Mozza in OC!

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