Sotto is one of the hottest Italian restaurants in town, where co-chef/owners Zach Pollack and Steve Samson turn out an unpretentious cuisine with subtle layers of sophistication. The thin-crusted pies with a pleasantly chewy crust that emerge from Sotto’s prominently displayed pizza oven are among the best in town.
“You often hear chefs referred to as artists these days … but I think of myself as more of a craftsman,” says younger partner Pollack, who derives far more satisfaction in creating rustic dishes than experimenting with molecular gastronomy. “I’ll take a perfect loaf [of bread] over the best foam any day,” he says.
Pollack doesn’t let himself get jinxed by his early success. “The goal is to keep learning, keep growing,” he says. “It’s better to be at the bottom headed up than stagnant at the top,” the 28-year-old observes.
Sotto, 9575 W. Pico Blvd., West L.A., 310.277.0210.