Pizzeria Mozza was another recommendation from our friend Sean. After our fabulous lunch at A.O.C., we couldn’t wait to check out more of his top LA picks. We didn’t realize that Pizzeria Mozza was a collaboration between Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, and Nancy Silverton until we got there, but after we learned this, our expectations were high (Eataly, another Batali-Bastianich institution, was one of our favorite Italian spots for groceries when we lived in Chicago). We now have the Chef’s Table episode with Nancy Silverton on our watch list.
The main dining area and bar is lively and loud, and definitely a great scene, but we were seated in the Jack Warner room, which is filled with wine and is a bit more relaxed and quiet. It turned out to be our big up- close celebrity sighting of the trip. We were seated next to Conan O’Brien and his wife Lisa. We of course left him alone, but the restaurant is small and it was difficult not to overhear their conversation. We were really impressed with how polite and respectful he was to the service staff.
Pizzeria Mozza is known for it’s pizza crust, so we ordered two pizzas. It was definitely more food than we needed, especially after snacks at the Jean-Georges Beverly Hills Bar, but we wanted to get a good sense of the menu. We spotted the squash blossom and burrata pizza (we had to try that one), along with the fennel sausage pizza with mozzarella and red onions. The squash blossom pizza was especially delicious with it’s giant pieces of cheese!
Not surprisingly, the wine list was really good as well. We always loved the Italian wine selections at Eataly and this list did not disappoint. We stuck to wines by the glass, but were able to try a really nice Sangiovese blend that we assume was made specifically for the restaurant, and a Montepulciano di Abruzzo. If you can’t make it to LA, check out the Mozza Cookbook and Mozza at Home.
We always judge pizzerias by their Margherita pizza, which we didn’t try, so we can’t really say how the pizza stands up to some of our all-time favorite margaritas like Una Pizza or Franco Pepe, but this pizza is definitely good and well worth a stop if you’re in LA. TIP: Request to be seated in the Jack Warner room.
Thank you to Alaska Airlines for sponsoring this post.