Mozza = marvolous

I was anxiously awaiting my meal at Osteria Mozza for 2 weeks, since that is how long in advance you need to make a reservation. But I am thrilled to say it was worth the wait. Nancy Silverton, Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich unite their talents into this delicious gem of a restaurant.

The decor and ambiance is very simple and under stated, quite different than I would expect it to be. It was also quieter than I had heard - but lively and friendly at the same time. And the service is impeccable (almost too much so--we were asked the second we sat down what we wanted to drink)

After we got seated and settled in we were given an amuse bouche aka a little appetizer "compliments of the kitchen" which was a nice surprise-- it was a spiral of mozzarella rolled with sweet basil leaves, dried tomato and olives drizzled with olive oil. It was very flavorful and a nice start to the meal. But I have to say- I was a little overwhelmed by the wine list and the menu but the waiters are very informed and help you make your selections.

My boyfriend and I tried a few dishes one being a fabulous antipasto from the mozzarella bar (yes, they have a mozzarella bar!!): Ciliegine with iceberg, salame, pepperoncino & green olive tapanade. Basically I would like to sneak into the kitchen and steal this recipe-- so fresh and tasty we couldn't stop ourselves from enjoying the entire plate. Next we had Garganelli with ragú Bolognese (one of our favorites when we lived in Italy so of course we had to try it). Well, fresh pasta is always delicious to me and the bolognese ragu was just like Italy :) Although it was very filling, it was a smaller portion than I expected (compared to the Americanized Italian joints in LA). So lastly we shared the Grilled Beef Tagliata, rucola and Parmigiano with aceto balsamico-- which is a sliced steak marinated in an aged balsamic vinegar. Needless to say we left nothing on our plates :)

Although the restaurant is in the pricey range- it was well worth it. I've been to too many overrated, overpriced restaurants and I am happy to say this is NOT the case with Mozza. I hope it is around for a long time b/c i will probably want to go there for every special occasion. Happy Anniversary baby :)