Mozza - Los Angeles, CA

Last night we ate at the Mario Batali/Nancy Silverton/Joe Bastianich restaurant Mozza. Foodie fantasy fulfilled. Amen. Hallelujah. Praise Jesus. And cheese. And bread. And sausage. Definitely sausage.

We went to the Pizzeria not the Osteria and therefore missed out on the Mozzarella Bar (all their cheese is made in house!) But what we lacked in plates of lactose-rich concoctions, we made up for in Nancy Silverton's ethereal pizza crust.

We were in the mood for meat and went whole hog. I got the fennel sausage pizza (their sausage is also made in house, yet another reason for the endless hype behind this place) and all I can say is I walked out of there on a sausage high. It was beyond words. It was salty. Sweet. Fennel-y. Lightly crispy on the outside and delicate on the inside.

Kris, not to be outdone on the meat front, got the pizza with bacon, salami, sausage, and guanciale (cured hog jowl - don't knock it till you try it.)


This pizza comes with a delicate layer of tomato sauce while the fennel sausage is a 'white' pizza (cheese only and no tomato sauce.) And before you go thinking this might get boring, think again. The ingenious twist to this particular pie was the addition of caramelized red onion, sliced so thinly and cooked in such a way that you don't even recognize it the first couple of bites.

The second surprise was thinly sliced caramelized scallions that literally made the sausage shine, much like how David Lee Roth's leather pants made the music video 'Jump' the masterpiece it is. You can't separate them from one another. Don't even try. It's the same with the scallions and sausage. Food history in the making. Go ahead and jump.

I have to admit I was almost scared to try Mozza. It was so built up - there was almost no way it could meet the expectations I had in my head. But it did.

And then some.

Pizzeria Mozza
641 N Highland Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036

Visit the website here.


Wall of herbs at the entrance.