Coastal Italian Seafood Is Apparently the Next Big Thing in West Hollywood

Things are heating up at Viale dei Romani, the new Italian restaurant by chef Casey Lane inside the La Peer Hotel in West Hollywood. And, at least according to one Craigslist post, the restaurant is going to be in very good company.

Viale dei Romani is being billed in the ad — which, incidentally, requests a new brunch sous chef — as having “an open and airy kitchen with abundant firepower.” What’s more, the description of the menu sounds awfully familiar:

Inspired by trips to the Amalfi coast, our seafood-driven cuisine will represent the intention of Italian cooking with modern techniques and practices. Our menu will be highlighted by wood-fired seafood, raw fish preparations, pasta, and vegetables.

Not more than a couple of miles away from the upcoming Viale dei Romani is Cal Mare, the Adam Sobel-cheffed spot attached to the Beverly Center that is also leaning in on Amalfi Coast-inspired Italian fare, with lots of seafood, pastas, and a wood-fired oven to be used (in part, at least) for pizzas. There’s about to be a bounty of Italian seafood riches in West Hollywood, apparently.

Not that Cal Mare and Viale dei Romani are precisely alike. Obviously the spaces each offer their own chance to charm the dining public, and the latter is attached to the La Peer property, which means there will be more built-in restaurant foot traffic and an expanded menu to suit the all-day needs of hotel guests. That includes brunch, which Viale dei Romani is hiring up for. As for timing, look for an opening of Lane’s place sometime in January.

• Cal Mare Is Beverly Center’s New Crowning Seafood Achievement [ELA]