Paninoteca By Scarpetta

was really excited to try this place then found out they are remodeling and will reopen this sunday. groan guess ill try again next week and update my review

One of my favorite places to get a quick and inexpensive lunch on the go. Their eggplant sandwich is my absolute favorite along with the mushrooms. Every sandwich comes with a side of their rosemary potato fries which are always delicious.
Not a very big place so they only have a few bar seats but there is plenty of tables outside at the canon gardens. These seats are great if the weather is not too hot out.
Food quality is excellent and it’s super convenient

Their last day was yesterday :-(my favorite is the Padrino sandwich… seriously amazing! I’ve heard that they might carry over the Padrino to the new restaurant’s menu… please let it be true!

**TO BE SHUT DOWN SOON**
Alas, this spot and Scarpetta will no longer
exist in a few weeks.
So please relish and enjoy them while you can.
PARKING
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There’s a 2 hour free parking garage NEXT DOOR.
People still park on the street and have to
run back to their car every hour.
AMBIANCE
=========
Patio seating.
Montage Hotel has an old-​school Tuscany
villa feel.
Lots of woodsy décor.
Great people watching.
FOOD
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MEATBALL SANDWICH
Secret menu item.
Meaning it’s not on their menu.
(I guess it’s no longer a secret).
Delicious meatballs and great bread.
Paired with crunchy and very oily potato chips.
RATING: ⁵⁄₅
CHICKEN PARM SANDWICH
Dry and disappointing.
Not as good as I’d hope it to be.
RATING: ³⁄₅
PRO TIP
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HOURS: Monday thru Friday from 11am-​3pm
OVERALL
========
All about the meatball sandwich.
RECOMMEND so get a sandwich before they shut down
permanently.

Delicious sandwiches, all of the ingredients are fresh and pair perfectly together. I ordered the Porchetta sandwich ($ 11) and loved it. The house made chips that it came with were also outstanding. The chips were covered in fried herbs and had almost a light citrus flavor.
The most expensive sandwich they had on the specials menu was $ 14 and if you pair that with a $ 6 fresh juice, it can be a pricey lunch. My total was only $ 11 though, it is really nice that they had options for every budget.
We came for a late lunch and arrived just in time before they close at 3pm. I can imagine they probably get quite a line during the prime time lunch hour but we were able to step right up to the counter and order, our sandwiches were ready within 5 – 10 mins.
Paninoteca is tucked away in a little courtyard area behind the Montage Hotel. There is easy parking in the garages located off of Canon Drive or Beverly Drive that take you in an elevator right up to the courtyard. It is free two hour parking in the garage. There are tons of shops located on the surrounding streets if you have free time to window shop after lunch.

The sandwiches are amazing but the management is horrible. You can never count on this place being open. In February I took my friend from out of town and their cash register was down. THEY WEREN’T ACCEPTING CASH! Who does that? Not even exact change because no one wanted to be responsible for it. They only accepted cards.
Fast forward to today. Fully staffed yet somehow closed and not opening until tomorrow. No apology. Warning on their website or anywhere. Those have been my last two times at Paninoteca. Call ahead and make sure they’re open. Also make sure their cash register is working. Maybe also ask if everything is working fine just in case. Lol.
Aside from that the food is great. Hopefully they get their act together.

Recently ordered a sandwich from them on UberEats and the bread was TERRIBLE. Similar consistency and flavor to the rolls one could find at Ralph’s. Definitely was not the bread I see in pictures here on Unilocal or even within the UberEats app.
Maybe an UberEats order isn’t a fair gauge of their food, but if you’re gonna cut corners like that by using cheap bread, you better expect people to be unimpressed, especially if you call yourself a Paninoteca.

One of the place I come a lot during work lunch in Beverly Hills !
Range from 10 to 14, u can get a avant garde sandwich /​salad/​or half and half combo !
This sandwich totally blow other restaurants out of the water immediately! House baked bread and house made everything ! Quality choice of protein and veggies that easily gets the stars !
Environment is also speechless ! North of the hotel montage with outside dining area full of sunshine and grass land and fountain, you know u are in Beverly Hills! Fast friendly service ! Always satisfied with this place !
5 stars !

I was excited to try this place after a friend told me I had to try the porcetta sandwich. I went here right at 11am at their opening time but was disappointed to see that they weren’t open yet. Had to wait a couple minutes after 11 when they finally opened the doors in a haste, and inside they were still setting up. I ordered porcetta sandwich and also chicken Parm. Chicken Parm was good, nothing spectacular but good. The porcetta had some good flavors but there was something sour and something felt off about it. I also think it made me sick later in the evening but I can’t be entirely sure.
Also, service was not very good. We asked for our orders for here and took seats but they packed it all up to go making it an awkward situation when we had to ask for our food to be eaten inside the restaurant and had to unwrap everything. They were also out of the cannolis, which is a no no.
I gave two stars because it’s in a nice place and the inside is very clean and inviting. They also have a nice, simple menu and it’s not entirely expensive considering the area (Beverly Hills). But I most likely will not be coming back.

