Hollywood: Osteria Mamma Makes Me Respect Lasagna

Jan 19 2011 · 6 comments · Hollywood, Italian

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I’ve never really had much respect for lasagna. I blame it on the fact that I came of age in an era when it was perfectly acceptable to bring a tin of Stoffer’s to a potluck. Restaurant lasagnas, usually just assembled from jars and packages, never did much to help the cause either.

That’s not to say that I don’t eat it or enjoy it. But like an episode of Teen Mom, lasagna generally only appeals to me on the most base level. A very guilty pleasure of mine is the vegetable lasagna from Angelo’s in Alhambra, which is basically just a dish of sauce, cheese and a few veggies baked to bubbling-crispy-on-the-edges perfection.

Considering my history of lasagna derision, you can imagine my intrigue when I saw it on special at Osteria Mamma. I’ve been in love with “Mamma” Loredana Cecchinato’s cooking since La Buca was a hole in the wall, so I figured if anyone could clean up an Italian casserole, it’d be her. And it was. The lasagna at Osteria Mamma, like most of their dishes, impresses with its simplicity. The handmade noodles are thin and the ricotta is spread with restraint, giving the dish an almost delicate quality. The sweet sauce and meat keep it reasonably hearty.

All this is just proof of one thing: lasagna, I misjudged you.

P.S. As I was just saying in the comments, Osteria Mamma now has a liquor license, so while it’s more crowded, it’s also more lively. I think they’ve found their groove.

-Valentina

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6 Comments

  1. Gastronomer

    On:

    Dude, Teen Mom is all class!

    And more importantly, I’m liking the sound of this delicate lasagna. I’ve never encountered such a specimen. My interest is piqued!

  2. lynn @ the actor's diet

    On:

    mmmm i can’t wait to try! i live nearby and have loved everything else there….

  3. Eastside Food Bites

    · author

    Cathy-Teen Mom is about as classy as a tin of stoffer’s lasagna, but WAY tastier.

    Lynn-Osteria Mamma is even better now because they have a liquor license! And they’ve really gotten into a groove. Let me know if you try the lasagna.

  4. Diana

    On:

    I loved Osteria Mamma when I went last March… was so happy to see Mamma had found a new home! I definitely need to go back now that they have their liquor license.

    On an unrelated note: Angeli Caffe’s vegetarian lasagna (called Lasagna Angeli) is my favorite version ever! The noodles are so delicate! And the bread they serve is unreal!

  5. Eastside Food Bites

    · author

    @Diana-oooh! thanks for the tip. I’ve never had the veg lasagna at Angeli. I think delicate noodles are the key to lasagna, though!

  6. MacArthur Park: Langer’s Is Your LA Birthright — Eastside Food Bites

    On:

    […] I ordered a grilled cheese. I know, I know. But I was going to Osteria Mamma for dinner, and a pastrami sandwich would have killed my appetite for the rest of the day and put […]

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