Really a 4.5, but not a 5.\nMy stars: (5=epic \"best of\") (4=really tasty and want to go again and again) (3=good and will go back once in a while) (2=fair, might return for a visit if there was some glimmer of hope) (1=avoid at all costs)\n\nGo or No? Go!\n\nTease: Iron Chef, Mario Batali's small Italian Pizzeria and caf\u00e9 in the Venetian casino. \n\nWhy I went: We were in the mood for a nice lunch before flying home and this seemed as good as any to try. We love his place Mozza in LA, so why not give it a whirl?\n\nWhen: 11/20/12, we went for lunch early. It looks like it could get crowded. It wasn't when we went.\n\nFood: For drinks, I had a really solid spicy Bloody Mary ($14), and my wife had a tasty glass of Lambrusco ($12). We enjoyed an app of olives, and 1 cheese that were exceptional! The olives were good, but the cheese was amazing! Sadly, I can't recall the exact one...but it was a harder Italian cheese served with the most ridiculously tasty truffle honey we've ever had! We over-ordered so that we could take some food home with us... We had a pepperoni pizza. Very good...but not Mozza good! Nancy Silverton's influence on the crust in Mozza is apparent when comparing it to Otto. There just is no comparison! However, the pork shoulder and the buccatini Amatriciana were SUPER good! The pork shoulder at $26 isn't inexpensive, but it's worth every penny! It's Mario's signature dish and is packed with flavor. Also, the pasta was simply perfectly prepared. It had some nice spice and was so good...I overate and finished it! The pasta was $19 as was the pizza. All reasonable given the quality. \n\nService: Good. Cruz T. did a fine job serving us.\n\nHints/Final thoughts: Get the cheeses, apps, pastas...and pork shoulder! Save the pizza for elsewhere. It's good, and if you are craving it, it does the trick. But if you've been to Mozza...don't expect similar.
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