The 17th best MAGA pizza joint in all of Ladera Ranch!
Joe's Italian has a weird business model: Alienate 50 percent of potential customers with your political takes—and then shit talk those who post negative reviews of your food.
Before I dive into today’s post, I want to make something clear: If you live in or near Ladera Ranch, and you enjoy the food and/or ambiance at Joe’s Italian Restaurant and Bar, you should 100 percent continue to frequent the joint.
I’m being sincere. I don’t want to exist in a world where we have an across-the-board litmus test for everything we eat, drink, drive, watch. For example, I have friends who—because of Jeff Bezos’ awfulness—have ditched Amazon. I respect the move, but I’m not doing it. The same goes for Chick-fil-A. I know the corporate lords don’t share many of my social beliefs. But, hot damn, I like their waffle fries.
So, to reiterate: If you lack taste buds and somehow dig Joe’s, go to Joe’s. Eat the cardboard pizza, drink the wine, have yourself a gay straight-couple-with-no-pronouns ol’ time.
That said …
Earlier today, my friend Jerry forwarded me this Sunday afternoon post from Joseph Moscatiello, owner of Ladera Ranch’s 17th best Italian eatery. And, eh, it’s not the greatest look …
There are questions to be asked, and here they are:
Question 1: Joe, are your Puerto Rican customers not real Americans? How about your Mexican customers? And can people who speak primarily Spanish eat your pizza? Or is it an English-only establishment?
Question 2: Joe, have you ever had Latinos working for you? In the kitchen? Waiting tables? Cleaning dishes? If so, why didn’t you give those positions to “real” Americans?
Question 3: Would you turn over your employees to ICE? And, afterward, do the masked ICE agents eat for free, or is it the 20-percent employee discount?
Question 4: When Donald Trump pardoned the 1.6 attackers, was he behaving in an “All-American” manner? How about now, as he sues the government for $10 billion—the entirely to come from taxpayers? That “All-American” enough for you? And since we’re asking questions, how do you feel about the Epstein files? Is it “All-American” to fondle kids? How about protecting people who fondled kids? And what if those kid-fondlers like pizza? Do they, too, receive the employee discount?
Question 5: Why does your sauce taste like watery Heinz mixed with a dollop o’ Eric Trump’s phlegm?
Question 6: Do you prefer MAGA customers to liberals? Should left-leaning Californians merely avoid your eatery?
•••
Actually, let’s focus on Question 6. Because either:
A. Joe aspires to run a MAGA-only joint
or …
B. He’s oyster-level dumb, and links his Facebook page from his business IG without contemplating the ramifications. Which, I’m guessing, is the proper answer. Because Joe posts some real doozies.
Like …
And …
And …
And …
Oh, well.
There’s always Domino’s.
•••
PS: Side observation: Joe’s replies to Yelp review are, eh, entertaining …














He uses his business handle to make political statements and is upset about people commenting about it? This guy has been problematic for years. During Covid he spewed political garbage all over restaurant forums while aggressively belittling anyone that spoke up to defend workers. The way he comments on Yelp is really uncalled for but I guess his patrons that are of the ‘f your feelings’ crowd love it. When someone shows you who they are, believe them.
I tried that place a couple of years ago and concur regarding the sauce.
It's wild to me that people find community in an environment like Joe creates. It simply tells me how much work those of us who want to make the world a better place have to get done.