Mozza Love



Mario Batali



In celebration of Valentine's Day, I'm giving some love to what I have no doubt is one of THE hardest date spots to get into in Los Angeles - tonight and every night. Osteria Mozza!

Thanks to celeb chef Mario Batali, this hotspot (shared by Pizzeria Mozza next door) is filled with two things that make the place impossible to get into - great food and celebrities. You have to book months in advance, but it's worth it.

Psst - they just opened up on Open Table to make our lives easier...or stop their phones from ringing. 

After all, how often do you get to say that you ate barracuda?



Barracuda. More than just a Heart song.

You with me?

Speaking of barracudas, L.A. mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (ew.) was seated next to us. While his table chatted politely, he spoke into his phone the whole time, holding the device sideways against his mouth. Naturally, I opened up my phone and imitated him. But unlike him, I was actually speaking to my gorgeous tablemates. Why couldn't we be seated next to William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman, who were so adorable on their little date?  

Back to the food. Sigh. These photos should say it all. If you'd like to take your sweetie to Mozza next Valentine's Day, book a table. Like, now.  

quail

Whether pretending to be uber-romantic for 24 hours on this high-pressure day and overpaying on the fixe prixe menu, or home with a tub of Chunky Monkey and Netflix - have a great night!

Lazy Ox Canteen - The Emperor's New Restaurant

Remember how 80's movies parodied the gourmet restaurant boon? In L.A. Story, a new French cafe named L'Idiot served microscopic bites on giant plates, and everyone continued the charade in order to appear refined. That was my experience at Lazy Ox Canteen.

Plate after plate arrived at our table with scant, mediocre-flavored nibbles. We had already dropped $40 on dishes that didn't make the equivalent of one appetizer, and we were hungry. Realizing we'd have to spend a few hundred just to stop the grumbling in our bellies, we bit the $40 tab. Throwing down our cash, we walked out  and down the street to King Taco.

For the record, I adore small plate restaurants. You can experience more flavors and share with your friends. But Lazy Ox Canteen doesn't hold a candle to the diverse fun of Susan Feniger's Street or the gourmet seriousness of Mario Batali's Mozza. Both Mozza and Street offer better quality and fairer portions, and their chefs have a lot more hype than Ox's Josef Centeno. So let's throw ego out the window and be a little less stingy with portions. Lazy Ox is taking advantage of the downtown L.A. renaissance and all the proud but clueless yuppie/hipster hybrids whom are new to the area. A downtown address and industrial interior does not a restaurant make. Sooner or later, they will catch on.