MOSTO enoteca

I was told before that if the appetizer bread they serve at restaurants are good the food should be good. Their garlic knots were spectacular. We were walking by and the server handed us a knot and we immediately turned around to have dinner.
I got the spaghetti and meat balls and she got the rigatoni and sausage. The sauce was good and the meat was well marinated. I will most definitely come back here. If you are in the Venice area you absolutely will have to try this place.

CLOSED — trust me! I walked over there and it’s all demolished. I asked the guy working there and he said they are putting in a Korean place. Too bad, we had some good meals there. Just not a good location for a nice restaurant.

meh steak
ok salmon
pushy service
bad cannoli
pass

Don’t let a strip mall sway you in the wrong direction! Walk upstairs, go sit outside and enjoy the view! The pasta is fresh, authentic and fantastic! The owner is nice and will serve you if they are not busy. We spoke to him numerous times about Italy and places to visit, it made our experience that much better. They have a beautiful room for events and the patio space has heaters/​fire pits you can enjoy during the cooler months. My husband had the steak and enjoyed it. I had pasta and finished every bit. They only serve wine/​beer but their selections are great. I’m a fan.

We went last night for dinner, so the previous post about the restaurant being closed for good is wrong.
Our party of 6 ordered salads, pastas, steak and salmon. While the pastas were above average, the risotto of the day — calamari and asparagus — was tasteless. We asked for cheese but the owner advised against it because «cheese doesn’t belong in a seafood risotto.» We left the dish untouched.
The steak was good as were the broccolini and spinach sides. The service was fine — not overly friendly but attentive enough. However, they should have either comp’d us the uneaten risotto or offered to fix the dish, as it was completely untouched throughout the meal.
Overall, this is solid option for a neighborhood Italian but definitely not the best.

we ordered take out here between Xmas and New years and were excited to try it out. When we arrived the place was dead empty, not a soul in sight at any table. The only person there was the super creepy «host» at the front. When we walked in he just kind of stared at us and didn’t say anything for a while. It was seriously weirding me out… we finally said that we were picking up our order and after another awkwardly quiet pause he went to the kitchen to check on our order. He came back and made a comment about it not being ready yet so we waited a bit inside. He kept standing there looking out at us. We didn’t know what to do so we just kind of turned away lol. I mean, dry a glass, wipe a menu, i dunno but stop creeping on us.
After a few more minutes the food was ready and we were on our way home with a few more awkward exchanges of the credit card and bill.
We ordered the Pappardelle Al Ragu which was delicious even if it was a little light on the sauce and the Ravioli Di Spinaci which was quite good. some of the best ravioli i’ve had in long time. the smoked mozarella was a really nice decision and you can smell it when you set the plate in front of you. The Pappardelle however was a large enough portion that you could eat it for leftovers and the Ravioli had just enough for one sitting. I was hoping that I would have had the same portion size for the same price range of pasta.
We also ordered the sauteed spinach side which was ice cold and flavorless. I reheated it and added some olive oil, fresh garlic, and salt, none of which appeared to be present in the dish. It was just a cold bland portion of spinach that happened to be cooked the right amount.
all in all, we’d go back to get pasta for take out if we were craving italian but we wouldn’t dine in. Not interested in the creepy stare all through dinner.

Visiting Venice beach area and used Unilocal to find a place for dinner.
Mosto was well recommended so we thought we’d give it a try. I had the tomato and burratta salad and it was very good. My main was the iron steak with rapini. I have never had rapini before in my life and don’t think I’ll ever have it again. It was bitter and I simply didn’t care for it.
Overall food was ok but don’t think we will become repeat customers
We paid $ 130 for: 3 sodas, 1 bottle still water, 2 appetizers, 3 mains, 1 dessert and 1 cappuccino

Came here for Valentines a couple of years ago and had a great experience. Then brought my 2.5 year old son for an early dinner one night, and he ate better than I’ve ever seen in a long time. Their pastas are sensational. I had the sea bass which was on the bland side (the fish itself not the seasoning). All in all a great experience. Easy, lovely service.

This I a great Italian spot with fresh homemade pasta. This isn’t your fine dining, propose to your girlfriend type Italian spot, but the food is quite good and the prices are reasonable. It is located on the top floor of a strip mall, but they have done a nice job decorating.
I had the squid ink pasta which was very good and my wife loved the pappardelle, both made with fresh pasta. The chocolate soufflé for dessert was good too.
Since we just moved to the neighborhood, we’re excited to have a go to spot for fresh pasta around the corner!

