Pizzeria Mozza Los Angeles - Batali owned

[BarbaraC]

Recently opened a new pizzeria in Los Angeles on Highland Ave. I have heard raves about this place, but I intend to check it out. Here is a review, I have been waiting for the lines to die down, (probably never) so I will go off hours to check it out. Here is a review.

Triplecreme: Pizzeria Mozza

[BarbaraC]

Re: Pizzeria Mozza Los Angeles - Batali owned

forgot something critical - also Nancy Silverton owned. Sorry about that.

[jengineer]

Re: Pizzeria Mozza Los Angeles - Batali owned

Hey Barbara - being a terrible speller I use the edit option. Well actually I can spell fairy decently the problem is that the keboard never types correctly. You will find the edit button on the lower right of your posting

[james]

Re: Pizzeria Mozza Los Angeles - Batali owned

Hey Barbara,

I have a sister in Pacific Palisades. Isn't that close to you?

I just checked out the Blog, and wondered what everyone thought about the pizzas. I like the charred look to a point, but the middle one might have been over done. Also, the cornice seemed a little out of contol.

What do y'all think?

Also, I think that all bruschetta should be made from Pane Toscana -- senza sale. Theirs looked like a new-world Pugliese. Too chewy?

James

[BarbaraC]

Re: Pizzeria Mozza Los Angeles - Batali owned

Thanks for the tip Jengineer!

One more link - to their site, they have a pdf to download which has lots of info including menu and pricing - check out the pizza menu and all the bios. CanuckJim might find this of interest being Nancy's restaurant with Mario Batali. Also L.A. times has photos of Nancy prepping the pizzas.

Mozza :: Coming Soon!

I agree with you James on the bruschetta. Sometimes these guys here in L.A. tend to overdo the nicest simple stuff. But Nancy is the bread empress around here and people have no idea what Pane Toscana is, and many would not appreciate the "plain" flavor without salt. I got used to it quick in Tuscany and appreciate it. I will check them out next week because it is only about 3 miles from my office. There are more reviews on LA Times.

James, Pacific Palisades is fairly close, about 45 mins to 1 hour from me driving time. I live closer to Pasadena.

[DrakeRemoray]

Re: Pizzeria Mozza Los Angeles - Batali owned

While I like Mario Batali's cooking show and cookbooks. I hate that he has that fake pizza oven on his cooking show set. Drives me nuts.

And while I wish that restaurant was near me (I loooove fried zucchini blossoms), the crust does look a little crazy. Just spread those toppings out a bit more. One of the reviewers said that they put cornmeal under the crust as well and it overwhelmed think crispy dough.

Boy I am starting to sound pretty negative here...but Nancy S lost some of her status in my eyes when they started selling her bread at costco...sort of goes against the whole idea of artisan bread, and I find the quality of this parbaked bread pretty medicore.

That said, I just bought a new Mario cookbook and I love my Bread from la Brea....

Drake

[jjerrier]

Re: Pizzeria Mozza Los Angeles - Batali owned

The pizza crust in those pictures looks like mine sometimes does when I use dough that has gone a shade too long in refrigerated fermentation. It stretches nice and looks good going into the oven but the cornice gets out of control - looks more like a bialy.

If you are in Los Angeles - you have to hit Antica Pizzeria in Marina Del Rey. So far it is the best I've had in the US...followed by A16 in SF, then Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix. The crust at Antica is unbelievable - although I think they are a little heavy handed with the herbs/oregano on the bianca pizzas.

www.anticapizzeria.net

[chefbru]

mozza bread pies

All the photo's I've seen from Mozza show a lack of edge discipline.
And cornmeal? I'm aghast. Nancy is an amazing bread baker. Maybe her love of bread just shows on the size of her crust.
For great pie north of SF try Picco in Larkspur.

[james]

Re: Pizzeria Mozza Los Angeles - Batali owned

Hey Chef,

A hearty welcome aboard. Nice photos of the pizzas from Picco -- thanks for those. Can we nominate you as our resident expert for SFO pizzerias? There are some pretty good ones to choose from, and it would be great to get your input, and even a few more photos.

Is Picco near the ferry terminal?
James

[BarbaraC]

Re: Pizzeria Mozza Los Angeles - Batali owned

Jjerrier - thanks for the recommendation, my husband and I will go there - so few really good places in Los Angeles - what a shame :O

We just had one of our close and favorite places close. I can't wait to go to Antica.

Further reading on pizza at Mozza is even more discouraging. I just don't think it is pizza - at least not the pizza I have known and loved from Italy. It is getting more thumbs down on L.A. internet. I will skip it for a while and head to Antica instead.

[jjerrier]

Re: Pizzeria Mozza Los Angeles - Batali owned

Boy - now that is a lot of pressure on Antica! If you go, Jose should be making pizzas...tell him that Jay from Dallas said hi! He trained me on making Neapolitan pizzas. I am trying to convince him to move to Dallas.

The margherita or the one with ricotta hidden in part of the crust are my favorites...

Good luck and I hope you like it!

Jay

[james]

Re: Pizzeria Mozza Los Angeles - Batali owned

Barbara,

Do you have any favorites out your way. Pasadena is beautiful (wide roads, Spanish-style houses and great trees -- at least that's my memory). Do you have a good Italian restuarant or pizzeria to the east?
James

[BarbaraC]

Re: Pizzeria Mozza Los Angeles - Batali owned

Sadly, there is only one restaurant we have discovered. It is a good one, but expensive. Tre Venezie on Green Street in Pasadena - great chef. While there are many other Italian restaurants, they just don't cut it, they are no way close. We lost 2 of our favorites this year. Best restaurants are in Hollywood area and West Los Angeles - possible in the west valley but we don't live close. Pasadena has some good places, but a big shortage of acceptable genuine Italian places. Most is really American Italian, or Armenian owned Italian - which is really not Italian. One restaurant which used to be good is no longer worth visiting - the kitchen degenerated.

We are in a desert here. Cooking at home is the best option, nobody can make good pasta, pizza or decent Italian food except for Tre Venezie. Who can afford $75 per person often?

[aeneas1]

Re: Pizzeria Mozza Los Angeles - Batali owned

i came across an extensive review of mozz a while back which reported that their crust is extremely "crackery" and that a cornice was virtually nonexistent - the review went on to add that both qualities were intentional and that mozza was not trying to reproduce a true neapolitan pie. the reviewer wasn't crazy about their pie.

a google search would probably turn up the review if interested...