![Chain reaction: surprises are in store at Sammy’s Woodfire Pizza & Grill [RESTAURANT REVIEW]](http://www.easyreadernews.com/wp-content/themes/cadabrapress/scripts/timthumb.php?src=http://www.easyreadernews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/sammys-woodfired-pizza.jpg&w=185&h=130&zc=1)
I rarely review chain restaurants because they rarely do anything interesting. I do make exceptions when I notice that a corporate chain is doing something ambitious, which is why Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza is getting a turn in the spotlight this [...]
![Hostaria Piave delicately and deliciously brings the flavors of Venice to Redondo Beach [RESTAURANT REVIEW]](http://www.easyreadernews.com/wp-content/themes/cadabrapress/scripts/timthumb.php?src=http://www.easyreadernews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/hostaria-piave.jpg&w=185&h=130&zc=1)
The South Bay’s newest Venetian-style restaurant is Hostaria Piave, named after a river that once served as a route for fresh produce to reach the city.
Last year Frascati moved to smaller premises in Rolling Hills Estates, an inconspicuous location in the Avenues shopping center. The new place seats about 70 people, less than half the size of the previous restaurant, but it’s a better fit. The feel is authentically Italian, the service assured, and while a few changes could be made in the food, overall we were satisfied.
Among the more detached bits of Italy is Venice, which has been an independent country or a subject state of Austria for most of its history. This is reflected in its cuisine, which is more subtle than the dishes of the south and has more seafood and rice dishes than the west. Venetian food is relatively little known in America, but Hermosa’s La Sosta is doing their best to change that.
The Lido Island near Venice is one of the most famously picturesque places in the world, a seven-mile stretch of villas and sparkling beaches. The name has become such a symbol of luxury that restaurants and nightclubs around the world have adopted it, hoping to capture a hint of the glamour. Parisians eat escargot and see expensive shows with minimally costumed starlets at their Lido, residents of Springfield, Massachusetts nibble Clams Casino at theirs, and locals in Riga dine on Latvian and international food in an atmosphere which I can only imagine is very much unlike Venice.
The restaurant in the South Bay that currently has the biggest buzz is Buona Sera, the Italian newcomer located on a quiet side street in Riviera Village. I have heard from several readers who called it the best Italian restaurant in a wide radius, which is no small boast given the competition. Having visited the restaurant, I can confirm that the cooking and creativity are top-notch, and while not everything is perfect, it is well worth a visit.