To Live and di(n)e in LA

I’m such an LA foodie hipster, I had a reservation at Osteria Mozza this past Saturday night and cancelled on them.

Now, I’ve no doubt they were able to fill our coveted 5:30pm slot. You know, the one normally reserved for those over 65 and usually found at a deli in Boca. Still, it felt good.

I’m surely not the first person to write about this phenomenon, the two choice reservation. Go ahead, try this. Pick up the phone and call (insert hot restaurant here) to reserve a table. In the case of either Mozza option, this of course must be done a month in advance, and only after 10am. For those fond of radio station contests this will feel familiar.

Vessia Ristorante, Irvine.

Vessia

Being as we’re not long for this part of California (we’re moving 50 miles to the north in a few weeks), we wanted to take advantage of a little time and visit one of our favorite restaurants: Vessia, in Irvine. We go often enough to be regulars but don’t get a “Hi Norm!”, nor does the staff chatter excitedly in hushed voices: “THEY‘re here” when we walk in. I am totally fine with that.

I do not intend to start writing restaurant reviews. And this is not meant to be a review of Vessia, but we are fond of the place. It’s big, but cozy feeling and the food is great. The wine list emphasizes Italian wines and is pretty nice for a bedroom community.