Sotto has been one of my favorite Italian restaurants since opening in Beverlywood to start 2001. Rossoblu is the grand Bologna-style follow-up from chef Steve Samson and wife Dina at City Market South in DTLA’s Fashion District. The couple brought along bartender Brynn Smith, previously Sotto’s bar manager. Her weekend brunch cocktails complement a menu that centers on wood-fired cooking and pastas.

Bloody Mary is a ubiquitous brunch cocktail that typically teams vodka with spicy tomato juice. Garnishes range from classic to over-the-top. Smith serves one of L.A.’s most creative versions by raiding the Rossoblu pantry to produce the Brodo Mary ($14). She fortifies spicy clarified tomato water with pork and chicken brodo that’s typically used for tortellini in brodo. Vodka is an option. So are base spirits like gin, tequila, or mezcal. I opted for judiciously smoky Verde mezcal in my ice-filled Collins glass. Smith garnishes her Brodo Mary with a salted rim and silky prosciutto sandwiched on a spear between two green olives. This is exactly the type of savory cocktail I crave at brunch.