Pardon The Punctuation...I know that calling a restaurant the best in LA is a bold statement. That being said, Osteria Mozza is a cut above the rest. Valentine's day came early for me as I made a reservation there the Monday before V-Day this year. If you happen to be in LA even for one night you have to hit up Mozza. The flavors will blow your mind. We showed up with a $150 gift card from two Christmases ago and we were still short. So what if it's not cheap.....worth every penny. This was my fifth time there and a hand full of menu items that are must orders. Don't worry I will be listing those. Before we get to the food I have to name drop. Living in Los Angeles for the past seven years I've seen quite a few celebs at restaurants and I'm usually not phased. That's because I had never seen Jack Bauer out to dinner. Keifer Sutherland apologized for bumping into my wife twice and it was awesome as shit....never do you get to hear Jack Bauer say "I'm sorry" and I got to hear it twice. OK, enough with this..time for food!!! Here is what I had in order. Checked in on Fourquare to receive a free glass of prosecco while my wine was decanted. As for the wine, I was saving a bottle 2004 Barolo for this special dinner and it was perfect. For those of you who have never had a good glass of Barolo you are missing out.
Fried Potatoes with Rosemary: You have to order this damn thing. Even if you're at the bar for a drink you can have these with a cold beer. Twice fried and smashed with a rosemary garnish...best side dish in the joint.
Grilled Octopus: with potatoes, celery, and lemon. In all of my travels this is the best octopus I've had the pleasure of tasting. Just the right amount char and the lemon compliments the celery and taters to balance the dish. If you have to order only one dish at Mozza this would be it.
Burricotta: with radicchio, spiced walnuts, honey, and fried rosemary. These are two crostini with all of these ingredients on top. Perfect for sharing and the honey is the most delicious honey I've ever tasted. Rosemary added a nice savory touch to the sweetness of the honey.
Tagliolini: With Maine lobster and roasted sea urchin. I think there was more lobster than pasta which was fine with me. A little al dente and the sea urchin was a nice touch.
Ricotta and Egg Raviolo: With browned butter. This is also a must order dish. Who would have thought that a ravioli filled with egg would be so amazing. Probably the most fattening thing I've ever had but this is foodie gold wrapped in a ravioli. Wow, wow, wow!
Brasato al Barolo: Braised beef short rib with porcini. Short rib and barolo are two things that are always perfect together. Nothing bad to say about this dish.
Grilled Beef Tagliata: With arugula, parmesan, and an eighteen year balsamic glaze. It's basically a sliced steak served with an arugula salad. The steak is crunchy on the outside and medium rare on the inside and the glaze is so yummy you could pour it over pancakes. This is a must have dish.
Torta Della Nonna: With Tuscan honey and pine nuts. Great dessert that complimented the savory meal we had. I want to order bottles of that Tuscan honey to always have some on hand.
If you have an extra two hundred bucks laying around make your way here. It's a special occasion kind of place and a must if you're in L.A..
