Photo courtesy of Pizzeria Mozza
Specialty pizza restaurants in LA offer everything from fresh oysters to curried duck as toppings.
For those looking for something beyond the standard pepperoni and cheese combo, LA’s specialty pizza restaurants offer a variety of options. Here are a few of the best:
Pitfire Pizza
This seven-store chain operates exclusively in the L.A. area and has locations from Mar Vista to Costa Mesa. Pitfire toasts all of its pizzas in a brick-oven over an open fire, giving it a distinctively crispy crust and smoky broil on top. The playful tribute to the Dr. Seuss classic, the “Greens, Egg and Ham” features braised rapini, farm fresh eggs, and prosciutto The less adventurous can also build their own pizza or choose a freshly chopped salad or panini.
Tomato Pie
From its original location on Melrose, Tomato Pie has spawned a second Silver Lake store. Tomato Pie is famous for its eponymous vegan pizza which is a surprisingly simple and equally delicious concoction of tomato sauce and dough. The restaurant offers fantastic lunch specials for those who prefer a quick bite, as well as some made-to-order pizzas, including a spicy Hot Wing Pizza and the Breakfast Pizza, which features fluffy scrambled eggs and an olive oil sauce.
Pizzeria Mozza
Be sure to make a reservation. Since its inception in 2006, Mozza has arguably been LA’s trendiest and most respected pizzeria. The entrepreneurial team of Nancy Silverton and Mario Batali are credited as being the first to bring nuvo-pizza to a fine-dining environment. The menu is extensive and mixes sustainable local produce and meats with traditional New York style pizza. The White Anchovi Tomato and Fresno Chili pizza is a sweet, savory and spicy experience that shouldn’t be missed.
Abbot’s Pizza Co.
Venice isn’t the best of LA’s foodie neighborhoods, but Abbot’s Pizza Co. is the exception. The little shop on the North end of Abbot-Kinney Blvd. produces some outstandingly original choices. The most popular concoction is the Salad Pizza‚ a crispy crust topped with mixed greens, onion, basil, feta and avocado‚ with tangy sour cream in place of pizza sauce. It is surprisingly delicious.
Lucifers Pizza
Like its fiery namesake, this quirky West Hollywood parlor specializes in heat, meaning they make the spiciest pizza known to man. Choose the chili rating of your pizza – which goes from zero to blazing – and prepare to be amazed. Why pour Tabasco Sauce and crushed chilis on a pizza when you can get the real thing? Their most popular choice is the Thai Chicken Satay which, is the perfect avenue for this spicy experience.
Find more dining options with the LosAngeles.com Restaurant Directory.
