Los Angeles Pizza

I have had terrible luck finding good pizza in LA. California Pizza Kitchen has got to be one of the worst places to eat in the world, with pizzas so small a mosquito would go away hungry and some of the least manly toppings I have ever heard of. Most of the pizza around here is of the delivery variety... cardboard crust with a little bit of dampness on top to simulate toppings. If you're lucky you might find a takeout place serving elementary school cafeteria style 'za cut into squares. That's as good as you can hope for at most places. Even the "good joints" let you down with topheavy pizza where all the toppings slide off like the hillsides in Malibu after a good rain, or woefully unbalanced pizzas with too much of some things and too little of others.

I finally found a place that makes me happy though... Dino's Pizza on the corner of Hollywood Way and Burbank Bl in Burbank. They aren't open after 9 pm (nothing is in Burbank), but it's darn near perfect... Family owned, fresh ingredients, homemade everything, fair prices and great service. I went there again last night and had a Meat Lover's Pizza with fresh basil. It was great. Folks in the LA area should definitely check it out. It's just down the street from the Burbank Bob Hope airport, so if you're visiting the area, it's a good place to fill up after a long flight.

Steve,
There are quite a few good pizza places in SoCal...it's just that there are so many bad ones the good are harder to find!
In your general area, I recommend Little TOny's in NoHo...haven't been there in 5+ years but it was pretty good. Also, one of the standard-bearers of traditional style pizza in LA is Casa BIanca in Eagle ROck...definately worth trying out.

I've been to both of those places. Casa Bianca is an old time favorite joint of mine. Little Tony's is dreadful though. Their pizza comes swimming in grease. I got one there once with a lake in the middle of it. I had to ask for a pile of paper napkins to sop it all up.

I used to like Lidos Pizza in Van Nuys, but it hasn't been as good lately. Dinos is better and the people there are nice too. I just wish they were open later. Italian Fisherman on Riverside is good too.

See ya
Steve

Your point on Little TOny's is well-taken. As I said, it's been awhile, but I do remember one visit sending it back for them to cook it some more...and the result was worth it. I'll have to give Dino's a try sometime.

I'm a big fan of Carmine's in South Pas. Wonderful chewy crust and the desserts are good too--I remember a lemon sponge cake or something like that.

I used to love Numero Uno's pizza in the late 70's around L.A. I think it's still located in Glendale. Best crust I ever had on a pizza!

Steve,
Check out Brooklyn Brick Oven Pizza on 500 S. Sepulveda in Manhattan Beach. I have taken transplanted New Yorkers there and they all give it 2 thumbs up. The owner had a place in Brooklyn and knows what he's doing, down to the containers of oregano and garlic powder on the tables. Its my favorite here and worth a drive.

Steve Doggie-Dogg:

Thanks for the tip on Dino's. I pretty much have stopped eating pizza in LA because it just doesn't taste good. Sometimes I'll find a place with passable pizza but most of the time I just opt for Thai or Vietnamese when I think about take-out.

I do like Casa Bianca (but hate the wait) but you have to eat the pizza there since the consistency and texture of the cheese changes when you get take-out (just out of the oven it is nice and creamy - yum!)

I was born in LA and have fond memories of the pizza of my youth: good tasting crust and plenty of sauce and toppings. Alas, I only have the memories....

Has anyone tried Cheebo on Hollywood (just east of Fairfax)? The pizza was made with high quality ingreds and tasted good but again it needed more sauce and cheese. With places like that I always order extra cheese, they charge you 3 bucks and then they add just a little sprinkle more - Urgh! What is wrong with wanting cheese on your pizza da**it!?

Try Valentinos in Manhattan Beach on Aviation south of Rosecrans.
Good NY Pizza, they're from Canarsie. They also make good Heros.
There's another place in Fairfax District called Albanos that's not too bad.

Steve, if you ever find yourself on Rt 66 in Upland with a pizza hankering, try Rizza Pizza.

There are two exceptional pizza places in L.A...some of the best I've had anywhere. Unfortunately, had to work through thousands of crappy pies to find these two gems:

1. La Piazza (in the Grove). Wafer thin,whisper of a delicate crust. Exceptionally high quality cheese and perfect sauce. Really doesn't need any toppings, but the prosciuto or pepperoni version are sublime. Chic sit down Italian place,but don't let this deter you..this is not Wolfgang Puck pizza..simply sit outside by the outdoor/indoor, have a Moretti with your pizza, and watch the celebrites go by.

2. Village Pizza (I believe that's the name) in Larchmont Village. THE most authentic NY style pizza in L.A....gets it right where all other so-called "Authentic NY" places fall so woefully short.

