Los Feliz is home to many restaurants from coffee shops with epic desserts to destination fine dining where celebrities can be spotted on a weeknight. The latest newcomer to the neighborhood’s vibrant culinary landscape is a San Diego import, Civico 2064.
Located on eponymous 2064 Hillhurst Avenue, Civico 2064 was founded by Italian-born brothers Pietro and Dario Gallo in 2015, who serve as the head chef and manager, respectively.
The original Civico 1845, located at 1845 India Street in San Diego’s Little Italy, reflects Italian tradition, where ‘numero civico’ means a residence. Their Los Feliz location continues this tradition.
Chef Pietro Gallo is credited with creating the first vegan Italian menu in the United States at their flagship restaurant in San Diego. Gallo fuses modern vegan haute cuisine techniques with classic southern Italian cooking in a cozy but trendy environment.
Civico 2064 is not strictly a vegan restaurant, with plenty of meat and seafood options to go with their fresh house-made pasta. With gluten-free options also available for diners, the restaurant holds the distinction of being one of the most inclusive fine dining establishments in LA.
Pasta has long been a vegan staple, to the point that many plant-based eaters tire of it. Chef Pietro’s offerings make their fresh pasta anything but boring, with no guesswork as to whether a dish will be vegetarian-friendly. Smoked eggplant milanese and baked almond-based ricotta beckon to even the most die-hard meat-eaters. Italian classics like stuffed fried zucchini flowers (fiore ripieno) can get a vegan version stuffed with caponata, a dish made of eggplant, root vegetables, and herbs that can have a meat-like consistency when pureed.
Cheese is the building block of Italian-American food, and even the vegans don’t have to miss out at Civico 2064. In lieu of rubbery soy-based deli slices, house-made mozzarella cheese made from rice bears a very convincing resemblance to buffalo mozzarella rounds. Ricotta and parmagiano made from almonds prove that plant-based diets don’t have to miss out on Italian classics. Even the pesto with the complimentary bread is vegan, and the creamy condiment doesn’t need dairy to delight.
Civico 2064 is open daily for dinner from 5-9PM. Outdoor dining is available. They can be followed on Instagram here.
