Although several of my friends are mozzarella aficionados (especially when paired with tomatoes in a caprese), I am not, so my decision to lunch at a Mozzarella Bar would seem to be a bit puzzling. Because I do like to try new places, and I am always intrigues by new concepts, I decided to try Obika, which advertises as the place to eat Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP, along with other authentic artisanal Italian products.
The display cases of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP are stunning, and they offer tasting menus of the various types, so you can sample a bite of each (delicate, smoked, or creamy) with a sampling of salumi, olives, or grilled organic vegetables, or have it combined with smoked salmon, proscuitto, or bresaola. This is a perfect place to come for Happy Hour, since wines and some cocktails are 50% off from 4-6pm.
Since I saw that they have organic salads, I had to try the Tonno, made with Cured Tuna in Olive Oil, Baby Lettuce, Caperberries, Oven Baked Olives and Sundried Tomatoes for $13. The presentation was lovely, and it is served with a basket of artisanal breads that make this a complete meal. The tuna is the kind that you see in upscale grocery stores selling for $15-$30 a can, it was rich, tender and textured, unlike any US name brands. The amount of sun dried olives and caperberries was a bit overwhelming in proportion to the rest of the salad; I had to leave half of each untouched to enjoy a balance of ingredients. Overall I would come back and try something else here because the quality of ingredients was outstanding, the service was professional, and the atmosphere is very clean and modern. Maybe next time I will bring one of my mozzarella loving friends in so they can give a review of true mozzarella freshly flown in from Italy.
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