So… I’m a bit obsessed with the Porchetta sandwich here. It has spiced pork belly, broccoli rabe pesto and fried hen egg. I love pork belly, pesto and a good yolk so this had my name written ALL over it! The fact that the yolk oozes into the bread for extra yolky goodness is just a bonus. I may have also muttered «OMG» after having my first bite because I am seriously in love with this sandwich!
Highly recommended and I suggest trying this if you have not had it before. I can’t wait until I can have it again!

I stopped by at Paninoteca early am yesterday when they just opened at 11am, and managed to find street parking on Canon Dr, and decided to do takeout since the parking patrol was circling the block like a hawk. The hidden little spot was across the street from one of my local favorites, Bouchon, and as such it was decorated in pristine fashion with beautiful marble countertops and a spotless kitchen and serving only the highest quality ingredients. We ordered the Porchetta and the Chicken Parm on baguette, which came with a side of housemade chips. The Porchetta tasted somewhat like a breakfast sandwich since it had a fried egg in it and the pesto sauce complimented the meat really well.
My one complaint which is my biggest complaint when it comes to rating a sandwich shop is the bread. I am sure that the bread was not burnt but it was hard as a rock, and it was very difficult to bite into it and taste the deliciousness inside, to the point where i had to remove a piece of bread for me to be able to eat it somewhat comfortably. This is of course a matter of opinion, many people like the bread to taste crunchy and solid but I was having such a hard time enjoying the sandwich because the bread was so rigid that I just couldn’t focus on anything else it contained and was just trying to fill up my empty stomach with matter at this point.
Don’t get me wrong, the fillings on my sandwich were great but for me, the work it took me to bite into the bread just took out the pleasure of everything else and it was a miss for me. The chips were very good and flavorful but a little on the oily side, and the pineapple basil was refreshing but even the sides didn’t save me from the disappointment that came after eating the sandwiches. Overall, it was a decent meal but I would opt to go elsewhere if you’re looking to find the best sandwiches in LA.

Monday thru Friday from 11am-​3pm you will find Paninoteca, a Beverly Hills sandwich ‘shop’ served out of Scarpetta’s courtyard-​side kitchen — all bread made in-​house at Scarpetta.
The sandwiches are truly incredible. Had the Porchetta, a Spiced Pork Belly Sandwich with broccoli rabe pesto & fried hen egg. Simple & delicious.
Flipped out over the Incredible Cornmeal Crusted Prawn Sandwich topped with pickled cherry pepper aioli, capers, lettuce, tomato and cured lemons. If I could have this everyday for the rest of my life I’d be one happy woman.
For sides both the Farro & Root Vegetables with oven dried tomatoes, artichokes & cauliflower are good as well as their Marinated Mushrooms with Ricotta Salata.
Do not skip out on drinks. Kale & Apple, Blood Orange & Tarragon, Pineapple & Basil are honest to god, TO.DIE.FOR. Yes, drinks alone sent us straight to heaven.
Everything is made in-​house from scratch in their beautiful open kitchen with counter seating available for your viewing pleasure.

Suzie Q’s Fun Facts:
The first historical reference to «panini» (Italian stuffed bread sandwich) arose in a 16^th century Italian cookbook. However, panini experienced a modern resurgence in the 1970s when they began to be served in Milanese bars called «paninoteche.» US popularity followed shortly thereafter.
=≅≅≅≅≅≅≅≅~
I don’t quite understand what all the fuss is about.
All right, all right… so I didn’t actually order a sandwich at Paninoteca. I ordered a salad. Yes, I am aware that the name of this restaurant literally means «Italian sandwich.» (It’s like going to a ramen shop, then ordering the one odd hamburger on the menu).
But still. The salad (Grilled Chicken & Arugula $ 11.00 — shaved parmigiano & lemon vinaigrette) was boring and overpriced. The (tiny) side I ordered (Farro & Grilled Vegetables $ 6.00 cauliflower, artichokes & parmigiano) was better… quite savory and satisfying. But still, not a lot of salad for $ 6.
Then the real oddity — I ordered what I thought was a refreshing fruit cooler, described simply as «Blood Orange & Tarragon» on the menu, under «Drinks.» But upon its arrival, I saw that it was actually a huge cup of actual blood orange juice (e.g. orange juice) with a hint of tarragon. No wonder it was $ 6. (The word «juice» appeared nowhere in the description… weird).
I had wanted a refreshing cooler with a hint of herb and fruit, which would have been perfect for lunch… but instead I got a glorified breakfast beverage. I couldn’t take more than a few sips of the juice before putting it down (far too much sugar).
And for these prices — all told, I paid nearly $ 30 (including tax) for my salad, side and drink — I would have expected to eat in a dining room with fine china. Instead, I learn that the restaurant only serves its offerings in «to go» containers, even if you plan to eat in the lovely outdoor courtyard. Which makes no sense, not to mention isn’t environmentally friendly.
So I guess you may be sensing that I don’t absolutely love Paninoteca. Even if they specialize in sandwiches, that’s no excuse for phoning it in on the rest of the menu items. Try harder, Scarpetta!

