"Not to be confused with Bar Toscana (the bar next door that shares some menu overlap), Toscana has been a polarizing member of the Brentwood community for the past 30-plus years. Nearly every Brentwood, Palisades, Santa Monica, and Westwood resident over the age of 40 has been to this Italian spot at least once. This means everyone has an opinion, too. The service is still not great, but hey, at least Toscana is consistent with that. The food, however, ranges from good to pretty whatever. The gnocchi itself is tasty but tainted by overly thick pesto, tagliatelle bolognese is just fine, and the flaky branzino filet is severely deprived of salt. Toscana is also notoriously expensive (even for Brentwood standards) and full of suited execs with slicked-back hair and semi-retired dads wearing so much cologne you can taste it in the air. Maybe save this one for a business meal on the company card. " - Sylvio Martins
