I had one of the best nights out back in February dining at chef Evan Funke’s newest Roman spot Mother Wolf in Hollywood with the Eater LA team. The energy in the palatial dining room was palpable this evening, with groups all dressed up, crammed into booths, and eating and drinking the night away. Even Jay and Bey showed up. It was grand.

It’s been such a treat to dine inside restaurants and to point my camera at thoughtfully plated food after two years of photographing sweaty takeout meals. I’ll let the pictures do the talking from here on out.

Pizza rossa ($12) with salsa di pomodoro, sea salt, and olive oil.

Suppli al telefono ($14), a risotto croquette with guanciale, pomodoro, and Pecorino

A Roman-Jewish specialty of fried artichokes ($26) with mint, lemon, and salsa di acciughe (anchovy).

A simple salad made from Coleman Farms lettuces, herbs, and wild greens ($22).

Oxtail meatballs in a sugo di pomodoro with Pecorino Romano ($22).

Bruschetta di porchetta della casa, finocchietto ($24).

Chef sent out a few off-menu dishes for us to sample, including the marinated artichokes with mint…

…and a panzanella salad with plenty of tomatoes and crunchy croutons.

We couldn’t leave without trying at least one pizza. The margherita ($25) came topped with fior di latte, salsa di pomodoro, basil, and olive oil. It’s hard to go wrong with a classic.

Moving onto the pastas, we loved the spaghetti alle vongole ($34) made with Manila clams, aglio e olio, and peperoncino.

Also fantastic and legitimately spicy was the spaghetti all’arrabbiata ($24). Yow.

By the time the proteins arrived at the table, I was tapped out of gastro real estate. Matt and Farley took care of the prime ribeye cap served with patate fritte and wild arugula…

…along with the Australian lamb rib chops with cicoria strascinata and salsa verde ($56).

I sat up a bit straighter when the amari cart rolled tableside. We each ordered a digestif of choice to ready our palates for the parade of incredible desserts from chef Shannon Swindle.

It’s never a bad idea to order one of everything when a pastry legend is in the house: chocolate tart, olive oil cake, apple crostata…

…a ricotta panna cotta with wild huckleberries, rhubarb, and a biscotti ($15)…

…and finally, Chef Swindle’s take on a maritozzo, a classic Roman sweet bun filled with chantilly with a hidden pocket of strawberries and topped with powdered sugar ($15). What a beautiful night.

While restaurant food blogs have gone the way of the dodo bird, it still gives me immense pleasure to share dining experiences in this dinosaur of an online space. Thanks for coming along, especially those of you who’ve stuck around for the past 15 years.

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Mother Wolf
1545 Wilcox Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Phone: 323-410-6060

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