I had the house made pastrami sandwich, and I would put that on my list of top 5 best sandwiches I’ve ever had.
The bread was great, crusty and hearty, but not too hard. The pastrami was amazing. Pickled mustard grains complimented it perfectly. Highly recommend. Prices are very reasonable, same as what you’d pay at Subway or Jersey Mike’s and the quality is far, far better.
House made chips were very tasty too!

Finally found the chance to try this super sandwich place located off The Montage Hotel gardens.
The Padrino sandwich is fabulous! Fresh bread, homemade Italian dressing. Great Italian meats! Yum
Cone with homemade chips!
Great friendly, helpful staff.
Reasonable prices too!
I will definitely be back to this lunch spot!

Truly disappointed and not sure what happened to the sandwich I ordered; Porchetta [spiced pork belly, broccoli rabe pesto & fried hen egg], $ 11 & Pineapple & Basil drink, $ 6
They only item I truly enjoyed was the Pineapple & Basil beverage it was so refreshing to have on a 98 degree day. I opted to eat inside the restaurant which is Scarpetta by night some sous chefs were prepping for the evening dinner so it was nice to watch while cooling off. They do need to update the wicker chairs however, several [and I did sit in a few] have deeper seat holes from where the wicker has been stretched time to upgrade.
OK so here is the deal with the Porchetta sandwich that has me truly confused thought I had ordered a pork sandwich. What I got was 2 sandwiches a small amount of pork on one side and the very large aka hen egg on the other. Don’t recall our hen eggs being that big when I lived in Mexico. The pork did not have the flavors or the spice that was to be there, too much broccoli rabe pesto overall this sandwich was a fail!

The porchetta here was pretty great. Well seasoned and was a perfect match for the fresh bread. I don’t think the egg was necessary… plus it was only big enough to put on half the sandwich. Pastrami was fine. Meatball sando was better.
Chips were far too under cooked. Vegetable side was weird I think primarily because of the inclusion of dates? Potato salad was fine. Will do without sides next time.
Service was slow. 20 minutes for three sandwiches. Only one woman makes all of the sandwiches, she was slammed. Can’t blame her for burning the top half to one of the sandwiches, this is a two person job.
Outdoor seating is real nice.

Was fortunate to have some delivered to us at work. SO GOOD. It was free so it tasted even better, but after looking at the prices I thought it was beyond reasonable. Just sad I don’t get a discount since I work at the hotel.
I got a roast beef sandwich and it was easily the best ever. It was reminiscent of Earl of Sandwich, just bigger. Bread was fresh, great portion and sauce was on point! Chips were good, I had my co workers stealing each other’s!
Porchetta is one of my favorites. Definitely a must try.
Only downside is they’re only open for lunch. 11am-​3pm. Mon-​Fri.

What kind of an idiot drives about 60 miles round trip to pay $ 30+ for 3 sandwiches to go straight home and take pictures of said sandwiches and then just eat them?! …that…would be me… but it was just another Wednesday afternoon… chillin in Beverly Hills…
TURKEY
Got this one for the wife… it was surprisingly not as bland as she usually likes her food. Well done, wife.
PADRINO
A simply beautiful take on what I used to think was the best sandwich in LA (the Godmother from Bay Cities in SaMo) This Godfather was nothing short of amazing… prosciutto, mortadella, salami, provolone, italian vinaigrette and the fresh baked bread is ridiculous. It was absurd. and worth the drive.
PORCHETTA
Spiced pork belly, broccoli rabe pesto, fried hen egg.
Shut up, just shut up… you had me at pork belly.
Take it from me… be an idiot.
Drive to Beverly Hills for sandwiches…
thank this idiot later.

I think this place was a little hyped. At least the grilled eggplant sandwich wasn’t that great/​or maybe I heard too much good things and had too high expectation.
The sandwich was cold, and the bread was hard as it would scratch the roof of my mouth…
It was not bad, just pretty normal, nothing stands out for this sandwich. A little disappointed.