By Daniel Giovati
Staff Writer
Eatalian Café is the hidden gem that you never knew you needed in your life. This gourmet Italian spot awaits you and is only five minutes from campus, located at 15500 Broadway St.
When you are getting close to the restaurant, it is imperative that you slow down and keep your eyes peeled or you will surely miss it. Part of the charm of Eatalian Café is its unassuming exterior so don’t be alarmed by the barred windows. This is the type of jail you want to be locked in. It is easily lost in the jumble of factories and warehouses that surround it but when you step inside your mind will be blown.
The size of the inside of the restaurant is stunning, there are unbelievably high ceilings and see-through glass windows where you can watch fresh dough be made. You will feel like you have been transported to a pizza and pasta making factory in Italy.
The kitchen is wide open for the customer’s viewing pleasures. The chefs make their way around the kitchen with the most precise and purposeful movements. Everyone is moving at 100 miles per hour, the rhythm of the kitchen alone is satisfying table-side entertainment. 
There is tons of vibrancy and so many moving parts at Eatalian Café that make the eating experience unique. The restaurant has a family atmosphere but could also function just as well for you and a special date.
Eatalian Café screams authentic Italian cuisine. The pizza is prepared in wood-fired ovens, the pasta dough is cut and rolled out by hand, and there are Parmesan cheese wheels by the dozen that act as decoration for the walls.
The menu has all the essential Italian food groups; pasta, pizza, fish, and meat. They are best known for their crispy prosciutto pizza and their melt in your mouth four-cheese gnocchi. The golden rule for this restaurant: the more cheese the better.
As if you don’t get full enough with the main course, there are two different stations for freshly made pastries and gelato that will surely make you tap out in the best way possible. Be prepared, you will not escape Eatalian Café without eating more food than you ever imagined. It is reminiscent of an Italian grandma’s kitchen. Eatalian Café is revolved around good food, good people, and good times.
Their prices are a steal for the quality of food that hits the plate. The service is as friendly as it gets. They treat you like one big Italian family. There are plenty of businesses surrounding Eatalian Café so if you plan to go during lunch hours, you better arrive early or you will be waiting behind a crowd.
Do yourself a favor and take the short trip from campus for an enlightening food experience, you will be stunned by what you find.
Eatalian Cafe, 15500 S Broadway, Gardena, 310-532-8880. Open 7 a.m.-9 p.m. $11-30. www.eataliangroup.com.
