The Early Word

Word first came of 8 1/2 Taverna back in April, the three months later the Italian eatery debuted, and now the LAT drops in for a bite. Right off the bat food is described as "deliciously rebellious" with "a heavy Italian influence...some of the dishes are touched with a sense of play that shakes up the traditional flavor profiles and sends them in a very gastropub direction...The Patatona pizza, for example, is layered with smoked mozzarella cheese but drizzled with Bechamel sauce and topped with fresh sweet corn and hunks of potato. Another pizza, the decadent Tartufona, mixes mozzarella with a creamy mascarpone fondue and comes scattered with chewy shitake mushrooms and slender truffle shavings...New specials are offered each day, as the men spend their mornings at the farmers market and play with ingredients and combinations." [LAT]