"Steps from the beach and just far enough away from the mixtape salesmen of the boardwalk, C&O is a completely cheesy and totally awesome Italian restaurant that your parents will never stop talking about. The family-style menu is familiar and appealing, and their all-you-can-eat garlic knots should definitely be on the list of most dangerous foods in America. Yes, the courtyard and its painted facades are over the top, and the waiters are definitely going to sing “That’s Amore!” more than once to you, but who cares? Mom’s totally buying into it and so are you. The corkage fee is minimal, so surprise them by bringing a bottle of their favorite wine." - jess basser sanders, brant cox, brett keating
"Though its sister Venice restaurant C&O Trattoria is closed, C+O Cucina is still serving Italian comfort food a block from Abbott Kinney. Some of our favorites here include the Killer Garlic Rolls (a dozen for $4.25), four cheese lobster mac & cheese, and some great chicken Marsala with spaghetti. Call (310) 301-7278, or order via their website for curbside pick-up or delivery." - brett keating
"Perfect For: Dinner with your roommate (who you hate) and his parents. It’s been five months, which is four and a half months longer than you needed to realize you hate the roommate who turned out to be an amateur-who-thinks-he’s-a-professional drummer. And despite dropping your most extreme excuses (you’re going out of town for a funeral), he’s insisting that he’s told his parents all about you and that you all have to have dinner. Admit defeat and suggest C&O Trattoria. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson will be happy with the beach-adjacent location and the garlic knots, and you can brainstorm ways to transport sand from Venice to the inside of his bass drum." - jess basser sanders, brant cox
"A classic Venice Italian-American spot, C&O Cucina has all the carbohydrate-based comfort food you need at a time like this. This includes linguini with clams, calamari fritti, chicken parm sandwiches, and, of course, their totally addictive garlic knots. Order online, and add Curbside Pick-Up to your cart with your car make and model in the notes." - kat hong, brett keating
"Perfect For: When Your Mom Cries Every Five Minutes Your mom can get pretty emotional - particularly when big life events are going down. Take her and the rest of the family to C&O. The Italian restaurant right off the Venice boardwalk is cheesy, over-the-top, and immensely satisfying all at the same time. The food is better than you think it will be and the portions are massive, so absolutely no one is walking away hungry. But nothing beats the ambiance on that massive back patio, complete with an all-restaurant sing-a-long to “That’s Amore” every hour. Oh look, mom’s sobbing again." - jess basser sanders, brant cox