Osteria Mozza
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Phone: (323) 297-0100
07/19/2007 Posted by taradelis_citysearch
My meal at the Osteria transported me back a couple of years to Babbo in NY -- completely and utterly outstanding, certainly some of the best Italian food I've ever tried in L.A. Everything was top notch, not just the food, but the service, the space, the bar, the camaraderie, the wine! Viva Mozza! We split 5 dishes off the menu, one from each section of appetizers, mozzarella bar, primi, secondi and dessert. Not a bad seed in the bunch. Note, though, that the octupus at first came out too salty, but once we sent it back it was magnificent (charred in a lovely fashion on the outside and lemon-y). Our stracciatelli was creamy and delicious, served atop a salad-like presentation of scallions, celery and herbs. Our orrechiette with sausage and swiss chard was dramatic, a bit spicy and nicely cooked. The grilled whole orata was presented tableside, then split in the kitchen. Wrapped in fig leaves and stuffed full of aromoatic herbs, it was great. I got the head piece and enjoyed poking around for bonus pieces of cheek, etc. Desserts were nice but if the restaurant has any room to grow, it's here. These were good but not great. The wine list is nice, and like the Pizzeria next door, small pours are by the quartino, not the glass. Prices I think are reasonable for this level of food, but certainly not cheap and they can really add up if you pair wines. Our wine was nearly as much as our food. Altogether, with tax and tip, it was just under $100 per person.
Pros: great all-italian wine list, servers know their stuff, food is mix of interesting and familiar
Cons: advance reservations are tight, hard to call and not get a busy signal
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful
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