How to Get Into Mother Wolf, Hollywood’s Glittering Palace of Pizza and Pasta

Mother Wolf has been open for over two-and-a-half years now, yet is still one of the hottest restaurants not only in L.A.. but in the country. What do you think diners are responding to?

I think a lot of it has to do with the warmth and hospitality. Everyone that works here is so kind and welcoming. We have a really great pocket of regulars, and they always refer their friends or colleagues. So I think it’s a nice circle of people who just love the space, and the people that work here, and the food, and the staff. 

You mentioned regulars. What’s the balance on a normal night between regulars and out-of-towners? Business dinners versus families going out? 

We have some regulars that we see once or twice a week, a few times a month. There are a lot of agencies and things that have their business dinners here. We have the two private dining rooms for that in the back.

Can I specifically reserve those dining rooms on Resy?

No. It would come through me directly rather than Resy.

How many seats do you have? 

You’re looking at 160-165. 

Many Hollywood industry events happen here. Are those dates closed off on Resy?

Typically, with that kind of stuff, it’s going to be a private event where we’re closed to the public. Those dates would be blocked out, yes.  

What does a typical Friday night at 7:30 look like? 

We open at 5:30 on Fridays. Ideally, we’d love to see the dining room completely seated by about 6:30-6:45. And then tables are turning for that 7:30 head. We are typically doing about 380 to 400 covers on Fridays. Private dining rooms are booked—some group dinners, lots of celebrations. Just people having a good time with things.

I would say the sweet spot for requests is that 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. window. That would be considered prime time here. So, that’s going to be where guests are trying their luck as walk-ins, which we are always able to accommodate at our bar counter. It’s just open seating, but we ask that you check with the front desk. We also have our pizza counter, which is open seating and really lovely. There are six seats there and that can be used for walk-ins. 

So those two areas held for walk-ins? 

Yes, there are two corner-bar high-tops by the wine room as well. 

And what time do reservations hit Resy? 

9:00 a.m., a week prior. We have a seven-day booking window. 

How quickly do reservations fill up?

Prime-time availability? I would say day-of. I think it’s really lovely to be here for a first turn. I am a notoriously late-night diner, so, for me, if I was here at 5:30 or 6:00 p.m., that could be lunch. And then I do enjoy a 9:15 or 9:30 dinner. Because I have done this for such a long time, I like to avoid the chaos a little bit. But those prime time slots are spoken for right out the gate. 

How long is your Notify list? 

On the weekends, you are looking at it being about 250 to 500 guests. 

Oh, wow! So the odds are not good?

Actually, when we need spots to fill up, our confirmation texts go out at 4 p.m. the day prior and I’ll reach out to people on the Notify list by text and say, “hey, were you still looking to join us tomorrow?” And if you are, I’ll let you know what the best available time is. So, keep in mind, if you’re looking to score a spot, and are having a hard time, the confirmation texts are going out 4 p.m. the day prior, and you can always put yourself on the Notify list because we do reach out. 

Any tips or tricks to get a coveted reservation?

Reaching out to the info email account is a good thing. Just let them know, “Hey, I’m celebrating our anniversary. Is there any way you can squeeze us in, or can we look at what availability you have, if anything opens up?” We always keep that in our back pocket.

Oh, I see. So not the same. What do you think is the best seat in the house? 

I love the pizza counter here. I love the bar high-tops. I think they’re lovely for people watching, especially since you can get a view of the front door. Guests love table 90, which is this large booth [points to a booth near the kitchen]. You can get a view of the pass, which is lovely. It’s just great people watching. 

Can diners request specifically Table 90 or any other specific seats?

We can do our best to accommodate. I think the thing when making those types of requests is to keep in mind that if you have a 5:30 or 6:00 reservation, it’s going to be easier to accommodate that than something during prime time, because we can’t anticipate how the tables will be reserved. 

If I’m a regular at chef Evan Funke’s other restaurants, say Felix or Funke, will there be similarities? Something completely different? 

I think there are some similar items that you will see, like the blue prawn gamberi, the fiori di zucca, the tonnarelli cacio e pepe, and the branzino. But then there are house specialties here that are different each time. 

What are some of your favorite dishes or items not to be missed? 

I always love the pizza bianca. It’s classic. Very simple. If you enjoy sardines or anchovies, I would say the bruschetta alici e burro is lovely. The fiori di zucca is lovely—a house favorite. Each venue has them. The La Mortazza pizza is kind of having a viral moment. You’ll see that a lot on chef Evan’s Instagram stories. Any of the pastas are always fantastic. The fusilli al cinghiale is something that’s very special to me, the wild boar. And the lamb chops too.

What about drinks? 

The Vesuvio is fantastic. If you like mezcal, it’s a mezcal Negroni. We have some really great non-alcoholic beverages, too, like a N/A Negroni. Our bartenders also highlight the farmer’s market appeal. The Buona Parola has mezcal and sugar snap peas, as created by one of our bartenders. [Editor’s note: the extensive, almost exclusively Italian, wine list is also worth a deep dive.]

And is there a specific way you or the chef recommend approaching the menu? 

I think ideally, start out with a pane [bread]–the pizza rossa is fantastic. Move on to try one of the salads. Do a pizza for sure. A pasta or two and definitely an entree if that’s what you’re in the mood for. But there really are no set rules for what you need to order. Just have fun with it while you’re here. Enjoy yourself. It’s a great place to have dinner. We’re playing really fun music. It’s like old-school 90s hip hop. I think Chef Evan has put together a really fantastic experience for guests, and he’s got a kitchen team of people who are really passionate about what they do and just want to make people happy and enjoy themselves. 

Oren Peleg is a screenwriter and journalist based in Los Angeles. His work appears in Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest, The Hollywood Reporter, Eater, and more. Subscribe to his newsletter here. And you can follow him here. While you’re at it, follow Resy, too.