Also, although certainly not up to the excellence of the above, both the pizza stands in the Farmer's Market are pretty decent.

I lived right by Dino's for eight years. Always thought the crust was terrible. Had a weird watery taste. But, a lot of people in Burbank love the place. Used to be a NY style place on the corner of Victory and Olive that I enjoyed. A guy that was actually from NY worked there for awhile. Now it's part of the "Pizza Factory" chain and not the same. For a whole pizza in Burbank, I would now go to "Monte Carlo's Pinnochio," a place that really should be reviewed here on RoadFood. For just a slice, I would try to get a freshly made slice of pepperoni at "Taste of Chicago"(don't bother with anything else they sell. Only the pepperoni pizza is worth your time). There's also a fairly new place nearby in Toluca Lake called "The Italian Fisherman." I've had a few decent slices there.

It's true that overall, LA is not a great town for pizza. I'm glad to be back in NorCal where most mom and pop's and local chains are good to great.

Can't say I agree about Dino's. It changed ownership like a year ago and seems to be getting better and better all the time- but lately sometimes it is so busy that the wait has gotten longer, which I don't like. Their salads are good, too. I love the crust!

I don't like Monte Carlo at all -- except the grocery part which is really good with cold cuts and great cheese, etc., but the food is like cafeteria food. Dino's and Tony's Bela Vista are the only two places I will eat pizza in Burbank.

The only things I've had at the Chicago place were a hot dog, which was okay, and a piece of weird pizza with cubes of pepperoni and leathery cheese, which wasn't okay.

quote:

Originally posted by neenerator

Can't say I agree about Dino's. It changed ownership like a year ago and seems to be getting better and better all the time- but lately sometimes it is so busy that the wait has gotten longer, which I don't like. Their salads are good, too. I love the crust!

I don't like Monte Carlo at all -- except the grocery part which is really good with cold cuts and great cheese, etc., but the food is like cafeteria food. Dino's and Tony's Bela Vista are the only two places I will eat pizza in Burbank.

The only things I've had at the Chicago place were a hot dog, which was okay, and a piece of weird pizza with cubes of pepperoni and leathery cheese, which wasn't okay.

I have not been to Dino's in over a year, so yes, they may be better now. I had their pizza 5 to 10 times during the late 90's/early 2000's and the crust was ALWAYS bad. Still, many people in Burbank are hardcore fans of the place.

Yeah, Monte Carlo is not for everyone. But, as far as non-chain pizza in Burbank, it was the best I found. The grocery is great. Always meant to go to Tony's but never got around to it. Someone brought some into work once, but I did not care for it.

Myself and others LOVED Taste of Chicago's pepperoni pizza when it first opened. But, I have not been there in several months. Would not be surprised if they let the quality slip to the level of the rest of their food.

Did you ever try "New York Pizza Dough?" It was at Olive & Victory where "Pizza Factory" is now.

Fair enough. You and I may have different taste in pizza. Also maybe I went to Taste Chicago on a bad day. It was leathery and weird and I was confused by it. There do seem to be people eating there, but I don't know what they're eating.

I have to avoid going to Monte Carlo because I want to buy a quarter pound of every sausuage, salami, prosciutto, and other meat in the refrigerator case. Cheese, too. I tried one called the drunken goat recently, which was goat cheese soaked in cabernet or some other deep purple red wine. And some sopressatta. Mmmmm... and they have gelato now, too. I just love that place. It's very busy and I have to wait a long time every time I go.

You might like Dino's now. It has changed a whole lot. Their menu is different, the pizza is just what I like (though maybe not what you like). They were voted best pizza in Burbank. There are no more video games and the blue tarps everywhere are gone and the dining room is comfortable, though it's still very casual. They have really, really good salads now, if you're into that.

No, I never tried NY pizza dough. I moved to Burbank in the mid-nineties. When was it there? I have had a terrible time finding anything to eat in Burbank. We often end up going out of Burbank to find a good meal.

quote:

Originally posted by neenerator

Fair enough. You and I may have different taste in pizza. Also maybe I went to Taste Chicago on a bad day. It was leathery and weird and I was confused by it. There do seem to be people eating there, but I don't know what they're eating.

No, I never tried NY pizza dough. I moved to Burbank in the mid-nineties. When was it there? I have had a terrible time finding anything to eat in Burbank. We often end up going out of Burbank to find a good meal.

Sounds like you did not get a freshly made slice at Taste Chicago. That has happened to me too. That place is just not run well.

I don't know when New York Pizza Dough first opened, but I first went there in '98. I think it became "Pizza Factory" somewhere around 2000 or 2001.

