"We don’t need to overexplain Mother Wolf. Even if you aren’t the restaurant person in your group, you’ve probably heard of this splashy Italian restaurant in Hollywood. The concept has already been exported to Vegas, and there’s another location slated for Miami. We’ve eaten here dozens of times since it opened in 2022, and yet, every time we go, we wonder where on the scale of excellence the meal is going to fall. How is that possible? Inconsistencies. Mother Wolf is a good restaurant overall—and depending on the night, a great one—but it’s marred by up-and-down service and pastas that can be stunningly delicious one night and just fine the next. Oddly, the main source of Mother Wolf’s inconsistencies is also the restaurant’s most impressive attribute: its enormous dining room. No matter how many times we’ve stepped inside, the ballroom-eseque space still gets our blood pumping. It feels part Las Vegas, part Carbone, and part Roman banquet hall—all crammed inside the Madonna Inn. On nights when all the elements click into place, few dining rooms are more memorable. But the energy (and attention from the staff) isn’t always spread equally among the tables. photo credit: Jakob Layman photo credit: Jakob Layman photo credit: Jakob Layman photo credit: Jakob Layman photo credit: Jakob Layman Mother Wolf remains reliably crowded most nights, but there’s always a section or two removed from the action. That might be the tables by the door, the row of circular booths in the back, or sometimes even the bar area—it should also be noted Mother Wolf’s center of gravity is in a different location each night. Get sat on the outskirts of it and you’ll spend the evening craning your neck wondering where your overloaded server has vanished to. It also means the signature pasta like cacio e pepe and rigatoni all’amatriciana—which should undoubtedly be your priority here—arrive slightly more deflated after their long commute from the kitchen. It’s a relatively small complaint, but one worth factoring in when you’ll find the same pasta at the same price at the chef’s original and more intimate restaurant in Venice, Felix. We should emphasize, however, that there are nights when everything does come together. The section you got put in is roaring, the spaghetti all’arrabbiata is perfection, and your server is fretting your table like you’re guests at Elton John’s birthday. During these moments—which do happen regularly—Mother Wolf is undefeated. And the relative risk of a just-fine meal here is worth the upside. The very worst that could happen is you get dressed up, pile into a pink booth with friends, and have a negroni-fueled night out in Hollywood. And as long as you’re good with that being the base-level experience, Mother Wolf deserves a place in your pasta palace rotation. Food Rundown photo credit: Jakob Layman Pizza Rossa If you showed up to Mother Wolf ravenous or are planning to carbo-load before a Tough Mudder, this pillowy flatbread is great to have on your table at the start of the meal. If you don’t fall into those categories, hold off and wait for the regular pizza to arrive. photo credit: Jakob Layman Gamberi In Salsa Verde This is our favorite dish from the appetizer section. The blue prawns are plump and briny, and the bright salsa verde provides a garlicky, acidic punch. Hang on to the leftover sauce after the prawns are gone. You’ll want it for dipping later. Fiori Di Zucca If you didn’t see this dish on Instagram prior to coming, you’ll see it on every table around you. Is it good? Sure. Most fried things stuffed with cheese are, but it’s also quite salty and not that distinct from what you’d find at a lot of Italian restaurants around town. photo credit: Jakob Layman La Mortazza You’re at Mother Wolf to eat pasta, but if this folded masterpiece isn’t included in your order as well, you’ve missed one of the menu’s best dishes. Silky mortadella, sweet ricotta, and pistachios wrapped in a charred, bubbly crust. Is it pizza? A sandwich? An Italian Crunch Wrap Supreme? We don’t care, it’s delicious. photo credit: Jakob Layman Tonnarelli Cacio E Pepe When this dish is at its best, few other pastas in LA can compare. The cheesy, peppery sauce clings to the spot-on al dente noodles so naturally it’s like Tarzan swinging on a rope vine. The problem is you’ll get the elite version maybe half the time, and a stodgier, colder version the other times. photo credit: Jakob Layman Rigatoni All’Amatriciana See above, just replace “cheesy, peppery sauce”with “porky, tomato-y sauce.” Brazino Alla Brace A meal at Mother Wolf is going to involve a lot of carbs. Balance it out with a whole branzino. The meat is tender, flaky, and extremely light—good news if you went a little too hard on the La Mortazza earlier. There’s a bed of buttery sauteed spinach with pine nuts underneath, because we all need some greens, too." - Brant Cox