ChiSPACCA

It took us 45 minutes to get there but I am sooo glad we went.  ChiSPACCA feels like home to me.  You walk into a small room where you can get Mozza to go (their other restaurant) and other items.

Then you walk into the restaurant and there is an open kitchen.  Off to the side there is a small window and inside is all the cured meat that they make.  The cured meat is off the charts.

We began with a bowl of marinated olives and chunks of pecorino cheese.  Great starter.

We also had a plate of pickles that included pickled carrots, fennel and cauliflower.  Could we bottle these to buy?

The cured meats continue to change.  Everything on this plate was delicious.  The first item is like a crab cake made out of pork.  Warm pulled pork baked to a crisp with a spicy hollandaise sauce.  The next thing is a brick of cured pork almost like a chunky pate.  That pot of goodness is pork to be slathered on bread.  The next three are cured meats and one of them is sprinkled with fennel pollen (one of my favorite things to use on roasted pork)

Bread for the plate.

Soft oozing burrata with snap peas, carrots and mint.  Really tasty and the peas just popped in your mouth.

This salad is more on the bitter side but also really good.  Shaved beets, radishes and carrots with some greens.

We split the whole Branzino.  Simply prepared with lemon and herbs.  All the mains are roasted in the wood burning oven.

This is out of this world.  Prime dry aged New York rib on the bone. All 42 ounces of it.

We got some spinach on the side that was sauteed with shallots.

Dessert was essential.  Last time I was at Mozza we had the Butterscotch Budino.  It is so delicious.  Was happy to see it on the menu.  I made it at home one night.  Rich butterscotch pudding.

Cocoa nib caramel tart with whipped creme fraiche on the side.

The gelato is rich and chunky.  Chocolate and mint.

All and all one of the best meals we have had in LA.  I need to go back with more people just to try the beef and bone marrow pie.  The people next to us got it and I was tempted to ask for a bite.