Week in Reviews: A Sad 1/2 Star For Ado

Today, the Sherry Express rolls into Venice to check out Antonio Muré (Piccolo, Melograno) and Paolo Cesaro's (Via Veneto) Italian brainchild, Ado. While SIV finds the quaint space adorable, she complains that it's too loud, overpriced, and in true SIV style, she criticizes the name which is confusing and "too close to Ago for comfort." Unfortunately, Sher's not too impressed with the menu either:

Ado's menu seems scattershot, a mix of conventional L.A. Italian dishes and others dressed up with fancy ingredients to appeal to somebody's idea of luxe. It's as if [Muré ] decided authentic and regional don't work, scratch those and go with what he thinks plays in L.A. -- big portions, luxury ingredients, fancy plating.

Just about every dish, save for the crudo d'orata, beef carpaccio, and quail prosciutto, has a "misstep" as SIV likes to say. The grilled cuttlefish with fava beans is soupy and bland, baby artichoke and crab salad "has the texture of wet sawdust," and the black truffles atop tagliatelle are simply not up to SIV's Périgord standard. The woes continue on through entrees and don't improve too much in the dessert category. After all her food hating, it's no surprise that Ado is left with a simple 1/2 star. [LAT]

THE ELSEWHERE: The Find tries Taurat Tandoori in Koreatown, Eat:LA throws out a quick synopsis on Recess, Octopus Grigori loves newbie Brownstone Pizzeria, Potatomato eats organic Chinese at Green Zone, Gastronomy dines at the new and improved Bond St., Eating LA goes for Sichuan at Chung King, and Caroline on Crack checks out BottleRock Downtown's new Monday night tasting menu.