Los Angeles: Pizzeria Mozza

According to some, Pizzeria Mozza has the best slice in LA. I didn't eat pizza anywhere else in Lalaland, so I don't have an opinion on this. I can only compare to pizza I've eaten elsewhere (Australia, San Francisco, Rome etc).

I'll be honest, when we hit up Mozza I wasn't too educated on things Mario Batali, Nancy Silverton or Joseph Bastianich, but they seemed to have a great reputation, especially if the line up to snag a seat in this place was anything to go by. I was prepared, our stopover in LA was only two nights so I wasn't going to risk it, I made a reservation ahead of time.

The pizza wasn't bad, just overcooked in my opinion and perhaps not the best combination of ingredients (they were competing for taste on this particular slice). What stood out for me were:

• the appetizers
• the dessert
• what seemed to be (and I'm probably wrong because I'm only assuming) a local West Hollywood crowd
• the ambience (its noisy so if you like a vibrant vibe, you'll dig it); and
• the Italian wine list.

And I mean it about the appetizers (especially the bone marrow) and dessert, they were hands down delectable, finger licking good. The two lovely elderly ladies sitting at the table next to us got more than they bargained for that night - they delighted in my constant groaning sounds and exclamations of "yum!" and "that tastes sooooo good!".

Bone marrow al forno - $12

 

Rub that delicious pickled garlic on the bread, then spread the marrow on. Yum!

Insalata mista - $8

Burrata crostone with Swiss chard,spring onion & Balsamico - $9

Finnochiona salame, mozzarella, tomato & Fresno chiles - $17

Banana gelato pie with hot fudge & candied hazelnuts - $12

As our trip through the states progressed, I came to realise how popular and how much influence Mario Batali has in the culinary sphere. I'm still not quite sure what it is about him? Is it his business mogulness - the fact he has opened numerous (successful?) restaurants throughout the states and abroad; the recent controversy surrounding his businesses; his influences on cuisine (whatever they are); his expertness on regional Italian cuisine; being an author and television personality; or the mere fact that he just manages to make so many people happy with his food? I think it's a combination of all these factors, and the fact that he is not a skinny man.

Never trust a skinny chef, they have to be sporting a pot belly to be trustworthy and likeable, nay, to be passionate about and to produce delicious food. Mario's shape, his roundness, his pudgy pink rosy cheeks and neck rolls remind me of a happy free range piglet roaming through beautiful green countryside, fattening up for slaughter and my imminent delight and enjoyment. By no means do I intend to be disrespectful or condescending. It's this picture of him I see that makes me think "this man enjoys his food, I want to enjoy it too, I want to eat what he eats".

I know you want to eat it too. Next time you're in Los Angeles, make sure to hit up Pizzeria Mozza, or if you're after a slightly more upmarket non-pizza version, head to Osteria Mozza conveniently located next door.

Oh, and I still don't know who Nancy Silverton or Joseph Bastianich are...

San Francisco: 29th Annual Tiburon Wine Festival

Tiburon is a town which covers most of the Tiburon Peninsula. It reaches the San Francisco bay from the south and a nice way to get to it is by ferry from Pier 41.

I never knew this before I stumbled across a website, late one night in the thick of my travel research, which listed a range of wine festivals happening in California. Booyah, it was on in Tiburon the weekend we were staying in San Fran.

$65 per person got us unlimited wine and food for three hours. More importantly the festival was a chance for local growers to showcase their produce and to get up close and personal with their consumers...drunk and fun loving San Franciscans enjoying the sunshine, warm weather, live music, good food and vino.

According to the Californian Wine Institute, "sales of California wine within the U.S. in 2011 grew to a record 211.9 million cases, up 5.6 percent in volume compared to the previous year. The estimated retail value of these shipments was $19.9 billion, according to wine industry consultant Jon Fredrikson of Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates in Woodside. Global 2011 California wine sales to all markets in the U.S. and worldwide also increased 5.6 percent to 256.6 million cases.". That's a lot of wine. I'd like to compare that to Australian wine production an export rates...some other time.

I like red, in fact I love red wine. I'm not a fan of white - I attribute it to trashy white girls getting sloshed and tarting themselves off to the nearest innocent bystander. I though I shouldn't give it the cold shoulder this time; maybe I could be surprised. I didn't push myself out of my comfort zone too much, just tried a Sauvignon Blanc which was fruity, fun, light to get the ball rolling (highly enjoyable, reminded me of warm sunny days) before getting seriously stuck into the reds. Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel and Syrah. I hadn't tried Zinfandel before and it was a hit.

The crowd was preppy, yuppy, cheerleaders and jocks. It was an interesting contrast to the constant flood of hobos asking us for any spare change.

The girls loved the excuse to wear their summer dresses and sandals; they braved the chilly ferry conditions there and back, to be able to make the most of the pleasantly mild micro climate in Tiburon.

Talking with various producers, that's something I noticed in what they were telling: the many varied micro climates throughout the California coast, each producing a slightly different tasting wine, even though it might be the same type of grape. They all seemed like artisans in their own right, highly passionate about what they do and the quality and uniqueness they produce.

It was a fun day in the sun doing three of my favourite things: eating, drinking wine and hanging out with great company.