Chi Spacca Expands The Mozza Empire - L.A.

The Mozza empire has expanded again.

This time, though, it's personal.

One door over from the bustling Osteria Mozza sits the 30-seat Chi Spacca, a pet project of chef Chad Colby, who has developed a Dario Cecchini-esque fascination with butchery, in the way Nancy Silverton once fixated on focaccia and Mario Batali became entangled in the world of pasta.

In the long open kitchen, you can watch Colby drizzle charred lemon over the spice-rubbed pollo al diavolo ($26), or slide plump sausage-stuffed portabellos ($20) into the wood-burning oven.

The menu is mostly family-style, so a table full of friends is ideal when choosing between the crackling whole-duck porchetta ($74; serves 4) or the gargantuan bistecca Fiorentina ($175 for 42 ounces).

But you'd be remiss if your group didn't begin with the affettati misti ($24), a charcuterie platter overloaded with two kinds of salami, paté, terrines, capocollo and prosciutto, all cured in-house for anywhere from 4 to 24 months.

Fresh-baked pane bianco spread with whipped lardo ($8) and a glass of ruby-red Gaglioppo Statti ($14) complete the meat, bread and wine trifecta.

Chi Spacca might be the newest member of the Mozza clan, but it already feels like old family.