Da Prato Ristorante marks chef Elisa Da Prato’s return to running a restaurant in the United States. The restaurant draws on the culinary traditions of the province of Lucca, where Da Prato’s family has roots, interpreting regional dishes through seasonal produce from California farmers markets and the chef’s distinctly feminine take on rusticity.
The menu centers on what Da Prato describes as cosmically inspired and botanically driven Tuscan mountain fare. Floral elements such as chamomile and rose find their way into handmade pastas, while honeycomb and lemon carpaccio is finished with marigold and bronze fennel. Traditional preparations sit alongside contemporary interpretations, including chicken liver pâté with Marsala, spaghetti with olives and rockfish, and grilled rabbit. Guests can order à la carte or choose a chef’s selection for the entire table.
Housed in the 1910 Higgins Building at 108 West Second Street in the Historic Core, the dining room features paintings by Da Prato’s grandfather, Carlo Da Prato, along with family photos, keepsakes, and floral arrangements by Brittany Asch. Despite its white tablecloths, the restaurant channels the relaxed hospitality of an Italian neighborhood ristorante. Group dining is central to the concept, while private events, guest chef collaborations, and cooking classes are also part of its broader programming. An Italian-focused wine list complements the Tuscan-inspired menu.
Da Prato aims to combine the spirit of the trattorias in and around Lucca with the intimacy of a dinner party at your best friend’s home: generous hospitality, unhurried meals, and food rooted in regional tradition but shaped by the natural bounty of Southern California.
