
What enters your mind when twirling fennel pollen–dusted spaghetti around your fork? Probably not much more than "Just how quickly can I get this into my mouth?" And that's fair, because L.A.'s emerging renditions of Italian cuisine are incredible. But there's a story behind all that beautiful bread and cheese. Italian food wasn't always held in the high esteem it is today — certainly not $30-plate-of-pasta esteem.
The evolution of Italian dining in Los Angeles is long and complex, and predates the well-known checkered tablecloths of the midcentury. The new Italian fare we know and love, be it an innovative pasta dish at Alimento or Bestia, or a perfectly paired pizza-and-wine combo from Sotto or South End, was once considered low-class and, at one point, the food of "the enemy."
Source: http://www.laweekly.com/