Nancy Silverton is like the fairy godmother of LA’s food lovers. Right up there with Jonathan Gold (our patron saint). By now, most foodies are familiar with her personal story. Basically, she’s the reason you’re making sourdough during quarantine. She’s a perfectionist. And thanks to her, we get to literally eat the fruits of her labor in the form of bread. Before this slips into a Nancy Silverton love letter, let’s steer it back to the focus of this post, just one perfect chapter in her never-ending gift to the world: Pizzeria Mozza.

Pizzeria Mozza is just one of several related establishments in a corner of the otherwise nondescript intersection of Highland and Melrose. If Osteria Mozza is the main show, well, let’s just say the side show is more than worth a trip in its own right.

Saying Mozza makes good pizza is like saying Russ & Daughters makes good bagels. It’s more than good. It’s the kind of good that makes you consciously think about how good it is as you eat it. It’s the kind of good that makes you wonder what life would be like if ALL pizza tasted like this. The kind that makes you wonder why not all pizza can taste like this. Oh right, because Nancy Silverton is a fairy godmother who has perfected that crust and that mozz.

Even on a weekday, you’ll see a small line form as people strategically pull up right when they open for lunch. Come dinner time, let’s just say I’ve witnessed many near-accidents by the valet while driving home on that block. Not that Angelenos are particularly averse to traveling for food, but seriously, it’s worth dealing with that messy drive.