When approaching Chef Barbara Pollastrini's namesake newish Hollywood restaurant, it's a little like being invited to a speakeasy in New York City's Soho. Her homey eatery is hidden behind a wall of glass on the first floor of a towering behemoth at Fountain Avenue and Cahuenga Boulevard.

Press a doorbell and Barbara personally greets her guests in a flour-dusted apron, shuttering them into what looks like a dreamy Roman apartment, like one might envision overlooking the Spanish steps or a courtyard fountain.