THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Mazzini Trattoria

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Mazzini Trattoria Restaurant Review:

Laura Maser and her co-owner husband, Jim, are involved with two other successful Berkeley restaurants, Café Fanny and Picante Cocina Mexicana. Here, start with a few shared appetizers, perhaps crostini al cavolfiore, a creative mix of cauliflower, capers, anchovy and olive oil atop toasted thin slices of whole-grain bread. The orecchiette with turnip greens, garlic and a touch of hot pepper is our idea of Italian comfort food. We also like the Tuscan fish stew and the tagliata, thinly sliced New York strip steak served with arugula, shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano and french fries. The all-Italian wine list, with many selections rarely found in restaurants, complements the menu. Our favorite dessert is the panna cotta, a slightly sweet, thickened cream garnished with tiny pieces of candied orange and semisweet chocolate.