Dolce Vita [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
Everyone has their own idea of the Good Life, but it’s not necessarily the same as their neighbor’s. Yours might involve an Alpine slope and skis, or an empty beach with perfect curling waves and a flawless surfboard. Right now, my idea of the good life is a quiet place with a hammock, no cell phone reception, a stack of books I’ve been meaning to read, and a good restaurant next door. A good European-style deli would fit the bill nicely.
Dolce Vita is Italian for “The Sweet Life,” and you might expect the restaurant in Redondo Beach to reflect an Italian idea of paradise – probably something involving tiny cups of very strong coffee, plates of pasta, gnocchi, and antipasti, and regular demonstrations and labor unrest. Instead the focus is more German; one of the employees told me that when the place was named they planned a pan-European concept, but the owner’s German food was most popular so the place became more northern European. The little café and deli now serves some antipasti and homemade French-style sandwiches and pastries, along with a lot of German items that are otherwise unavailable in the beach cities.
We started a weekend brunch at the deli counter trying to figure out what to order – it was hard enough to choose from the menu on the wall without all those distractingly pretty items in the deli case. We decided on a black forest sandwich, “tart flambee”, German “frikadellen” meatball sandwich, and a daily special of a German farmer’s omelet.
We took a seat outside in the sun and lounged for a few minutes, enjoying a large mocha and some hot chocolates and the view of Riviera Village street life. Within ten minutes our meals arrived, all of them in generous portions and attractively arranged. The black forest sandwich included black forest ham, naturally, as well as French brie, lettuce, and preiselberry relish. I had never heard of preiselberries before, but they had a similar tart flavor to lingonberry, so I figured they might be a related species. When I got home and looked it up, I found that it’s the same thing – the people at the restaurant might use this more common name the next time they print up their menus. By whatever name, it’s a perfect combination with ham and brie, especially on a pretzel roll. The sandwich came with a dab of tart cole slaw and some excellent German potato salad, making a nicely balanced meal.
I had never heard of the German meatballs called frikadellen, either, and they turned out to be more than the average burger patty – the meat had been blended with egg, onion, breadcrumbs and mild spices to create a dense meatloaf-like patty, then fried. By itself it was good comfort food but otherwise unremarkable, but the dash of spicy remoulade sauce, cabbage, and pickle made it a down-home German delight. I’d have relished this with a beer, but alas, they don’t serve it here – if you want to have this as part of your Oktoberfest, you’ll have to get it to go.
The German farmer’s omelette also used vinegary flavors to good effect – it was composed of eggs folded around chopped cornichon pickles, potatoes, and onion with just a dusting of herbs. It was a simple preparation that made the most of natural flavors, and one that ought to be on the regular menu.
I had been curious about the tart flambee, which I’d have guessed has a French heritage from the name. It comes from Alsace, a bit of France just across the border from Germany, and this dish is known as flammkuchen on the other side of the border. In both languages it means “baked in flames,” and it comes from the custom of testing the heat of a wood-burning oven by spreading a thin sheet of dough among the embers. Cover that dough with crème fraiche, black forest ham, and caramelized onions, and you have something much like a pizza, but on a thin, flaky crust instead of the usual bready pizza dough. This has the best features of a croissant and a pizza, and it was the standout dish of a very good meal.
We finished by sharing a slice of lightly tart plum-almond cake – the huge slice that was intended as a serving for one was plenty for two, a nice finish with a shot of espresso. Dolce Vita is a pleasing anomaly, the only deli in the Beach Cities with a real European feel and excellent food. This is indeed the good life in a Northern European style, and by any name this place is a keeper.
Buona Vita is at 1718 South Catalina Avenue in Redondo Beach – open Tue-Sun 9 AM – 6 PM. Phone 310-844-7462.