Downtown Chef Steve Samson created the menu for Rossoblu -- an expansive Fashion District restaurant with vaulted ceilings anchored by an open kitchen in -- as a love letter to Northern Italy’s Bologna region where he spent summers as a kid. (The name is even a tribute to Bologna’s soccer team). The result is a robust offering of unique pastas like the tortellini in brodo, tiny rings stuffed with pork, chicken, prosciutto, and parm bobbing in a clarified chicken and beef broth; the maltagliati, a plate of hand-cut square pasta pieces cradling a rotating mix of mushrooms along with greens and sage; and Mom’s minestra nel sacco, a cult-status dish assembled tableside by a server who empties a bag of puffy parm dumplings into your bowl of broth for a little dining drama.

Rossblu is a wonderland of Danish interiors, burning wood smells, and food served on a patio that makes the city feel far, far away. The crowd is decidedly in-the-know professionals looking for the next "it" Italian spot in DTLA. Handmade pastas fill a menu that will make you leave the Angeleno diet in the rear-view (and feel a thousand-times better for it.) Order a sparkling red Lambrusco and enjoy a Californian take on Bolognese classics, including a lighter take on eggplant parm called Valbruna's Eggplant; Tortellini en Brodo; and, natch, Nonna's Tagliatelle Bolgonese.

Rossoblu’s pasta maestro Francesco Allegro is originally from Puglia, but his hands know the secrets to rolling, filling and shaping tortellini, a specialty of Emilia-Romagna where chef and co-owner Steve Samson has ancestry. Allegro stuffs the tiny dumplings with a blend of ground pork loin, chicken breast, mortadella, prosciutto, Parmigiano-Reggiano and nutmeg, presented in a simple cream sauce (with more parm) to let the tightly spooled flavors unravel on the tongue. Tortellini appear again in soup paired with a recipe from Samson’s mother: minestra nel sacco, spongy Parmigiano-Reggiano drop dumplings cooked in a cloth bag, as is tradition, and served in chicken-and-beef broth.

A Sunday-only brunch spot in City Market South, a development of repurposed warehouses in the downtown Fashion District, chosen by Michelin for their 2019 California Bib Gourmand list (a restaurant where one can score two exceptional courses plus a glass of wine or dessert for less than $40) serves self-proclaimed “Bologna inspired and Los Angeles made” entrees family style. Terrazzo-like floors, lacework-topped banquettes, and an outdoor area that looks like a piazza transport customers to Italy while Sotto chef Steve Samson mans a huge grill.

While half the fun of visiting Rossoblu is the massive mural and formidable gold bar, getting to bring seven whole courses of chef Steve Samson’s Italian menu home makes up for missing the atmosphere. If you’re craving a feast of handmade pasta, appetizers like burrata and baked oysters, and mains like duck breast and stuffed donuts, their new at-home experience is for you. $59 per person gets you a seven-course meal with a few antipasti dishes, pasta, a main and even dessert.

Inspired by the Italian city of Bologna, Rossoblu serves some of the best authentic Italian cuisine in Los Angeles, with a menu that pays homage to the chef/owner’s childhood memories and heritage. With a huge mural in the main dining room, an exclusive chef’s cellar, an all-gold bar, a heated and covered garden, handmade pastas, wood-grilled entrees, and family-style servings, this place easily sits among the best. The star of the menu here is Anna’s Minestra Nel Sacco.

One of LA’s most beautiful restaurants, Rossoblu is also chef Steve Samson’s ode to his upbringing in Bologna. His pizzas are 12-inch Neapolitan-New York hybrids: think those signature bubbly crusts, but with a little more structure. Samson leans into LA’s incredible produce with pies like the Es-Ca-Role (escarole, red onion, and smoked provolone among other ingredients), which is his favorite because it “embodies why LA is such a great place for pizza,” he says.

Dina Samson describes herself as an “unexpected restaurateur” when she opened her first restaurant, Sotto, alongside husband/chef Steve Samson, in 2011. Following Sotto, the couple headed to Downtown LA with two Italian concepts in the Fashion District: Rossoblu, inspired by memories of summers in Bologna; and Superfine Pizza, which features a delicious mix of Neapolitan and New York pizza styles. (NOTE: Superfine is temporarily closed and will reopen on May 1.)

Rossblu's menu is inspired by Chef Steve Samson's childhood summers which he spent in Bologna with his grandparents. Samson previously worked as the executive chef at the legendary Valentino in Santa Monica before opening his own restaurant with his wife, Dina. Go early if you want to try the signature pasta, tortellini in crema, which comes in a rich Parmigiano-Reggiano crema.

Lien Ta is managing partner at All Day Baby restaurant; her colleagues include Sandra Cordero of Gasolina Cafe, Sylvie Gabriele of Love & Salt, Bricia Lopez of Guelaguetza, Mary Sue Milliken of Border Grill and Socalo, Kimberly Prince of Hotville Chicken, Dina Samson of Rossoblu and Superfine Pizza, Heather Sperling of Botanica, and Brittney Valles of Guerrilla Tacos.

Owned by Dina Samson, the wife of famous chef Steve Samson, this top-notch Italian cuisine features vibrant dishes inspired by Italian culture and heritage. The all-embracing menu comprises hand-made Italian pasta, pizzas, and various flavourful Italian wines if you want to have some European vibes in Los Angeles. Some testimonials will prove this.

At Rossoblu, in Downtown, you can even put back a sizable brunch. The $25 Prix Fixe at this Bolognese-inspired hit includes a midday Spritz to sip along with your choice of Frittata Parmigiana (with eggplant and fresh basil), a burger topped with fontina and ragu, or a Poretta Terme Bowl. Cap it off with seasonal gelato, made in-house.

Rossoblu is a highly-rated Italian restaurant that offers excellent take-out food. The quality of the food, preparation, and presentation were all impressive, making for a satisfying meal. The restaurant has received a rating of 4.3 stars on a popular review site, with many patrons praising its delicious dishes and excellent service.

Rossoblu: (Pictured above) The Christmas meal, $79 per person, includes eggplant and turkey rotolo, tortellini in brodo and lasagna Bolognese, dry-aged prime beef rib, chicory and market vegetable salad and tiramisu

Why You Need To Dine Here: The fresh, handmade pasta derives from chef Steve Samson’s childhood memories of summers in Bologna. It also has an extensive in-house butchery and focuses on family-owned wines.

Silverlake Ramen reminds me more of comfort food with its creamy broth and tofu to add on, and Tonchin is the higher end of ramen — the Rossoblu or Mother Wolf of Japanese cuisine.

CITY MARKET SOUTH, 1124 San Julian St, Los Angeles, CA 90015Phone: 213-749-1099 Visit Website. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by Los Angeles Times Food (@latimesfood)

Rossoblu is a love letter to Bologna, where besides pizza and pasta you’ll find risotto, fried seafood, meat dishes, and of course, the traditional lasagna Bolognese.

Visit Because: Steve Samson’s Bolognese-inspired menu, including handmade pastas and Italian wines. Los Angeles Italian Restaurant. Image by Panerai from Pixabay