Dinner at Osteria Mozza

After a wonderful seven week vacation that began in late June and ended in August 2010 it was time to say goodbye and get back to reality. With all my luggage in the car, my cousin Sidney and his wife Mary brought me to Osteria Mozza for my last meal before going to the airport.

Osteria Mozza is owned by Nancy Silverton, Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich. With names likes that behind this restaurant I had very high expectations.

We went there at 5:30 pm that’s why the place wasn’t full. By the time we left there wasn’t a seat available even at the bar.

Chef Nancy Silverton was busy behind the bar.

My super cutie nephews, Kevin and Ryan

We were off to a good start. The free amuse bouche of crostini topped with ricotta, olive tapenade and basil chiffonade was simple yet delicious.

Why did their bread have to be so good? It was hard to stop eating them.

Ryan loved the bread too specially with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. How many did you eat Ryan?

Mary brought this Torciano Bartolomeo which she discovered in Italy.

The specialty of Osteria Mozza was burata or an Italian cheese made from fresh mozzarella cheese and cream. The burata was very soft, creamy and bland that’s why it’s usually served with strong flavored ingredients.

asparagus burata $16

The burata with bacon, marinated escarole & carmelized shallots was our favorite. The burata took in the flavors from the bacon, oil and herbs.

burata bacon $15

One of the most written about dish of Osteria Mozza was the raviolo.

ricotta & egg raviolo

When you cut into the raviolo runny egg yolk spill out from the nest of creamy ricotta filling. Too rich and splendid for words.

My favorite pasta dish was the agnolotti pasta filled with a exquisite meat filling and simply sauteed in butter and sage leaves.

agnolotti burro e salvia $19

Sidney’s favorite was the cold squid ink pasta with Dungeness crab, sea urchin and jalapeno. It was really unique and an acquired taste. I think I would have enjoyed it more it was warm.

squid ink chitarra freddi $19

The gnocchi with tender and flavorful duck ragu and tagliatelle with ox tail ragu (no picture) were yummy too but more ordinary. Everything we ordered was from the primi or first course menu. We never made it to the main courses.

gnocchi duck ragu $19

You can’t take the Asian out of us. This was what our table looked like. We just passed around the plates of pasta so the everyone could try everything.

Even though we skipped the secondi menu we could never ignore the dolci or dessert menu. Of the three desserts we ordered the best was the little rosemary olive oil cakes bursting with flavor. The olive oil gelato & rosemary brittle complemented the cakes wonderfully.

rosemary olive oil cakes $11

The cake was really deep, dark and intense. That small slice was more than enough to take cake of my chocolate fix.

cioccolato $12

The honey baked peach was firm and succulent. It was served with poached blueberries, bourbon ice cream and hazelnut cake.

honey baked peach

They also had a more affordable set menu at the bar.

I couldn’t ask for a better farewell dinner. Thanks to Sid, Mary and all my cousins and friends from the west to the east coast who wined and dined me to the hilt. As the former governor of California once said, “I will be back!”

Osteria Mozza’s menu
pasta tasting menu, antipasti & mozarella bar,
primi, secondi & contorni, dolci, formagi & vin dolci

Osteria Mozza
6602 Melrose Ave.
Los Angeles, Ca 90038 
telephone: (323) 297-0100