Take 2 Aspirin and please don't call me in the morning.

Why the headache this morning you ask? Well, it was a long impromptu evening at the Osteria Mozza. We walked in without a res and were seated within 5 minutes. That's cause for celebration. We sat at the mozzarella bar and started with 3 cheese dishes. Chef Matt finds a way to make the most simple preparations intensely flavorful, and the service was, of course, impeccable.

We started with Kien Hof, Suditrol-Eisacktaler, Gewurztraminer, 2006. (See the Pinot Grigio from Froma below). It's one of those really refreshing and juicy, low acid and very aromatically muted Italian wines. It could have been Pinot Blanc - it could have been Trebbiano - regardless, it was good - and I have no idea how much it costs - but ask Aaron or Eric - the nicest guys ever - and they will point you in the right direction.


Then Peter and Cara got hold of the wine list and that's where it all went down hill. We had 1998, Il Palazzone, Brunello di Montalcino. I LOVE this wine. It was so good I forgot that I didn't need to drink more. A chalky stick to your palate texture (I call these peanut butter wines) with loads of traditional Sangiovese acid and dusty cherry fruit. ME LIKEY! Well worth the $120 bucks, which is a steal for a great 10 year old wine. Hope I'm worth that much in 10 years. Unlikely.

One more thing, we saw a movie star there. She's an old friend, and by that I mean I've known her since I moved to LA, not that she's old, though I guess by now she is. Anyway, Jennifer Fitzgerald, aka "Fitzy", could be seen snuggling with her schmoopies, Dan, across the mozzarella bar. You can see Jen on Tracey Ullman's State of the Union.