Osteria Mozza: Bday Dinner 3.0

D and I celebrated My Bday Part III at Osteria Mozza. This is the second restaurant on the West Coast for Mario Batali (Iron Chef America, Molto Mario, and owner of Babbo in NY) along w/ Nancy Silverton (La Brea Bread Co). It's situated right next door to Pizzeria Mozza.

I had made reservations a month ago and was extremely excited of dining out again. We arrived and was seated promptly. From where we sat, we could view the whole restaurant. In the middle there was a bar which accepts first come first serve. We were seated next to a young couple w/a newborn. Thank goodness the baby was mostly sleeping and didn't stir throughout the meal. We got to know the couple next to us and they offered us a glass of their red wine which they had procured while on vacation in Tuscany. The wine smelled rich and full of fruit. The taste was amazing and I don't even like red wine all that much. The flavor was bold and went well w/ our lamb. I digress. Back to Osteria.

A mozzarella roll w/ sundried tomatoes and basil over pesto compliments of the chef


We started w/ Grilled Octopus with potatoes, celery & lemon. I'm not crazy about octopus but since I heard rave reviews, I had to try it. The octopus wasn't chewy at all, it was a meaty smokiness paired well with the lemon and the crunchiness of the celery.

Another appetizer from the Mozzarella Bar [so awesome] was the Burrata with bacon, marinated escarole, and caramelized shallots over a grilled slice of sourdough. Oh. My. God. It was awesome. Bacon and mozzarella together on a slice of sourdough. Need I say more?

Third course was the Garganelli. Ragu bolognese meat sauce combined w/ pasta ridges. I love me some meat sauce. D was licking the plate practially. He sopped up the meat w/ our baguette.

Sorry no picture. I ate it all before I realized.

Fourth, Grilled Lamb Scottadita w/ Insalata di Fregola Sarda and Yogurt. Baaaaah [bleeting like a lamb] The lamb wasn't gamey at all. The texture was like a marbled steak. Juicy, fatty, and seared that melted in my mouth. I'm drooling just thinking about it. The Sardinia couscous flavored w/ mint, olive oil and yogurt complimented the lamb nicely.

I heard about the Olive Oil Cake and knew I had to try it for dessert. It was served w/ mini olive oil rosemary cakes and a scoop of olive oil ice cream which tasted faintly salty and sweet at the same time. It kinda reminded me of ginger ice cream. I'm sure it's something Batali concocted on Iron Chef America. My dessert was washed down w/ a cup of joe. I heard on yelp how great the coffee was. For a caffiene-fiend, I had to have a cup. The coffee was full of flavor, rich and you could taste how fresh the coffee was. Ahhhhh....

The service was impeccable and attentive. They're constantly making sure our glasses are filled w/ sparkling water, our dirty plates were removed and the bread basket was constantly offered. I want to go back and try the rest of the menu.