The Parish’s closing in DTLA seemed to stop forward momentum for Casey Lane. He and his partners scrapped plans for a Melrose restaurant called Itri, and the talented chef returned his exclusive focus to The Tasting Kitchen in Venice.

In 2016, Lane re-started expansion efforts with the opening of Casa Apicii in Manhattan. 2018 sees him reach even higher gears back in L.A. He’s creating Spanish food for Breva in DTLA’s historic Hotel Figueroa and has turned a side street West Hollywood hotel into a sneaky culinary destination with Viale dei Romani.

This stylish Italian restaurant inside the Kimpton La Peer Hotel spotlights the food of the Mediterranean coasts, based on Lane’s travels, including Italy, southern France, and North Africa. Lane is justifiably lauded for his pasta skills, which are on display at Viale dei Romani in signature dishes and new creations. Tagliatelle ($26) is flat, pleasantly chewy pasta tossed with tender pulled rabbit meat, supple seared veal sweetbreads, mushrooms, sage, and the Tuscan dessert wine, vin santo. For such an earthy dish, this tagliatelle was surprisingly light, a testament to Lane’s deft touch in the kitchen.