Look Who's Popping Up

Chef Walter el Nagar Pops-Up With Barbershop Ristorante Italiano, at Il Covo

Here's hoping he has knife skills
Here’s hoping he has knife skills Photo: Barbershop

Milan-raised chef Walter el Nagar, whose L.A. credits include Il Grano, La Botte, and Locanda del Lago, is hosting a pop-up preview of Barbershop Ristorante Italiano, a project he hopes to bring to a brick and mortar in the future. From December 19 to January 12, el Nagar tells Grub Street he’s hosting a pop-up on the upper floor of the former Il Covo, hosted by Suzanne Goin, who recently purchased the space to relocate A.O.C. Come see the menu.

Open only through online reservations, the chef plans to cook contemporary Italian, with an emphasis on veggies, beef, and fish. $75 prix-fixe menus, the first of which we have for your looks below, will change weekly, with a $35 wine pairing offered from Piccolo vet Mario Vollera. El Nagar plans the pop-up to be around for the next few months, with a possible location change once Goin reopens her wine bar and small plates restaurant in the Il Covo space.

See Barbershop’s first menu below and find reservations on UrbanSpoon.

MENU
Note: Menu items are subject to change

Crudo all’italiana con salse d’accompagnamento
Today’s STLA fish market crudo, Italian-style

“Uovo di Fonduta” con patate e tartufo
Fontina cheese fondue egg, potatoes, truffle

Pasta, fagioli e cozze
Linguini with Carlsbad Farms mussels, cannelini beans, bottarga

Sgombro affumicato nel cartoccio
Smoked blue mackerel

Cipolla scappata
Torpedo red onion sorbet

Amatriciana senza pasta
SRF pork cheeks, pecorino cheese, tomatoes

Tiramisu alla moka
Tiramisu, espresso

Chef Walter el Nagar Pops-Up With Barbershop Ristorante Italiano, at Il Covo