Mozza 2 Go

Mozza. Probably the most talked about Italian restaurant in Los Angeles. A Hollywood blockbuster with a long list of detractors. I've eaten here once. The food was great as was the service. But I don't know if I will ever go back. Trying to get a reservation was almost as easy as getting the IRS on the phone. The clientele who populate the place could be summed up as "that lady in Prada screaming into her cell phone while changing lanes on the 405". And it ain't cheap either.

"Mozza 2 Go" poses some interesting possibilities. Food is still pricey but you get to enjoy it in the comfort of your own home, car or Hollywood Bowl concert. You can get the pizza with considerably less wait. I was at Melrose Mac the other day and decided to give it a whirl.



I still can't believe I haven't tried the pizza. I guess I'm just not crazy for pizza like I am for burgers, or braised veal like I had at my visit to Osteria Mozza. I went with the chicken panini, and as boring as that sounds it came with a very high recommendation from the girl behind the counter.



This thing cost $15. What recession? a $15 chicken sandwich? Sure! But wait, it's huge and delicious. I mean, Mario Batali, Nancy Silverton, the line cook from Peru, whoever it is that is working in that kitchen can COOK. Trust me, this thing is almost worth the $15 and I'm a broke dude.

Fork tender roasted chicken, thick cut premium bacon, ripe avocado, and a panini made by a bread master. The ingredients are top notch, the execution is flawless, you can't hate on someone making something the very best they can and then charging a premium for it. Mozza, and yes even Mozza 2 Go may not be an everyday, Hell, a once a month staple but the quality is there and when you do say goodbye to your 15 George Washingtons you can at least have the pleasure of holding this bad boy in your hand.

Lamb and Eggs

When I was 10 years old, after spending a morning of watching cartoons, I went scrounging in the kitchen for something to eat. Home alone like Macaulay Culkin, I was free to do a little experimentation. Earlier that Spring I had fallen in love with lamb loin chops cooked on the grill, and steak and eggs was(and is) my favorite breakfast, so I decided to combine the two. As I was flipping the chops my Dad came home.

--"Are you cooking?" he said.
--"Yup"
--"Is that Lamb? And eggs?"
--"Yup"
-- What 10 year old makes lamb chops and eggs for breakfast?"

A legend was born. My commitment to lamb in the morning had begun.

A couple Saturdays ago I picked up a few lamb chops at a nameless Armenian butcher shop in East Hollywood. They came pre-seasoned and were great deal at $5.99lb. Fry a couple eggs over easy and you have one hearty and unique breakfast. You know how good it is to dip steak into a runny yolk, next time try lamb.

Goat Curry Love

Every now and then, the LA Times food section can come up with a real gem, a hidden treasure that most of us would pass by without a second glance. Taurat Tandoori, a Bangladeshi run, Halal eatery, is that latest gem. A place not only worthy of a posting here, but a place I have visited three times in three weeks. Its that good, well THE GOAT is THAT GOOD.



While I would love to try the Nehari(6 hour simmered beef shank curry) or the Goat Korma, its what you see above you that keeps you coming back again and again. If Middle America has White Castle, then surely this is the late night(or mid afternoon) crave of Bangladesh.



The meat is ridiculously tender. The sauce/gravy that surrounds it steals the show. Butter and spice are in synchronicity. You can get naan, but trust me and stick with the rice. The combination of the sauce, rice and a little meat is Heaven. You could easily split this but you wont want to. You will finish the bowl like its your last meal on earth. As I write this Im thinking about going for a mid afternoon/dinner spoiler.



The Secret Ingredient

Its Fat folks. Yeah, thats one of the reasons it tastes so good. Slowly rendered till most of it is in liquid form, every now and then you can fish out a chunk. And yes, you can eat it, I mean, you eat ALL of the bacon strip right?

The lack of AC and personality of the staff are more than made up for in the product served. As a child of Bangladeshi immigrants, I grew up, like others I'm sure, not really liking the cuisine of my genetic origin. And guess what? I still dont but this goat curry is an extraordinary exception. Unless you hate meat or free pool tables(they have a no coin slot billiard table) I will see you over at Vermont and 1st street.