Being the foodie that I am, I check Infatuation on Instagram (@infatuation_la) for their daily posts and reviews on the newest restaurants and/or hotspots, although they always leave me hungry. I was scrolling through my feed and there it was: a plate of huge, curly noodles covered in a decadent, creamy, tomato sauce which would be later known as my favorite dish on the menu: the spicy fusilli.

Started by the dynamic duo that produced L.A. hotspots Animal and Son of a Gun, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo are back again with their fifth restaurant. Named after the first names of Shook and Dotolo, Jon and Vinny’s serves Italian classics with a trendy flair and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant has minimal décor contrary to the stuffy atmosphere found at Italian restaurants to focus on their out-of-this-world eats. Illustrations on the placemats are an artistic touch, representing the Fairfax and Melrose vibes with tons of street art.

The first time I went to Jon and Vinny’s, it was for dinner with friends and I finally got to try the pasta that I had been salivating over for weeks. I was in awe when the plate arrived to the table full of giant, handmade pasta smothered in that red, almost orange sauce, dotted with basil leaves and the perfect amount of parmesan on top. We also ordered their cacio e pepe pasta that tasted just like it did when I had it in Rome (maybe even better), with the perfect ratio of pecorino and pepper contrasting the al-dente bucatini noodles. The pizza at Jon and Vinny’s is also superb. The server recommended that we tried the “White Lightning”, which tastes just as the name sounds. It is a white pizza with mozzarella, ricotta, garlic, onion, oregano, and the “lightning” coming from the pickled jalapenos. Another one we ordered was the L.A. Woman—and not just for its name—made with local burrata, tomato, basil, olive oil, and sea salt. For dessert, we had the local soft serve from Straus Creamery which tasted like heaven. Then I thought, Jon and Vinny’s is heaven.

Heaven is not that far away, in fact, it is minutes away from The Grove and housed in the eclectic street of Fairfax. That being said, it is also quite small, so make a reservation in advance. The next time I will be visiting “heaven”, it will be for breakfast, and I hear their soft scrambled eggs and avocado toast are “to die for” (pun intended).