Cube

Cube is a small Italian cafe inside the Divine Pasty Company store on La Brea. It is part gourmet retail shop, part restaurant. You may purchase just about everything they serve: fresh and frozen Divine Pasta, pasta sauces, frozen marinated seafood and meats, cheese, charcuterie, oils, vinegars, salts, and much more.

I began my lunch at the counter (they also have seating outside on the sidewalk) with fried zucchini blossoms in tomato sauce. They were perfectly crisp outside, with a soft, moist center.


Then I moved on to the highlight of their menu, the cheese and charcuterie. The list of 47 cheeses was divided into 6 categories: hard, semi-hard, semi-soft, bloomy rind, soft, and blue. Mostly from California, France and Italy, they did have a few from places such as Spain, Texas, England, and this complementary amuse bouche of an 8 year old cheddar from Quebec.

The charcuterie list consisted of 24 selections, including salami from Fra'Mani, The Fatted Calf and Salumi. I had my eye on the lamb prociutto, but they were all out, so I settled on Fra'Mani Nostrano, and a petit sec from The Fatted Calf. Slim Jimesque, the petit sec was soft and chewy, with fat that melts in your mouth. Much like one I enjoyed in Spain, and have not found in Los Angeles until now.

I paired the meat with a very soft and pungent raw sheep's milk cheese from Spain called Torta de la Serena, and a Tuscan sheep's milk cheese, Tuala. Everything was good, the selection large, but the portions small. Servings are only an ounce or two, ranging from $3-7 a serving. Their main menu consists of fresh pastas, panini, pizza, salads, fish and meat, all reasonably priced between $8.95-14.95. I would like to go back, this time with a group, so I may order and try much more. If you do check out Cube, please note they do not serve alcohol. Bring in your own wine (no corkage!).

Cube
615 N La Brea Ave.
Los Angeles, Ca 90036
323-939-1148