Osteria Mozza

Since opening its doors in 2008, Nancy Silverton’s mozzarella- and pasta-centric fine dining destination has snagged a Michelin star and spawned a sprawling empire that includes a pizzeria, a steakhouse and offshoots in Cabo, Singapore and Washington, D.C. The menu includes a now-familiar lineup of dishes, but seasonal changes and slight tweaks keep things fresh. It seems like a new Italian restaurant opens in L.A. every week, but none of them can hold a candle to Osteria Mozza, whose famous raviolo oozing ricotta cheese and bright yellow egg yolk and orecchiette served with fennel sausage and Swiss chard have become an indispensible part of the city’s culinary arsenal. To this day, the heart of the restaurant is the mozzarella bar: Over a dozen small plates showcase the handcrafted varieties from cream-filled burrata to spongy bufala. Load up on antipasti to share—the grilled octopus is a must with charred, tender tentacles delicately dressed with lemon, celery and potatoes—and pace yourself through courses of elevated, handmade pastas. Given the culinary ascendance of Chi Spacca next door, I suggest skipping the secondi and going straight to dessert, which includes an ever-changing selection of seasonal gelati, a just fancy-enough torta della nonna and a delightfully unorthodox tiramisu.