A 30th Birthday Celebration at Osteria Mozza

My son Justin turned 30 last Monday. We were lucky enough to be in Los Angeles for Thanksgiving and his birthday. I can't believe my "baby" is 30, wasn't it yesterday we were celebrating his first birthday? For those of you with children, cherish every moment! They grow up way too fast!!

I was thrilled when Justin shared with me he'd made reservations at the popular LA restaurant, Osteria Mozza for his birthday dinner. Mozza is owned by Nancy Silverton, Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich. The executive chef is Matt Molina.

Dark wood, light blue walls and candle lit tables make for a lovely, warm atmosphere. The bar is a beautiful dark wood adorned with bottles and glasses. If you aren't lucky enough to snag a reservation, you can dine at the mozarella bar. The mozarella bar is a beautiful marble bar, ornamented with all sorts of brass animals and objects. I wish we lived in LA, so we could go back and sit at the bar.

I chose one of their signature cocktails, The Sugar Plum. Pomegranate nectar, grapefruit and vodka. It was beautiful and delicious. In keeping with the service levels at Mozza, the rum and coke that Tim ordered was poured tableside. The cocktail glass was presented on a silver tray and the coke was poured from a small coke bottle.

From the mozarella bar, we decided to try the Bufala mozzarella with shell beans, basil pesto & sauteed bitter greens. The flavors were wonderful. I wasn't bold enough to try one of the signature pastas, Calves Brain Ravoli. Although I loved calves brains as child, I couldn't bring myself to order this dish. The butternut squash ravioli was divine. The pasta melted in your mouth. I can never bring myself to leave a restaurant without trying something from their dessert menu. Being the chocolate lover that I am, the Cioccolato (bittersweet chocolate cake) seemed like a perfect choice. The cake was presented with Perugian chocolates on the side. Possibly one of the most delicious and decadent cakes I've ever had the pleasure of tasting.

The service was outstanding. You know... one of those places where water glasses are refilled even though you may have only taken a sip or two of water. There were servers walking the room to make sure every detail was taken care of. If we lived in LA, Osteria Mozza would be at the top of my list.