New owners Wes Zane and Almar Arcano have capitalized on the recent "tapas" trend, serving only small portions and thereby allowing guests to sample more items.

At 5:30 p.m., the room was already starting to buzz and the wine was beginning to flow.

Couples and parties of four were well on their way to placing their orders.

Meanwhile, G.B. and I sank into our chairs, and relished in the warm inviting and cozy atmosphere, a stark contrast from the concrete parking lot that's just outside the blacked-out, tinted front door.

It feels like a speak easy, smiled our charming waitress Kelly, whose wine and food recommendations throughout the evening would be right on.

The two-page menu here is divided between food items on the left and wine selections on the right.

The menu is far more extensive than when this used to be just a simple enoteca that offered panini sandwiches, soups and a cheese platter.

Drawing on his experience as executive chef for Hy's Steak House for more than two decades, Arcano has developed a menu that now includes foie gras, beef Bourguignonne, gourmet pizzas and escargots.

Of course, we started with a natural choice: the house-special cheese platter ($14.50). We were, after all, at "Formaggio," which translates to cheese in English.

Our server Kelly informed us that the cheese selections do vary on occasion. During our visit, we nibbled on small wedges of St. Andre, Port Salut, double-cream gouda, Remy Picot Brie and, our favorite, Le Roule.

The platter also included grapes, walnuts, strawberries and two slices of Grecian fig that sweetly complemented and tamed the tartness of the Le Roule. A warm basket of crunchy La Brea bread was the ideal accompaniment to the cheeses. And so, too, was my six-ounce pour of Estancia Pinot Noir ($5.50) and G.B.'s glass of Mantanzas Creek Syrah ($10).

We would have been satisfied with another cheese platter, but the menu begged for exploration.

Our next round of tapas would include the foie gras crostini ($14.95) and a "fennel, fennel" pizza ($10.50).

Reminiscent of Le Bistro's Alan Takasaki's foie gras — which is one of the best around town — this one was as silky and delicate, and was also garnished with marinated apple wedges. It was complete indulgence and truly sinful.

In contrast to this French delicacy, the fennel-sausage-topped pizza represented hearty Italian fare. The 10-inch, thin-crusted pizza — similar to those found in small pizzerias in Italy — had substantial crunch, without being burned at the bottom. A two-ounce tasting of Red Label Pinot Noir paired nicely with the pizza and the foie gras.

In fact, enough so that we ordered a glass each with our next two dishes: the Caprese salad ($8.50), featuring slices of fresh mozzarella and tomatoes; and the beef-stew-like, beef Bourguignonne ($11.50), which was cleverly presented in a puff pastry. Both were simple, yet comforting.