May 22

May 22 Osteria Mozza

Having drooled over their menu for years (and both eaten at and taken away from Pizzeria Mozza and Mozza2Go respectively more times that I should admit!), I was thrilled to finally make my way to Osteria Mozza, completing the gastronomic Italian trio by dining at the upscale third restaurant in the Mozza Restaurant Group run by mega-chef trio Nancy Silverton, Mario Batali and Joseph Bastianich. Crisp white tablecloths and dark wood paneling give the restaurant a classic elegance, and the superior quality of its fare simply speaks for itself. The Affettati Misti salumi platter surpasses decadence with its cured meats, homemade buttery bread puffs, and Grissini breadsticks, which are dipped in truffle butter and wrapped with proscuitto (seriously). There are thirteen glorious dishes in the mozzarella bar, from which we managed to narrow our choice to two - the burricotta (burrata stuffed with homemade ricotta) with braised artichokes, pine nuts, currants, and mint pesto; and the burrata with bacon, marinated escarole, and caramelized shallots. Were it not for common decency, I could have almost drunk the browned butter sauce that surrounds the Ricotta & Egg Raviolo, and the Butternut Squash Mezzelune with its sweet amaretti absolutely melts in your mouth. The half Duck Al Mattone with pear mostarda is fall-off-the-bone tender with wonderfully crisp skin, and is the perfect main course to finish off an exquisite meal.

Dress: Sourpuss Clothing Black Leopard Mesh Cocktail Dress

Glasses: Bonlook Jungle Chic in Cognac

Lips: MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo