Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
DineLA: Allegria - Malibu

Sitting besides Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, Allegria is a cozy and warm fine Italian restaurant. As part of DineLA Week, we visited to try the prix-fixe menu. LAist has been offering you some great coverage of Restaurant Week: to join in the party, you can find a listing of participating restaurants at DineLA.com. Participating restaurants typically offer a three-course lunch for $22 and dinner for $34.

To start us off, Allegria had excellent bread and a tomato tapenade. Of the two types of bread, one is crunchier and had dried tomatoes. The other was softer. Both went very well with the tomato tapenade. The ingredients of the tapenade were top secret, but I am guessing the ingredients were tomato, garlic, olives and olive oil. We were then presented with a set menu and picked the Insalata Allegria below.
The Insalata Allegria has watercress, baby arugula, Belgian endive, hearts of palm, roasted pinenuts, and avocados with ceasar salad dressing. This was very natural and didn't have too much dressing.


Up next was the Antipasto Misto, which included three types of italian salami, fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato (incredibly fresh and tasty) and marinated peperocinis, olives, and my favorite, baby artichokes.

We then had the Spaghetti Amatriciana in Bianco, which has thin spaghetti pasta with crispy pancetta, and onions in a light spicy, white wine sauce with pecorino cheese. This was my favorite dish of the night. And I must admit, it was helped greatly by the amount of finely chopped fatty meats. The flavor was rich, buttery, smooth, and a bit on the heavier side.

The second entree was the Maltagliati Alla Bolognese. This consisted of fresh homemade egg and spinach pasta with beef ragout sauce and light parmesan cheese. The ground meat had great flavor and melted in my mouth. It paired so well with the wide spinach pasta. Great texture.

For dessert, the Tortino Alle Nocciole was an almond flavored tart with hazelnut mousse served with zabaglione sauce. This was a great collection of flavors and layers of textures. The mousse had great hazelnut flavor and was wonderfully complimented by the zabaglione sauce, which tasted slightly alcoholic, and also by the hard, crunchy tart it was sitting on.
Now, the Tiramisu. Instead of a soft and crunchy layered tiramisu, this tasted more like a cheesecake with its richly creamy texture and reminded me of a creme brulee, as it was served in a round dish.

The atmosphere was warm, cozy, and romantic. There was a small and beautifully lit garden in the back, which you could see through the windows. The service was impeccable, both by our waitress Quinn and by the rest of the staff. The restaurant is about 15 miles out from West LA and takes a wonderfully relaxing and picturesque drive to get to. Definitely a nice date place. DineLA week lasts from January 27 to February 1 and from February 3 to February 8, 2008. More info at DineLA.com.
Allegria
22821 Pacific Coast Hwy
Malibu, CA, 90265
(310) 456-3132
Photos by Kevin Cheng for LAist.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
-
The drug dealer, the last of five defendants to plead guilty to federal charges linked to the 'Friends' actor’s death, will face a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.