Mora Italian
Mora’s a she, we’re told, a restaurant fully personified, and she isn’t afraid to strut. Lipstick-red accents streak across gleaming white tile, brightly hued banquettes bracket lacquered wood tables and a team of stylishly attired staff whiz about the room, serving up quaffable wines and crisp cocktails with equal parts class and sass. Mostly enjoyable and on the ball, they do have a tendency to disappear when the place gets lively. And boy howdy, does it get lively.
Though it’s been billed as a casual osteria, make no mistake, Mora is a fullblown scene.
Noisy and brimming with energy even during the week, it’s transformed by the peak weekend crowds into a pulsating hot spot, right down to a television-clad bar that shows more replays than a hockey stadium scoreboard and a DJ whose Eurodance tunes could fool you into thinking you’re shopping for vegan leather jeggings. None of which should be construed as criticism, because while it slips right into the newly bedazzled Seventh Street milieu, Mora does so with a little more class and considerably more flavor than most of its neighbors.
Conant was a chef before he was a celebrity and a cook before he was a chef, and there are precious few who will dispute that the dude can cook. But at his level, even on his newly adopted home turf, running a kitchen is more about oversight and delegation. While Conant will certainly pop in, diners are more likely to encounter executive chef Ryan Morrison, who has worked with Conant for over a decade, and chef de cuisine Matthew Taylor, known most recently for his work helming Noca and Gertrude’s. Together, the team has devised a crafty menu that is bright, brash and designed to woo a crowd with a hint of refinement ... when it’s on.
Simple winners, excellent pastas
Though busy compared to classic Italian, Mora isn’t without its simpler offerings. Billed as pate, a foie gras and chicken liver spread ($13) with grilled bread more closely resembles Tuscany’s emblematic crostini, a savvy take that possesses the same rich depth and an almost dirty kick in a silkier package.
Fritto misto ($17) is righteously laser focused, a crisp and hot mix of fried seafood and vegetables without a drop of sauce in sight, exactly as it should be when a dash of salt and a squeeze of lemon are all that’s needed. Heirloom tomatoes ($14) with a simple shallot vinaigrette are plump and sweet, though a mix of lightly dressed endive and radicchio ($9) comes across as a bit stark.
Chicken in potacchio ($22) is a simple and saucy main, drowned in rich jus atop braised fennel and tomatoes that are marinated Where: 5651 N. Seventh St., Phoenix. Hours: 4-10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays. 4-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Brunch 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Details: 602-795-9943, moraitalian.com. Price: $40-$70 per person, excluding beverage, tax and tip. Stars: 3.5 (out of 5) and roasted to intensify their flavor. But for those who harbor a weakness for tomatoes, Conant’s signature pasta al pomodoro ($18) is pure kryptonite, a nest of thick, chewy spaghetti in a sweet and buttery sugo with a blast of basil and a gentle chile buzz.
The pasta game here is strong, all freshly made with a robust bite, dressed in a manner that hovers somewhere between classic Italian and ItalianAmerican. Spiral-shaped torchio ($20) get a meaty porcini and sausage ragu, strozzapreti ($21) are tangled up with tender duck and a touch of truffle, while fettuccine ($17) is treated with slivered mushrooms and verdant, garlicky wilted escarole. My favorite, however, may be the black campanelle ($22), a smart riff on spaghetti with clams that puts a fresh face on the classic dish with the sting of fresno chiles and the briny punch of bottarga breadcrumbs.
Smart riffs on classics