Burrata, pure and simple
(Credit: Los Angeles Times/Courtney Hergesheimer)
On a recent evening at Charcoal—the post-Arclight, pre-Cahuenga-crawl hangout—our server raved volumes about the burrata appetizer. What we ultimately encountered amounted to little more than a caprese salad, the poor dab of cheese sloshing haphazardly atop the sea of half-sliced cherry tomatoes, bruised basil and too-too much olive oil.
It may simply be a function of economics. Replacing mozzarella with something as haute as burrata justifies a significant markup. Our appetizer at the Hollywood steakhouse cost $9. A similar take at the Highland Park gastropub The York—this time with heirloom tomatoes—is $12, and Luna Park’s recently revamped menu features one (with extra parmesan garlic croutons, for goodness sake!) for $14.
Don’t get us wrong. Even in its barest form, the artisanal product is a revelation unto itself; it’s light yet luxurious, true to its roughly-translated “buttery” form. And in masterful hands, like Nancy Silverton who nightly reigns over her newly appointed mozzarella bar at Osteria Mozza, the muted cheese serves as both palette and paint to some true culinary inspirations.
While Silverton is not the pioneer of the current burrata craze (that distinction could very well go to Valentino’s Piero Selvaggio), she can certainly be credited for its appreciating currency. Before the dawn of the Mozza dynasty, she set up the famous Mozzarella Monday at Jar which has been using burrata for some time now; and Campanile still presents the creamy specialty for its Thursday’s Grilled Cheese nights.
Now, even in a town as trend-driven as L.A., some good things should stick around. And burrata is a very good thing, to borrow a phrase. To keep its reputation intact, we’ll be sure to indulge in it at reliable standbys. La Buca—which in its charmingly untrendy way describes it as “creamy mozzarella”—offers a rendition with arugula and speck that’s pure classic. It appears as a centerpiece of a glorious beet salad at Angelini Osteria and Valentino while Capo offers a portion with a simple drizzle of quality olive oil.
Il Grano’s BPT sandwich (that would be burrata, pancetta and tomato) graces this month's September cover of "Bon Appétit." The big cheese has surely arrived; it deserves to have its parts chosen wisely.
Katherine Spiers is contributing editor for Metromix Los Angeles.
