modern space and the dream come true for new-owner and new-restauranter Corina (not sure how to spell her name).
I walked in this warm Sunday afternoon and, though they are not open, they welcomed me in. They were testing out their menu and it smelled heavenly. Though I do miss Nonni, they had not updated their menu or their space in more than 10 years. The new look is refreshing and the smell was more than promising.
Canele opens this coming Friday and will be open for dinners Tuesday - Sunday. Corina hopes to add Lunch and Brunch as well.
I know I'm going this coming weekend!
10 comments:
Do you know if there is any truth to Corina (sp?) having worked in the kitchen at Lucques?
yep.
Read that somewhere on chowhound. Also, believe she's had her own catering company.
looking forward to an anniversary dinner, we were very disappointed with the service and meal. after seeing our regular waiter who we love from Nonnis, we asked for him but the host said she had to be fair and gave us a non-personality waitress who didnt know the menu very well. as soon as we sat down she wanted to know if we were ready to order from the dimly lit chalkboard menu. after 3 more prompts we thought we better order. so much for enjoying the champagne. there was no bread or anything to soak up our small tomato salad. for entrees, which were extremely minute, we asked for sauce on the side and she had to check if that was okay! unfortunately the "beef medallion" filets were little more than sliced roast beef and were sent back. i guess the kicker was that no one even the chef owner or host bothered to come over and see what was wrong. we left with a short thank you. unfortunately our excitement over the "new"place was short lived. good luck but we hope it revamps or moves on.
What a joke, I was so excited to eat at this new restrauant and I am so sad they do not have it together.
-no bread
-tiny portions
-unprofessional staff
-poor menu selection
after sending back our meal, no one was concerned, no one came over to ask why?
I will be very surprised if this place stays open. They tried, but not together enough for our dining excursions.
Hey Miles,
I'm new to your blog but am happy to have another LA restaurant resource to go to. Am eager to try this place - I did like Nonni's but hadn't been there in a couple of years.
I've eaten at Canele twice now and look forward to returning.
I find the service to be good in a professional way. The wait staff does not seem like the usual unemployed actor/writer/hollywood cutie. They are attentive and let me tell you, with a 21 month old with us each time, wait service was empathetic and always there at the right time.
As for the bread issue, I have always eaten delicious bread with my meals at Canele.
Not enough sauce? I choose not to swim in my sauces, thank you very much. I would rather the Lucques/Campanile Italian style of appropriate amount of sauce to dish. Think pasta from Bologna vs macaroni from Burbank.
And as for portions, this is a matter of personal preference but if I were to choose between a dish of excellent greens from the farmer's market and a bucket of mediocre romaine drenched in sauce, I'd choose the former. Call me picky but I value food when it is flavored, not when it is in abundance.
Having been a fan of Corina's cooking since her days as Sous-Chef at Lucques and Campanile, as well as enjoying her catering service, I am so pleased she now has a place to call her own.
For those of you who visited Canele in first few weeks of opening, I would agree there were some issues to iron out, but revitalizing Nonni, hiring a staff and organizaning a menu in less than a month was an amazing feat.
The bread and butter is wonderful, the wine list has expanded, the portions are plentiful, the ambiance charming and the food heavenly.
I can't seem to stay away.
I agree. People who had negative experiences should go back and see. I've eaten there only once but had a delicious meal, opening weekend. Last night, I drove by and there was a crowd of people outside waiting to be seated. The restaurant has helped continue the revitalization of Atwater. Go again!
3 of us girls visited Canele' for the first time last night. We were given good bread and butter rather quickly after sitting down. The wine arrived promptly after ordering. The waitress was perfectly attentive - she seemed to know when it was a good time to show up. We shared the beet and farmer's salads to start - both yummy. We shared the pork (loved the polenta), trout and beef dishes since we were anxious to try as many different flavors as possible. All three were very good and filled us up, so we'll have to try dessert on the next trip. Two of us live in the neighborhood and I'm thrilled to have a place like this here. Sure it's new and needs a little help, but our first experience there was very nice. Looking foward to bringing my husband and more friends there.
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