While the hip factor has perhaps been taken out of the “Mozza’s” these days, both places still remain stellar examples of restaurants doing it right.
Osteria not only serves up some seriously decadent food but their service is first rate, as is the wine list.
For my money though, in this economy or any other, it’s Pizzeria Mozza that I pine for. So this past Thursday, after taking the kids to E!’s annual Halloween party, we snuck in for our famous 5:30 reservation. The boys love pizza as much as I do, though they seem to be just as happy with Geno’s than something more exotic.
Who am I kidding? Between Geno’s and no pizza, I choose Geno’s…
Still, I was excited to have them experience Mozza, building it up much to their disinterest as we struggled through traffic from Wilshire/La Brea to Melrose and Highland.
Note: I highly discourage you from taking Wilshire, La Brea, Melrose, Highland or any streets in between in trying to make this journey. The 2.43 mile trip took 30 minutes.
To contradict Randy Newman, I (don’t) Love LA (during rush hour).
We arrived at PM around 5:50pm with out table still waiting for us – thank you – and I was happily surprised to see that they even had kids stuff to color before we ordered. This said, Bennett was more impressed with the paper place mats, which showed various hand gestures that one can use to “speak” Italian. He proceeded to spend the rest of the evening telling the wait and bus staff to “buzz off.”
Sorry, Mozza wait and bus staff…
One of my favorite things about the Mozza restaurants are their quartinos. These small carafes of about four small glasses (see: quartinos) of wine are a great, cost effective way to enjoy a few different wines. This night I ordered the Dolcetto a’ Alba from Guiseppe Marcarello and though a bit dry, there was plenty of fruit. And at $13.00, could you really complain?
We started with the tri-colore salad, which is comprised of several kinds of leafy things I could not name with a botany textbook in hand but the ruffage is dusted with a nice layer of cheese, which the boys chose to simply lick off without eating it. I recommend this salad with their lemon dressing, instead of the anchovy – you just have to ask.
The pizzas came next, a margherita, that’s quite simply the best one you’ll ever eat – sorry John’s on Bleeker in NYC, Lacocos in San Rafael, CA and too many places in Italy to name – because I could not name them – the crust is thin, as is the cheese but the flavors from the oven, the tomato sauce, the everything, is something everyone must experience.
Linda ordered the clam pizza, with a typhoon of garlic and Italian spices throughout. Wow.
But no meal at PM is complete without the best dessert I’ve ever had – the Butterscotch Budino. Simply put, a butterscotch pudding that is so out of this world I fully expect some alien civilization to rain down on earth to reclaim it from us one day.
If you live in LA, or are coming here, this is a must dining choice.
Me, I’m almost embarrassed to say that I just happen to be going back there…tonight!
Please don’t hate on me…
