Bestia

Before the Arts District was a dining destination, Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis opened Bestia in a converted warehouse and proceeded to build the kind of Italian restaurant that makes you forget you are eight thousand kilometers from Rome. The house-cured salumi program alone justifies the trip, charcuterie aged on-site with a seriousness that would earn nods in Emilia-Romagna. Pastas are made daily and sauced with the confidence of cooks who understand that Italian food is not about complexity but about timing and ingredient quality. The cavatelli with uni, when available, is a dish that has launched a thousand imitations across the city. The room runs loud, brick-walled, and industrial, buzzing with the energy of a place that has never once coasted on its reputation.