'L.A. Times' Reviews Mozza

TheL.A. Timesdoes Los Angeles's recently opened Pizzeria Mozza, the joint venture from legendary L.A. baker Nancy Silverton, superstarchef Mario Batali, and restaurateur Joe Bastianich:

There's something so sensual about Silverton's relationship to food and her aesthetic that's entirely her own — direct, focused, uncompromised. She doesn't primp or fuss over her food. It's not art-directed or scripted. But it is entirely original and recognizably hers. And even if you're an Italian purist who's scandalized that she doesn't make pizza exactly like they do in Naples or someone who finds her food too simple and wonders what all the fuss is about, it's precisely this: Her food is vibrant and alive.

That Margherita is a beautiful melding of fresh milky mozzarella delivered almost daily from Mozzarella Fresca in Northern California, with a light tomato sauce and the fresh, fragrant basil leaves on a crust that's both tender and crackling crisp on the bottom, blistered and smoky from the wood-burning oven. A pizza of funghi misti means mixed mushrooms on a soft carpet of tangled cheeses — Fontina and Taleggio, with a sprinkling of thyme leaves.

Hot spot? Mozza is on fire[Los Angeles Times;Grr:registration required]

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