I lived and worked in the Burbank area for eight years. So, I know it's not a great town for food. There are a few places I miss. Have you been to Santoro's, Chilli John's, Papoos - The Hot Dog Show, or Frontier Wok? I'd be interested in knowing where you like to eat in or near Burbank. I will be down there visiting friends in a few months and would like to try some places I never got around to while I was still living there.

I've been to Santoro's and Chili John's. I love Chili John's, though I read on Chowhounds that it isn't the public favorite I thought it was. I love that super-concentrated chili flavor. I'm not sure that I could eat a big bowl of it straight, but scooping it up with big fritos is about as close to perfect as I could imagine.

Santoro's, eh. Doesn't please me. It's still there and still popular, I gather. Frontier Wok is spotty. We've had enough bad meals there that we won't go back, but it does seem to be busy.

Papoo's I don't really care for.

For other places in Burbank...boy there aren't even a handful. We eat at Dino's, Danny's Mediterranean (for delivery or take-out), and sometimes at Mi Piace when we are desperate. Recommendations for Eat'n'Park produced very disappointing results. The food was tasteless and took a very long time to arrive.Our favorite place is in North Hollywood: Ca Del Solé, which has wonderful upscale Italian, very gently and subtly prepared and presented. The price is very reasonable considering the level of quality. It's really good. And the service is typically outstanding.

The Tallyrand does decent coffee shop food but I have had service problems there, and there is often a long wait to eat. The chicken club sandwich there is wonderful.

For breakfast, we usually head to Jumpin' Java on Ventura in Studio City, or over to Nat's in Valley Village. Both have a good variety of offerings and consistently good eggs and basics as well. The burritos at Sahuayo on Oxnard near Cahuenga are terrific, and the food in general at Casita Tacos al Carbon is reliably good (two locations: victory & magnolia and bakman & magnolia - bakman's better).

Sorry I can't be much help. Burbank just isn't much of an eating town. No Ho is better, Studio City is much better.

Does anyone know of a pizza place that makes a pizza similar to the one La Babaras made back in the 1980's. It was on Wilshire blvd. near Westwood?

While I can get New York-style pizza anytime here in New York City, I make it a point to visit the Shakey's Pizzerias in Los Angeles and vicinity that are owned by the Jacmar Companies when I am out there. Maybe it is just that I want a change once in a while, but I find them great!

Mulberry Street Pizza in Beverly Hills is solid. It's owned by Cathy Moriarty (the actress) and her husband Joe Gentile. Cathy couldn't get a decent slice of NY style pizza in LA so she opened up her own joint. And I'm glad she did! The slices are huge and the sauce is hearty and delicious. Everything about this pizza place screams NY from the cooks to the crooks!

quote:

Originally posted by godzilla222

Does anyone know of a pizza place that makes a pizza similar to the one La Babaras made back in the 1980's. It was on Wilshire blvd. near Westwood?

Boy are you right, I havn't had good pizza like that since they went out of business, Cant understand it. Must have been the high cost of lease in that area, but was always crowded.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Doggie-Dogg

I've been to both of those places. Casa Bianca is an old time favorite joint of mine. Little Tony's is dreadful though. Their pizza comes swimming in grease. I got one there once with a lake in the middle of it. I had to ask for a pile of paper napkins to sop it all up.

So you made one visit and report 'swimming in grease'? Well I've been going to the place for years - and have had their very fine pizza hundreds of times, and never found one to be 'greasy.' If you order meats, you're going to encounter some fats in most pizza. Frankly, I like their 'everything but Lankershim Blvd' pizza, with all the meat they pile on it... and it is always one of the finest pizzas I've been able to find anywhere.

quote:

Originally posted by roncul

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Doggie-Dogg

I've been to both of those places. Casa Bianca is an old time favorite joint of mine. Little Tony's is dreadful though. Their pizza comes swimming in grease. I got one there once with a lake in the middle of it. I had to ask for a pile of paper napkins to sop it all up.

So you made one visit and report 'swimming in grease'? Well I've been going to the place for years - and have had their very fine pizza hundreds of times, and never found one to be 'greasy.'

Is it your position that he lied? Are you saying that he did not get one "swimming in grease?"

There is agreat little hole in the wall pizza place by me called pizzasaurusrex. I love how they season their pizza, omg its so good.

You live in Los Angeles?

Has anyone tried Wolfgang Puck's newest restaurant, Pizza Mozza? It's supposed to be great.

quote:

Originally posted by dte3672

I used to love Numero Uno's pizza in the late 70's around L.A. I think it's still located in Glendale. Best crust I ever had on a pizza!

My Uncle owned a Numero Uno's when I was very young. Unfortunately, I don't remember the pizza at all. But I do still have an apron.