Greer's OC

Dining

Mozza in OC!

09.15.11

Review by Sheryll Alexander

The newly-opened Pizzeria Mozza in Newport Beach may be the brainchild of super star NYC chef and TV personality Mario Batali, but is it really as good as all that? Pretty much. Those strapped for cash, however, should be aware of hidden costs, small portions and high-priced wines.

For those who don’t have to worry about price so much, Mozza is a delight for all the senses, especially if you love excellent wines, artisanal foods, wood-fired pizzas and the lively atmosphere of a modern Italian-style bistro.

Parking at Mozza

Located in the former Il Dolce space along Pacific Coast Highway in what’s called Newport’s Mariner’s Mile, Mozza is sandwiched between a McDonald’s and a fancy car dealership. Drive up to the tiny valet stand and it will cost you $8 plus tip.

Don’t mind walking a bit to save a few bucks? There’s free parking next door at Mickey D’s and PCH has quite a few parking spaces too with no meters in sight.

Once you get the parking situation handled, remember to stop and marvel at a gorgeous herb garden that seems to defy gravity by hanging on the outside wall as a frame to the restaurant’s one big picture window.

Sure, you finally got reservations at Mozza, but are you meeting some friends? Mozza won’t seat you until your entire party shows up, so keep that in mind and remind your friends to be on time.

Also, if you and your friends are thinking about bringing your own bottle of robust red wine to go with your pizza, Mozza charges you a $30 corkage fee. Wines by the glass are excellent varietals, but will cost you at least $12 or more per glass.

Inside Mozza

Step inside and you are immediately confronted with a bustling space filled with crowded tables. While servers rush and dishes clink, the scent of smoke, wood and fresh flour fill your nose. During the lunch and dinner rush, it seems all of Newport is here and the crowd is lively with conversation and laughter. Also Mario Batali’s own soundtrack of classic 60-90s rock and pop hits plays rather loudly, which gives the place even more of a party atmosphere. Yes, you finally made it to Mozza!

We love the giant mustard-colored wall where the wood fireplace is the star of the open-air kitchen. The high industrial ceilings are modern and yet the warm woods of the furniture and the terra cotta walls bring an earthiness to this small space.

Guests can sit either in the main dining room, on an adjacent sunny patio, in the wine room, at the main bar (which surrounds the kitchen and fireplace) and at a smaller bar near the front door. Wherever you sit at Mozza, get ready to order one of its famed pizzas.

Mozza Menu

Chef Mario Batali’s Mozza menu is surprisingly short with a dozen or so antipasti or appetizers (all $12 each) and three different salads. Or, order up some wine and a charcuterie plate filled with artisan proscuittos, salumes and bufala mozzarella.

We started with the crispy goat cheese with Umbrian lentils. Sure, the dish was delicious with creamy goat cheese oozing from a perfectly-fried ball surrounded by savory lentils, but the portion was surprisingly small for the price.

Next, we tried “Nancy’s chopped salad.” Although the portion was quite large, we thought this refreshing salad was a bit overdressed and the bitter raddichio overshadowed the other fine ingredients such as thinly-sliced cabbage and shreds of cheese and cured meats.

Don’t miss ordering a pizza at Mozza. These four-slice wonders come in 16 different flavors with mostly Italian ingredients such as Sicilian oregano, prosciutto di Parma, salami, garlic, tomatoes and mozzarella, Parmagiano and pecorino cheeses.

We loved the fennel sausage pizza, which also featured panna, red onions and thinly-cut scallions. Somehow, the scallions gave it a pepper punch while the fennel sausage and creamy panna melded together on Batali’s absolutely delicious chewy-and-crispy crust.

Unfortunately, we weren’t as excited about the way-too-spicy “speck” pizza with pineapple, jalapenos, mozzarella and tomato.

Daily Specials

Mozza’s menu also features a daily special entrée (see list below). We came on a Thursday, so we tasted the ribs al forno. We were blown away by these totally tender, fall-apart ribs with a tart-yet-sweet apple cider vinegar, fennel and honey glaze. Yummy!

Mondays: Cannelloni

Tuesdays: Duck leg with lentils

Wednesdays: Baccala

Thursdays: Ribs

Fridays: Wild red king salmon

Saturdays: Chicken thighs with sausage

Sundays: Lasagna

OC is definitely lucky to have Mozza in the hood. Ready for some awesome wood-fired pizza in a casual Euro bistro atmosphere? Reservations are still tough to get during lunch and at the dinner hour, but late lunches and early or late dinners are more than possible.

Pizzeria Mozza, 800 W. Coast Hwy., Newport Beach, 877-50-MOZZA, www.pizzeriamozza.com

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Fashion

Wear to Where: WISH

09.14.11

Fall is finally here and to get into the cool weather mood I'm buying the entire WISH Fall collection! With a wonderful selection of gorgeous neutral pieces: sweaters, fur vests, leather shorts, maxi dresses and tunics; WISH is perfect for all occasions and has something that will fulfill your style needs while still being affordable.

Recently new to the US, and my closet, WISH has spent the last decade as one of the most beloved Australian fashion lines. With six full collections each year, designer Annette Cannock masterfully creates a comprehensive wardrobe that includes delicate dresses that are on-trend; and practical separates in fabrics from silk to denim. With a strong focus on the feminine shape all her pieces are extremely wearable.

This past week I had the pleasure of viewing the upcoming collection and was blown away by the pieces. Some of these items include (but not limited to) the Inhibitions Vest, it's effortless styling is so light weight with a touch of bad girl or the Proxy Blazer which could possibly be one of the most versatile and essential pieces in your wardrobe; It comes in black and has the most amazing loose fit, it's a perfect piece for the office or a night on the town. Next the Novel Shirt caught my eye; wear it short with a high-low hem or let it out for a full length tunic, great for those no fuss days when you want to wear tights and boots. But what I really swooned for were the Pennywise Leather Shorts, impracticable yes, we but so lust worthy. I love any shorts that can take you from day to night with just a few accessory changes and these definitely fit the bill.

...But what's really fabulous is that the beautiful ladies from WISH gifted me with a Liana Tunic Dress for one lucky Greer's OC reader. Go to my LeslieChristen.com to learn how you can be a part of this giveaway and win an item on my WISH list.

Leslie Christen writes "Wear to Where" for pacific-creative.digital each week. She is the owner of Leslie Christen | LifeStyling a business that does personal shopping, fashion styling, closet edits and organization. For tips on What to Wear and Where to Buy view her website at www.LeslieChristen.com and contact her at Style@LeslieChristen.com.

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