There's something uniquely comforting about stepping out of the rain and into a warmly lit restaurant, particularly when the evening in question is Halloween and the rain itself is something of a novelty in Santa Monica. At Bar Fortuna, a narrow Italian eatery tucked along Main Street, the damp darkness outside provided a pleasing contrast to the amber glow within, where gas flames danced beneath pans in an open kitchen and the gentle bustle of an evening's service created a welcome refuge from the weather.
It's the sort of place that wouldn't look remotely out of place in the theater district of London or New York, where a glass of wine and a plate of pasta are often the prelude to an evening's entertainment. Indeed, sitting at the bar, watching the chefs work their magic, it's almost possible to imagine that curtain-up is just an hour away. Unfortunately, Santa Monica's theater district appears to have been misplaced somewhere between the Promenade and the Pacific.
Nevertheless, Bar Fortuna has managed to capture something of that wonderfully European tradition of combining good food, good wine and good company without making an elaborate occasion of it. And that, it turns out, is precisely what chef and owner Brian Bornemann had in mind.
Bornemann, a Santa Monica native who also owns nearby seafood restaurant Crudo e Nudo, spent time living and cooking in Italy; first in Siena and later near Milan, developing an appreciation for fresh pasta and the importance of sourcing ingredients locally. His latest venture, which opened in October, draws on those experiences while dispensing with one of the more predictable conventions of Italian restaurants in America: importing ingredients from Italy simply because they're Italian. Instead, the kitchen uses California produce, locally sourced meats and handmade pasta, embracing the Italian philosophy of cooking with what's available rather than slavishly reproducing familiar dishes from thousands of miles away.
The interior is an exercise in understated elegance. Exposed brickwork, original wooden floors, timber rafters and black-stained shelving provide a rustic backdrop, while the substantial marble bar, gleaming kitchen fittings and deep green window frames lend the space a pleasingly timeless quality. The restaurant's layout is straightforward: long and narrow, with the bar and open kitchen running along one side, allowing diners perched on wooden stools to watch the chefs at work. These are unquestionably the best seats in the house as there's something very satisfying about sitting directly across from the kitchen, watching the culinary choreography unfold with little more than a countertop separating the audience from the action.
Interestingly, the restaurant seems to straddle several identities. It's a cocktail bar, a casual neighborhood eatery and a serious Italian restaurant, all occupying the same modest space. The predominance of small tables suggests an establishment particularly suited to couples or friends enjoying an evening together, whether they intend to linger over several glasses of wine or simply stop for a satisfying meal before heading elsewhere. Where, precisely, one might be heading afterward in Santa Monica is another question entirely.
To begin, the crispy calamari, accompanied by lemon aioli and basil, offered an opportunity to assess one of the kitchen's more deceptively simple preparations. Calamari is notoriously unforgiving and a few moments too long over the heat can transform what should be tender seafood into an exercise in prolonged mastication, rather like trying to chew a dozen elastic bands. Fortunately, Bar Fortuna understands the difference; it remained tender beneath a delicate, crisp exterior, while the lemon aioli provided a refreshing counterpoint to the richness of the frying, like Neptune himself had ordered a light nautical nibble.
Of course, the real test of an Italian restaurant lies in its pasta, and here Bar Fortuna demonstrates that its ambitions extend considerably beyond providing something convenient to accompany a glass of wine.
The gemelli, served with Italian sausage, fennel pollen, grapes and rosemary, was an intriguing combination, bringing together familiar savory ingredients with an unexpected burst of fresh fruit. The pasta was cooked precisely al dente, retaining just the right amount of bite to complement the richness of the sausage. The fennel and rosemary contributed aromatic depth, but it was the grapes that made the dish particularly memorable.
Rather than being cooked down or presented as dried fruit, they arrived fresh, small and wonderfully juicy, their sweetness providing an unexpected contrast to the more robust flavors surrounding them. It was a clever combination, introducing quel non so che — that elusive something extra — without allowing novelty to overwhelm the dish.
The other main course, paccheri with guanciale, tomato conserva, red onion, chili and Broncha cheese, offered a more traditional combination of rich, savory flavors. The pasta had a pleasing firmness, its generous tubes capturing the sauce. Sadly, though, the chili, which might have introduced an additional dimension to the dish, appeared to have been deployed with almost excessive caution. Whether intended to accommodate a particularly delicate palate or simply lost among the other ingredients, its presence was barely discernible.
A little more confidence with the seasoning would have elevated an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable plate of pasta. Nevertheless, both dishes demonstrated a kitchen with a firm understanding of its ingredients and, more importantly, how those ingredients should work together.
Accompanying the meal was a 2022 Brandini "Rocche del Santo" Barbera d'Alba Superiore from Piemonte, which proved an excellent choice. Bold, robust and velvety smooth, this was a red with considerable character, possessing the sort of depth that would have been equally comfortable accompanying an aged steak or a succulent lamb chop.
Bornemann's approach to cooking helps explain this emphasis on meat. Rather than relying exclusively on individual cuts, the kitchen works with whole animals, preparing a pig or lamb in-house and incorporating different portions into its changing selection of dishes. It's a thoughtful approach to minimizing waste, but one that also provides considerable scope for creativity.
There is an infectious energy to the restaurant, helped enormously by the proximity of the kitchen and the sense that diners are being invited to observe something normally concealed behind swinging doors. By the time the last of the wine had disappeared, the impression of having spent an evening in a little European neighborhood restaurant had become difficult to shake. There was no particular reason to hurry, nowhere else to be and certainly no need to rush back into the rain.
Instead, there was simply the pleasure of accomplished Italian cooking, interesting wine and the sort of relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere that can sometimes be difficult to find. Bar Fortuna occupies that appealing territory between an easygoing neighborhood wine bar and a more ambitious dining destination, combining the best qualities of both without appearing to try particularly hard.
Perhaps the greatest compliment is that, despite the absence of a theater district, Bar Fortuna feels like the sort of place you'd happily visit before an evening out. Or, for that matter, instead of one.
Bar Fortuna, 2917 Main St, Ocean Park, CA 90405. Wed–Thu, 5–10 p.m. and Fri–Sun, 12–10 p.m. with late night bites and the bar open until midnight. Reservations available 5–9:30 p.m. and walk-ins available 12–3:30 p.m. and after 9:30 p.m.
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