A commenter reminded us that last time Zagat put Piccolo Ristorante in the Los Angeles and Southern California restaurant guide, owner Vittorio Vioni asked to be removed from the listings. Vioni restaurant got a 27 for food last year, one point below Angelini Osteria's 28, and he said the "numbers just don't add up." He sent several emails to Zagat, but after they went unanswered he sent a letter to various media outlets to make his point. What a difference a year makes.
This year Piccolo is once again second to Angelini Osteria for the "Top Italian" restaurants but Vioni is much more acceptant. Sort of. Yesterday he told Eater: "We made our point, we got a letter from Nina Zagat saying they were allowed to publish our name, and that if we tried to sue they'd win. We are a small restaurant, so we gave up. We're happy to be included, but still think Zagat doesn't make sense. Our questions have never been fully answered. There are so many great restaurants rated way below places that don't even have a chef."
· Piccolo Ristorante to Zagat: "Take Us Off the List" [~ELA~]
· Zagat 09 Released: Melisse, Spago Still Top the List [~ELA~]For more stories from Eater LA, go to la.eater.com.
