Mother Wolf offers sumptuous Roman cuisine in elegant setting
Chef Evan Funke is a meticulous chef whose handmade pasta-based culinary vision explores Italian regional traditions. He first came to acclaim in 2013 with the now defunct Bucato, in the Helms Bakery Building, later resurfacing in 2017 at Felix in Venice. His empire has since expanded to Mother Wolf in Hollywood, Funke in Beverly Hills, and restaurants in Las Vegas, Chicago, and Miami, all featuring his signature al dente pasta perfection.
VIEW OF DINING ROOM with mirrored columns.
Mother Wolf, which offers a delicious homage to the dishes of Rome, was an impossible reservation to get when it opened in 2022 despite the enormity of the 150-seat dining room. Things have calmed down since, although it was completely packed on a recent Monday evening, so reservations are still advised. There’s also the new, adjacent, club-like Bar Avola, serving small Italian bites, which is a wildly popular option.
The restaurant is exquisitely elegant, with plush pink banquettes, regular table seating, bar seating, antiqued mirrors inlaid in wooden columns, large bistro chandeliers with multiple arms with charming round bulbs, and a scattering of greenery. The service is exceptional: professional and attentive without being stuffy. Servers wear crisp white jackets, fill water glasses promptly, and fold napkins neatly when a guest gets up from the table. It’s a white tablecloth restaurant without any white tablecloths. We felt pampered. My husband and I had wanted a special dinner for us and our daughter, who was visiting from New York, and we got one.
RICOTTA-STUFFED squash blossoms, dirty martini.
Our cocktails were quite good: an ice-cold dirty martini, sugar-rimmed lemon drop, and a perfectly bittersweet negroni. The sommelier introduced himself, and I ordered a food-friendly glass of Sicilian red. Dishes we ordered were properly coursed out, starting with chicory Caesar salad. A mountain of mixed chicories in a vinegary anchovy dressing, showered with a flurry of Pecorino Romano cheese was terrific and satisfyingly crunchy.
The ricotta-stuffed squash blossoms that followed might be the best I’ve ever eaten. Five large blossoms sported a delicate, crackly coating and contained highly seasoned ricotta filling. These are a must-order, as were the South Pacific blue prawns. Succulent, large, garlicky head-on prawns rested in a puddle of green garlic salsa verde so good we took the leftover sauce to-go to sop up with bread at home.
It would be a crime not to order pasta from the twice James Beard-nominated chef and handmade pasta master, so even though branzino with spinach and pine nuts and ribeye cap with french fries and arugula called to us, we went for two pasta dishes—and we were not disappointed. Spaghetti all’ arrabiata was beautifully al dente with the requisite fiery tomato sauce. Cacio e pepe, a simple Roman staple traditionally made with only pasta, cracked black pepper, Pecorino Romano, and a few spoonfuls of pasta water, was creamy, peppery, and cheesy, with a toothsome bite. The savory sauce completely coated the tonnarelli’s fat, squared pasta strands. Favoloso!
SUCCULENT PRAWNS in green garlic salsa verde.
Full, but not ready to leave the lovely meal behind quite yet, we shared a velvety tiramisu. Espresso-and-marsala-soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone, and Madagascar chocolate dust hit all the right dessert notes.
We will definitely be back.
Mother Wolf; 1545 Wilcox Ave.; in the former Hollywood Citizen News building; 323-515-1077; motherwolfla.com.
Category: Entertainment