Don’t be fooled by the location. Mosto is a great spot for a nice dinner. The indoor section is very intimate and yet has a nice relaxed vibe. The outdoor patio has great views and sometimes live music in the summer weekends.
The owner Massimo takes great care to ensure that each guest has a special evening. Be sure to ask him for suggestions on your meal and wine pairing. The wine list is solid and we always have him pick for us.
The food is delicious with a great variety for all pallets. Carnivores will love their daily specials which range from pork chops, to lamb, to short ribs, etc. Seafood lovers (me) always have fresh fish and shellfish specials to choose from. I love the Sea Urchin pasta when available. All of the salads are delicious. We can never decide whether we want the octopus salad, the spinach, or the kale salad. Of course if you are there for italian food, there is always a great selection of pastas. Pro-​tip: ask for the spicy olive oil with your bread.

This place was absolutely fantastic! It quickly became my favorite restaurant in the area. The service and the food are both impeccable.
Everything I ate hear was absolutely delicious — try the cheeses and most definitely drink the wine! Additionally, if you are vegetarian they have many great options and are wonderful about finding delicious things.
If I ever go back to LA, I’m definitely coming back here!

Folks, take a chance on this place! We went there during Dine LA Restaurant week. I had made reservations for 6 of us on a Friday NIght. That was before I read some of the negative reviews on Unilocal.I was worried, but I needn’t have been!
The service was spectacular, with the owner helping us find just the perfect seating for our group. The food was really very good and the two wines we chose were excellent. We will definitely be going back.

I went here based solely on the restaurant’s (unverified /​self-​proclaimed) 4^th best Italian restaurant in LA rating in the 2013 Zagat Guide. Given the fact that its in a strip mall, dining on the balcony is relatively nice. However, its nothing too special in terms of overall ambiance.
Anyhow, we went there on a Wednesday night and it was pretty uncrowded. In a nut shell, the food was just okay. It was maybe 3.5−3.75 star food but since it had been hyped up by the whole Zagat thing, I think I came in with high expectations. Anyhow, the point is, the place is overpriced and overhyped for what it is. I had a $ 33 piece of «king salmon» that I am quite sure was not actually «king».
If you live in the area and have some money to burn this isnt the worst place to put on the rotation but its definitely not the 4^th best Italian restaurant in LA. Maybe more like 25^th best or something.

Took 10 minutes for someone to pour us waters…
Had to ask for a bread basket
Took us an hour and a half to get our entrees
Waters left unrefilled
Everyone around us seemed pretty upset about the service too
The food was not worth waiting for
The menu items we wanted: the lamb shank and seared scallops were not available
I really wanted to try desert but after waiting so long we just wanted to get out ASAP.
Not a worthwhile experience

Order the Uni pasta! It was good. Watermelon soup and Butternut squash were both worth a try. The dessert (warm chocolate soufflé and berry cobbler) were both satisfying to end the meal.
It was pretty quiet for a Friday, but the corner table by the window was romantic. Other people commented on bad service, but service for us was superb. They anticipated our needs throughout our meal, were friendly, courteous, and unpretentious. Never had to ask for water re-​fills. Never had a dirty, empty dish sitting on our table for longer than a minute, if that.
Owner wouldn’t bring me parmesan for my seafood ink pasta saying it would ruin the flavor combination. Not sure what I think about that. I appreciate one’s respect for their food, but if a pregnant lady wants to taste parmesan in her pasta I think you should make your recommendation, but bring it out and let the customer have the option. He recommended chili flakes. The spice did up the experience of the pasta a bit. For this I am torn between 3 or 4 stars. Overall, food was probably a 3.5.
Parking: Small private lot. Shouldn’t be a problem. Two metered spots open for street parking also available. Meters were only in effect up to 6 or 7 pm. Pretty early is what I remember.

two words… Panna Cotta!!!
The best Ive had, hands down.
This place holds a special place in my heart. Its very romantic and unassuming. You would never expect this wonderful little restaurant to be as good as it is being that its in a shopping center. The service is always very good and attentive. I like that its European style service — they dont bring the check until you ask for it. Some people confuse this for bad service, but I really enjoy taking my good sweet time and enjoying every bite of this amazing meal… Slowly!
This place is one of my personal favorite restaurants.

