Mater

A new hidden gem for Italian food in NoHo! We stumbled upon this new Italian restaurant while looking for a fresh spot to try, and we're so glad we did! The space is charming, with a cozy indoor area and a beautiful, heated patio that's perfect for dining al fresco.The food was outstanding--every dish was cooked to perfection. We had the truffle pasta, the Bolognese, and the Branzino, and each one was rich in flavor and clearly made with high-quality ingredients.The owner, who is from Rome, was incredibly warm and welcoming. His passion for authentic Italian cuisine truly shines through in both the food and the atmosphere.They're currently in their soft opening phase as they finalize their beer and wine license, so now is the perfect time to support a fantastic small business. With how tough it can be for restaurants to thrive in LA, this is one spot we'd love to see stick around. Highly recommend checking it out!

If I could give Mater 10 stars I would!!!! What an absolute hidden gem. It has only been open for a short period of time so go there now before you can't get a table. It is that good that once the word has spread and the great reviews are out I'm sure it will be impossible to dine there easily. It is on an unusual stretch of Burbank Boulevard in NoHo (Scientology takes up a large part of block, and Mater is sandwiched between an eclectic apt bldg, a plumbing shop, home health care HQ, a lawyer, etc) but once inside the ambience is so welcoming you forget about the street outside. When you enter, there is a cute small space with a hostess stand and a few tables. If there are no humans in the front, feel free to venture towards the long, attractive hallway leading to the beautiful outdoor covered patio. You will probably run into Alex along the way. The covered patio is warm and welcoming, and is decorated with large, live plants, pillowed benches with tables and soft padded chairs and heat lamps. There is music playing quietly in the background. We were there on a gorgeous late, sunny afternoon so no candles needed but hopefully they are provided at night, along with the lamps in the courtyard.The menu is on the smaller size, but with many different offerings from appetizers to salads to paninis, burger, pastas, chicken, fish, desserts, etc. Alex also said that they change their menu quite frequently. We love that!!! Gives us even more of a reason to be a life long patron, as we love being loyal to our local restaurants. At the moment, they are in the process of acquiring a liquor license. The food was all fresh and beyond delicious. My husband had the wagu burger topped with crispy Guanciale, perfectly cooked runny egg, sweet and salty caramelized onions and creamy cheese fondue, along with a side of crunchy, yummy sweet potato fries. It was all so filling but he ate every last bite because the flavors were amazing. I had the butterflied, grilled Mediterranean Sea bass. Branzino is one of my absolute favorite dishes to order, and I have had it in different restaurants in and around Los Angeles but also San Fran , New York, Chicago, Hawaii, etc. and Mater's is in my top 5 of all time. I also loved the confit vegetables that came with the fish. Most times upscale Italian restaurants' vegetables are unflaroved and bland, and either overcooked or barley cooked. I so appreciated my confit vegetables with my fish as they were bursting with flavor. My plate had onion, tomatoes, eggplant and asparagus. I've never had confit before so not sure of textures, etc, and while I absolutely loved the onion and tomatoes, I didn't even try the asparagus, which I love, as I could not get past the soft texture as it reminds me of bad childhood veggies. While I did enjoy eating one of the eggplant bites, judging from no one else at table wanting to try one, I venture to say eggplant might not be to everyone's liking. My husband's and mine dishes were served on attractive wooden cutting board plates. My son ordered the homemade spaghetti pomodoro. It was fresh and bright with sweet tomato and savory basil and garlic flavors. It was cooked perfectly al dente and looked and tasted exquisite. As far as portion, it would have been more than enough for me, but next time I think my 26 year old son will order a salad or side in addition to the pasta. The other two meals were more than enough for anyone.Alex, the chef/owner, wore many hats and performs each role with kindness, joy, pride and definitely culinary chops. I have already texted my friends and neighbors and can't wait to go back. I wish it was closer as we live in Northridge but we will be making the 20-25 minute drive regularly just to eat at Mater. I promise, if you truly appreciate outstanding food, wonderful ambience and good vibes, Alex and Mater will not disappoint.

