HIDDEN ITALIAN GEM IN SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

Located in Encino, California, Mora Italiano is a love letter to Italy in the 1960s, echoing its iconic flavor, allure, and cooking culture. The intimate San Fernando Valley hideaway, which opened in October 2018, boasts a heated outdoor patio and authentic Italian food and wine for any occasion.

Executive Chef Ramiro Vasquez offers a bounty of classic Italian favorites with a contemporary twist, including pizza topped with charcuterie, house-made meatballs with San Marzano Passata, and larger dishes, like New Zealand lamb chops and striped sea bass. The seasonal menu pairs well with the restaurant’s rotating list of 50 wines from all over the world, selected by in-house sommelier, Fernando Trivisonno. The wine bar also offers the restaurant’s full menu of shareable plates, entrées, and salads, as well as a selection of beer.

Local designer William Emmerson created a light-filled interior that is both relaxed and elegant, offering rare opulence and intimacy in Encino. The 15th-century European-inspired, classic black-and-white marble floor opens the space, mimicking the ground floor landing of the Queen’s staircase in Versailles. Black-and-white 1960s fashion photographs and Fornasetti plates adorn the walls, chosen by Emmerson for their charming appeal and history. Vintage mercury lights from Germany hang above the bar, and the multi-colored awning resembles the colorful canopies of Provence in the South of France.