Lovely, quaint, Italian restaurant with candlelight to set the mood! This location is surprising because it’s in an upstairs retail shopping center. The owner spent quite a bit of time visiting with us and explaining the dishes and specials. We started with the spinach salad with caramelized walnuts (not too sweet) goat cheese, and green apples. To compliment it, we added the ½ spaghetti appetizer! Very lovely combination with a bottle of Coppola Chardonnay; Light and savory! As a finale, we had an incredible fish cooked in this thin paper like boat with capers, tomatoes, and asparagus on top! Making you hungry yet! Don’t skip this place because of location! I look forward to dining outside by the fire and heaters but it’s been a bit windy lately!

Came here with the wife last night, overall somewhere between three and four stars– since the food was good, I’m going to err on the four star side.
Pros–
Good service
Food (we had Beef Ragu, Eggplant Penne, Salad and Cold Cut Appetizer)
Dessert (Semifredo and Almond Tart)
Cons–
Pricey
Small Portions
Strip Mall Ambiance
Overall, decent but not great.

On Open Table as well…
I came here with a Bloomspot Chef’s Tasting Menu deal plus a bottle of wine. I’m so glad I had that though. It was the right amount of food, great price, and it sure was tasty. Our waiter Christopher was very helpful and polite. We had black truffle & mushroom crostinis, spinach walnut salad w/​fig balsamic vinegar, scallop & squash risotto, NY steak w/​argula, and a chocolate lava cake and every bite was finished. I will be back again for sure. Thanks Mosto Enoteca

Excellent service: provided by Chris, the manager. Fantastic wine suggestion: Sea Smoke Pinot Noir. Ambience: quaint and home-​y. We came in towards the closing hour and they provided great service. Even when they closed they did not kick us out…
Food: I ordered the pumpkin ravioli with brown butter sage and my date ordered the gnocchi. The attention to detail really shows here. It was all heavenly.
I will definitely be back for more food and wine!

Mosto may be the only Italian restaurant in So Cal that knows how to make a good Cacio e Pepe (spaghetti with pecorino romano & black pepper). After coming back from Rome, I had high expectations, and Mosto certainly delivered (see photo I posted).
In addition to the Cacio e Pepe, I have also had their crostini prosciutto & mozzarella — toasted bread with S. Daniele prosciutto & fresh mozzarella, which was just okay.
They have a very small indoor restaurant as well as a patio outside, although the outdoor dining can get loud since it overlooks a busy street. The service is average, nothing to write home about.
I attended a wine-​tasting event here which was located in an adjacent room next to the restaurant. That event was informative and it included a variety of Italian wines accompanied by various appetizers.
Overall, Mosto is a good, authentic Italian restaurant in So Cal and so far they have the best Cacio e Pepe outside of Rome!

I purchased a Groupon to this place a while ago, and have been waiting for a good night to try it. Hubby and I finally were able to get out here a few nights ago, but I’m not gonna lie– I was extremelyyy wishy-​washy after reading all the recent poor reviews, including the surprisingly rude comments from the manager… I don’t believe we met him while we were there, but he could stand to take a few classes in customer service with those mean-​spirited words.
Anyway, I like to give new restaurants the benefit of the doubt and have them all start out with 5 stars in my mind. I called and made a reservation the night before, and we walked in and were seated at a table in the entryway, right by the door. My thoughts on reservations are this– if I take the time to call ahead, then can’t the restaurant take the time to save a nice table for me? The place IS really tiny though, so whatevs. I ordered a glass of prosecco, he ordered the italian beer, and I got over it. Here’s what we had:
Crostini with proscuitto, fresh mozzarella, and basil oil– The crostini ended up being the same exact bread that you get a basket of at the beginning of the meal, and they were small. Four, small pieces. They loaded on the proscuitto, but the mozzarella portion was stingy. I was expected a slice of the fresh cheese on top of the meat, but instead it was a small chunk topped with the basil oil. That was a little disappointing.
Pesto risotto with seared scallops– The risotto itself was good, but the portioin was small and the seared scallops looked like it was ONE scallop cut in half. There were two small pieces on top of the rice. I was pretty surprised about that… I think it’s kind of cheeky to advertise the meal with scallops if it barely comes with any. Hubby was still hungry after he finished it.
Pappardelle with ragu– I love pappardelle, and this dish was pretty tasty. The sauce was nothing really superbly special though, but I did very much enjoy the cheese on top. Portion was also small.
We were still hungry and desiring something when we finished our meal, but frankly I didn’t feel like ordering more at this place. The food was good, but not worth the prices. I’d feel better about paying $ 16 for that pasta if it was a decently sized portion. It’s hard for me to convince my man to try new places, so when I finally get him to agree, and the place is kind of just meh/​ok, I’m pretty let down. Service was friendly enough, but I doubt we’ll ever come back here.