Tasty food but loses a star as it took over an hour to get our food after ordering. We were a large party but that felt like a long time for a limited menu. Not the easiest place to find either so be prepared

The food was delicious and exceeded our expectations. Food was fresh, made to order with great ingredients.We will be back.

We just tried this new local option, and will definitely return soon. All the food was prepared with Love and the service was great. The portions were very good, we really enjoyed the Chicken Milanese, Beer Salad, Pork Belly, and Especially the Tagliatelle! A+

This place is a great new find. Lovely outdoor ambiance with fast attentive service. The quality of the food is exquisite and the flavors don't disappoint. The beet salad- delicious !The fried gnocchi is out of this world. Don't miss out on the Ibérico plate. Give it a try - Mater matters.

Self-proclaimed restaurant critic. Found a new place close to home. They're so new they don't even have socials yet. ‍ I'm trying to help them!Food was amazing. Will be solid for good wine pairings once they get their beer & wine license. We ordered the Fritatta Spagnola which is their very flavorful version of a Spanish tortilla from Spain. Delicious.My daughter had the Gnocchi Fritti - pumpkin, balsamic fig glaze, cheese fondue and this was a flavor EXPLOSION! Wow... We shared the large charcuterie which was really generous with top-quality meats and cheeses. Alessandro welcomed and served us. He's also one of the chefs & helped create the menu. Kind, welcoming, & the Italian accent .They're brand new & need the business. If you're in the area, please go visit them. You'll thank me later.Mater11482 Burbank Blvd. NoHo#NoHo #Mater #Restaurant #NorthHollywood #Cuisine

Tonight while looking for something new to try for a cute little date night we stumbled upon Mater. At first upon arriving we were a little confused if we were in the correct place because there was no one in the front- and while it's not very self explanatory - the layout is a little confusing with most, if not all, of the seating being on the patio. Outside is beautiful and there are heaters which are so nice so it's even enjoyable in the evenings when it's a little cooler. We happened to be the only people here for the entirety of our time enjoying our dinner. This place must truly be a hidden gem because it deserved a much larger crowd. The service was very exceptional- while our server was awkward and slightly nervous at times, he was very knowledgeable and helpful in recommending us dishes we would enjoy and ensuring we fully enjoyed our experience. I understand that they are still awaiting their licensing to serve alcohol, however there are very few drink options which is one thing that makes the dinner come up a little short. Even a nice mocktail or something to help tie the experience together with food that feels like fine dining would be nice. The food blew me away, and honestly made all of those other things barely matter at the end of it all, and deserved all 5 stars. The Gnocchi Fritti is the most unique dish I've had, I felt like I was eating dinner and dessert at the same time. I'm still thinking about it. The burger was a very elevated version of a burger and was absolutely delicious. The other shining star for me was the Verde Salad, a recommendation from our server that I would not have chosen regularly that ended up blowing me away. The crab cakes were also delicious. The price for what all we got was extremely reasonable, I was honestly shocked. There's definite room for improvement in the overall setting of this restaurant but the food is unbelievable. I know this place will be full of people when there are drinks on the menu as well.

Everything I ate was TOP SHELF! The gnocchi - the pork belly - the Iberico - the panna cota. The service was professional but chill and friendly at the same time. When you walk through the front door, you'll be pleasantly surprised. The interior is beautiful and the patio area is cozy. This definitely rates a return visit.

Best Chicken a la Milanese with the best roasted potatoes that I ever had, this basil pesto pasta is another level! Is creamy, delicate and perfectly balanced! And wait to try the ricotta cheese that is garnished with because is like butter in your mouth! They also have this pork belly appetizer with a potato "1000 hojas " sheet layers style which is ridiculously good! They have great barista coffee style too that offer oat milk, almond and regular. wait to try the deserts Specially the tiramisu! Wow mind blowing! I was wonder why everything taste like fine dining? is because they have a highly cosine cheft! Also the owner is very knowledgeable and friendly! The place still new and they working on their own phase slow opening, but This place is literally hide gem, prices are really good for the high quality and taste of this food, you can tell this people know what their are doing.