This past Thursday, I was lucky enough to be invited to a Friends & Family event for a new pop-up restaurant in Hollywood called Fingers Crossed. It has taken over the old Luchini Pizza space and is now a beautiful open-air garden-esque sit-down Italian pizza and pasta restaurant led by well-known L.A. chef Evan Funke. This will be Funke’s second restaurant after his first success, Felix Trattoria, located on Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice. Both restaurants are based on serving traditional handmade Italian dishes, but it’s the Roman-style pizza that you will be coming to Fingers Crossed for. 

WHAT DID WE ORDER

Food

The menu is made up of five sections: Fritti, Bruschette, Sfizi, Pizza, and Pasta. The waiter recommended that we order one from each section and I would say it was enough for two people. They didn’t offer a dessert that night, but I would definitely make room for it if it’s anything like the main food menu. They also require you to order everything at once so make sure you look through the whole menu.

1. Fritti (Polpette de Manzo or Oxtail Meatballs): Absolutely delicious. Definitely not your traditional meatball, but I would say even better. Not dry at all. So soft and tender and the crispy outside provide that crunch you’re always looking for.
2. Bruschette (Pomodorie Basilico or Tomato Bruschetta): Usually, I tend to stray away from tomato bruschetta since how good can it really be. Well, it can get better! Everything from the crispy bread to the sweet tomatoes was just perfect if you are looking for something light and refreshing. 
3. Sfizi (Melone E Prosciutto or Melon Prosciutto): Someone at the table had never tried it before so we decided we ordered it. It’s a super traditional Italian dish, but I would say skip it. All it really is is slices of melon wrapped in prosciutto.
4. Pizza (Fiori Di Zucca or Squash Blossom): The star of the show! I would come back just for the pizza. I wanted to try every single one, but what we ended up picking was the Fiori Di Zucca (probably due to the burrata cheese that comes on top of it). We actually wanted to get the Fiori Di Zucca fritti first, but since we were getting this pizza, that’s when we decided to change the fritti to the meatballs.
5. Pasta (Mezze Rigatoni Alla Carbonara or Carbonara Pasta): Perfectly al dente. I would say the pasta itself is pretty simple, but it’s really the crispy salty guanciale (pork jowl) pieces that got us shook.

Drinks

Fingers Crossed definitely had an amazing drink menu. We got to try a lot of different drinks and wines which was exciting since I don’t know much about Italian wines.

1. Ava Maria (Cocktail): I’m usually a vodka drinker, so that’s why I chose this cocktail. This drink did not disappoint. Very light and refreshing and not too sweet, which is always appreciated. Also, who doesn’t like pretty flowers in their drink, right? Great summer drink.
2. Negroni Birra Fredda (Cocktail): Great for people who are looking for a negroni with a slight twist. The coffee/espresso flavor at the end is what makes this drink special.
3. I Clivi Brut Nature (Sparkling): I was so excited to see this! It’s so rare to see a ‘brut nature’ on the menu since you usually only see the typical  ‘brut.’ Brut nature has the lowest amount of sugar for a sparkling (under 3 gr/liter) so it’s a better alternative if you want to cut the sugar/hangover. I absolutely loved the drink but disliked the thick coupe glass that it came in.
4. San Salvatore (White): Amazing summer wine! Super light and refreshing. Not too acidic and has a lot of fruit-forward notes. I’m usually more a dry creamy chardonnay drinker, but I actually really like this one.
5. Fattoria Sardi (Rosé): Pick this one if you want your typical easy-drinking rosé.
6. Angiolino Maule (Rosé): I would say this isn’t your typical California or French rosé. It was definitely on the funky side. Maybe too acidic? It’s kind of hard to describe, but everyone that tasted it thought the same thing.
7. Montepeloso ‘A Quo’ (Red): I didn’t actually get to try this one, but the person who ordered it said it was good and that it was definitely an Italian wine versus French. Not sure what that even means. :/
8. Girolamo Russo ‘A Rina’ (Red): Was recommended by our waiter as the most like a cabernet sauvignon. It was delicious, but I’m going to be honest, my taste buds were probably not at their best by this point.

TIPS ON GETTING THERE

The main entrance for Fingers Crossed is located in the back alley so don’t try coming from the front on Cahuenga Blvd. Meter parking was easy enough to find. Cheaper meters are on Selma Ave. ($1.50/hour) and the expensive meters are on Cahuenga Blvd ($4/hour). Not sure if they have a valet. Reservations can be found on Resy, but it looks like all the reservations are currently unavailable or they are all booked up. I believe they are only open for dinner Wed-Sun and only open the reservations 30 days out. Also, last but not least, be cool and adhere to all COVID protocols.