Osteria Mozza and Craft

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The two most most hotly anticipated restaurants of the year are both opening tomorrow night: Osteria Mozza, the joint venture from chefs Nancy Silverton and Mario Batali, and Craft chef Tom Colicchio’s first Los Angeles outpost, in Century City. They haven’t even opened their doors to the public and they’re already the toughest reservations in town.

When I called Craft this morning (directory assistance still didn’t have the number), I was immediately greeted by an ‘all reservation agents are busy at this time’ message. After four and a half minutes on hold, I heard a voice saying, ‘Warning: Your call is being recorded.’ Then I got a reservationist. A reservation for two tomorrow? Only if I could go for 6:30 or earlier or 9:30 or later. Same story for Saturday. The following weekend? ‘Same thing,’ she said, ‘only Saturday’s even a little busier.’ After a few stabs at trying to book a table for two during something like the dinner hour, I managed to book one for Thursday the 19th, at 7:00. The first weekend table for two at 8? Aug. 3.

That was a piece of cake compared with Osteria Mozza. Last night Silverton was cooking for a full house of ‘friends and family’ (that’s restaurant-speak for a rehearsal dinner). Others who wanted to get in had to settle for pressing their nose against the glass case outside the door enshrining Mario’s orange clog. Inside Pizzeria Mozza next door, the crowd -- Drew Barrymore among them -- pretended not to care they weren’t eating at the Osteria. Reservations for the new place? Fuggedaboudit, for now anyway: The phone’s been busy all morning.

Craft Los Angeles, 10100 Constellation Blvd., Los Angeles; (310) 279-4180. Osteria Mozza, 6602 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles; (323) 297-0100.

-- Leslie Brenner