Yes, I have an Italian Restaurant Guide already – but I feel like a Pizza craving is a very specific need. These are the places that I daydream about when these cravings hit. Many of these restaurants have amazing food other than pizza, but their pizza is very special. I think all the options below provide a very different pizza experience and I know you will love them all!
Jon & Vinny’s: So, you may have been looking for Jon & Vinny’s on my Italian restaurant guide since I frequently list it as one of my favorite Italian restaurants - but I cannot go to this restaurant without ordering the LA Woman Pizza - so I felt like it needed to be included on my pizza list! There are two locations of Jon & Vinny’s – one on Fairfax and one in Brentwood. Whichever you choose – make a reservation – this place gets crowded! They have an amazing wine list of course – and a Helen’s Wines located at each location, which is amazing! You can peruse the wine selection after dinner and then take home a few bottles of new and interesting bottles. As for the food menu – I really do enjoy the pasta options! The Cacio e Pepe is divine and the Spicy Fusilli with Vodka Sauce, Basil, and Parmesan is perfection. However, as I stated earlier – the LA Woman Pizza is my favorite – it’s so simple, yet so special – it is a pizza with Burrata, Tomato, Basil, Olive Oil, and Sea Salt – that’s it – and it’s soooooo very good!
L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele: You may have heard about L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele from Eat, Pray, Love – but even if you have never read that book and don’t care about that movie – please go to this restaurant in Hollywood! It’s the first U.S. location of this historic pizzeria from Naples and it’s heaven! There are a few seating options – interior, front patio, and back patio. I’ve been seated at all of them and while the back patio (which features the beautiful pizza oven) is the best place to sit – the pizza is just as delicious wherever you are so, it doesn’t really matter. There is one problem with the pizza at L’Antica…I can eat about 6 slices before I even stop to consider that maybe I’m eating too much...it’s amazing is what I am saying. The Margherita Pizza just melts in your mouth – the crust is perfect and the ingredients are so fresh and delectable. My other favorite pizza at L’Antica is the Caserta which has Fior de Latte, Pecorino, Basil, Rapini, Italian Sausage, and Calabrian Chili – fantastic!!! I know this is a pizza guide, but it would be very remiss of me not to mention the Gnocco Fritto. Gnocco Fritto are basically mini sandwiches made out of Fried Pizza Dough filled with Burrata, Prosciutto, and Arugula. They are little balls of magic. So delicious! They bring me such joy and I definitely daydream about them at random times during my life.
Mulberry Street Pizzeria: I had my first slice of Mulberry Street Pizza years ago at one of their Beverly Hills locations and fell in love! Then we were lucky enough to have one open in Sherman Oaks soon after we moved to Los Angeles! It just seems like it was meant to be! Now I get to enjoy it from the comfort of my cozy couch any night of the week and it’s glorious! Their standard pizza has a super thin crust and I love their Fresh Spinach White Pizza, but I always enjoy a plain cheese slice as well. They also make a thick-crust Sicilian Pizza that is so good – but crazy filling. I like to order their Chopped Salad in addition to the pizza (to make me feel healthy, ha!) It’s the perfect place to order from for a Pizza & Wine Night at home – paired with your favorite Pinot Noir – it’s heaven!
Pizzana: I’m a big fan of Pizzana – they have two locations as well – one in WeHo and one in Brentwood. They also have Neapolitan style pizza with amazing crust! Now, what is very special at Pizzana is the Cacio e Pepe Pizza...it’s magic! All your favorite flavors of Cacio e Pepe, but in pizza form. I’m also a fan of the Margherita Pizza and don’t forget about the Corbarina Pizza with San Marzano tomatoes, squash blossoms, burrata, cherry tomatoes, and gremolata. Also, to start it will be very difficult to choose between the Chop Salad, Polpette al Forno (meatballs), and the Caprese di Burrata – bring friends and order them all!
Roberta’s: I’ve worked in Culver City for the past 3.5 years and was beyond excited when I found out there was a Roberta’s opening nearby! I had heard about their pizza in Brooklyn and the buzz it had created there, so I was eager to try it. It certainly did not disappoint! It’s located at the Platform in Culver City, which has a variety of fun restaurants, shops, and – of course – a SoulCycle! You can valet close to Roberta’s entrance or park in the garage across the street – either way is super convenient! It’s great for lunch or dinner and their menu will leave you with some difficult decisions to make. Which pizza do you get? Should you also get a pasta? What about salad? Well – this post is about pizza so let’s focus on that for a minute. You can’t go wrong with any pizza on their menu, but my favorites are the Famous Original Pizza (tomato, mozzarella, parmigiano reggiano, caciocavallo, oregano, chili) and the Bee Sting (tomato, soppressata, mozzarella, chili, honey, basil). Their crust is perfection! The toppings have just the right balance of cheese with a hint of spice! So good! You can also order pasta, salads, and anything else you like – but most importantly – you need to order the House Made Stracciatella Cheese with Bread. You will not regret it! It’s amazing and you will dream about it for a long time after. Fortunately, you can always just head back to Roberta’s for more!
Please go and enjoy all of these fabulous pizzas when you can! I trust this list will continue to grow as I discover even more spectacular pizza around Los Angeles!