Brentwood’s Toscana makes a move into the cocktail culture tonight with the opening of Bar Toscana. A project from the offspring of the family that opened this Northern Italian restaurant in 1989, the look is influenced by modern Milan, meaning it goes for refined style rather than rustic charm, as evidenced by clean lines and digital art installations throughout the space. Libations nod to Italy in preps of tequila-spiked “Toscaritas” with Grand Marnier blood orange foam, Sicilian orange peel, and sea salt, and Via Veneto’s with Cinazo Bianco, Poli Miele, fresh verbena, lemon, and soda. Italian wines and apertivos are stocked for more subtle sups, spirits can be poured straight over single ice spheres, and grappa is there for those who can stomach it. The drinks will be backed by seasonal stuzzichini like a Aragosta Carasau lobster with tomato, ginger, basil, onion purée, and Sardinian music paper bread and polentine with gorgonzola fondue and shaved black truffle. But hey, enough of our yakkin’. Whaddya say? Let’s look at the menus.
Bar Toscana, 11633 San Vicente Blvd. Brentwood. 310-820-2448.
MENU
S T U Z Z I C H I N I
Insalata di Zucca
roasted pumpkin salad with grilled chanterelle mushrooms, frisée and goat cheese. 7
Zuppa di Carciofi
baby artichoke soup with parmigiano crisps. 7
Stuzzichino Toscana
eggplant caviar, tomato jam and artichoke spread served with crispy italian bread toast. 8
Polentine
baked polenta croutons with gorgonzola fondue and shaved black truffle. 10
Aragosta Carasau
lobster with tomato, ginger and basil, served with onion purée and sardinian music paper. 14
Crudo del Giorno
thinly sliced seared ahi tuna with capers, pesto, green peppers and tomato confit. 12
Tartare di Piemontese
finely chopped prime piedmontese beef filet with red onion, capers, topped with a quail egg, olive bread and balsamic reduction. 16
Vitello Tonnato
thinly sliced roasted veal with a caper sauce, topped with red peppers and homemade chips. 12
Prosciutto di Parma
sliced prosciutto served with a salad of shaved fennel and vanilla infused olive oil. 11
Selezione di salami
selection of italian salami with giardiniera and italian mustards. 11
Formaggi
a selection of italian cheese with homemade jams and breads. 11
QUALCOSA DI DOLCE
Affogato
espresso poured over homemade vanilla gelato. 7
Gelato
a trio of homemade gelato. 7
Crostata di Pere
tart made with glazed pears served with pear sorbet. 7
Bonet Piemontese
chocolate custard cake with amaretti and a caramel sauce. 7
Stelline
a delicious assortment of home made italian cookies. 5
INTRIGUING & AROMATIC
Brentwood’s Garden
russian standard vodka, fresh lime and cucumber enhanced with a touch of bitter
truth celery bitters and cynar. served with tomato powder on the rim. 14
Speziato
our vibrant and savory blend of barsol primero pisco, aperol, fresh red bell pepper and basil, laced together with fresh lemon and agave nectar. 14
Sorriso (signature of Francesco Lafranconi)
a harmonious and ethereal combination of plymouth gin, absolut pears, oloroso-style
sherry and luxardo cherry brandy. enriched with aromatic bitters and citrus peel. 14
Caterina
sensual and enveloping, our mix of jameson irish whiskey, luxardo maraschino and triple sec, is laced with absinthe and aromatic bitters. 15
My Italian Sazerac
spicy and rich, this profusion of herbal character from rye one straight rye whiskey, amaro nonino, fee brothers peach bitters with a whiff of absinthe is served over “the globe.” 16
ToscaRita
this tangy fusion of chinaco blanco tequila, villa massa orancello, fresh lime,
and agave nectar is topped with grand marnier-blood orange foam and sicilian orange peel sea salt. 15
Sorrento
a cool and uplifting fusion of partida blanco, limoncello, mint, lime and cucumber. 14
Via Veneto
an intriguing vibrant seduction of cinzano bianco, poli miele, fresh verbena and lemon, stretched with club soda. 14
Verona
a wealth of spice and mellowness achieved by maker’s mark bourbon, cinnamon and figs laced with fee brothers old fashioned bitters. 14
Cinque Terre
a flavorful combination of hendrick’s gin, strawberries, mint and basil bonded together with fresh lime and agave nectar. 14
Apertivo
Negroni Sbagliato
this gin-less alternative to the negroni, developed in the early 1970s, at the bar
basso in milan, is an aromatic bitter-sweet, sparkling conundrum of campari, m&r; sweet
vermouth and nino franco prosecco. served with orange and dry olive rim. 13
Aperol Spritz
enjoy italy’s #1 aperitif made with aperol, nino franco prosecco and club soda. we add our signature touch of st. germain elderflower liqueur. 12
Bellini
this italian masterpiece, created in 1948 by giuseppe cipriani at harry’s bar in venezia, is
a velvety smooth combination of white peach puree and nino franco prosecco. 12
Canaletto
a delightfully fresh combination of raspberries and nino franco prosecco laced together with mathilde crème de framboise. 12
Rubino
antioxidant rich pomegranate properties meet the fruity aromas and crisp taste of
nino franco prosecco, combined with the rich complexity of grand marnier. 12
Puccini
a zesty, citrus ménage a trois of nino franco prosecco, fresh tangerine juice and a touch
of mandarine napoléon liqueur. 12
DOPO CENA
Espresso Republic
an exquisite combination of luxardo amaretto, amaro averna and espresso shaken
to perfection and poured over vanilla ice cream. now…that’s amore! 14
San Marco
after the first sip, your palate will be engaged in a game of seduction from the
silky texture and rich flavors of bulleit bourbon , marolo chamomile, and
mouth-watering nocello toschi and zucca rhubarb liqueurs. 14
Costa Smeralda
a fresh, assertive and sophisticated mix of nonino ué, green chartreuse, luxardo
maraschino and fresh lemon. 14
Monte Bianco
our own version of italy’s best kept secret: the sgroppino. lemon sorbet and a touch
of lemon juice masterfully blended with ketle one citron, prosecco and st. germain
elderflower liqueur, topped with a pinch of ground coffee. 14
Spirit On The Globe
at bar toscana, we care to promote the finest sipping spirits while retaining their
integrity of flavors. thus we suggest you enjoy your favorite spirit poured over
our signature ice sphere. MP
CAFFE
Caffè Americano 4
Cappuccino 6
Espresso 5
Tea 5
Soft drink 5
Mineral water 4
Sparkling water 4
