NY Style floppy, greasy pizza

Been in LA since '97. Still searching...

I enjoy JRs in Culver City on Washington, Valentino's in Redondo Beach, some pizza place (forget name) in Hughes Airport Center foodcourt. Been to Mulberry Street. Bust still haven't found true NY Style pizza.

What are your suggestions for best of each pizza type:
1) NY Stle
2) Deep Dish Chicago Style (like Pizzeria Uno or Numero Uno)
3) Gourmet/CA Style a la Wolfgang Puck.

Oh yeah - Abbott's pizza is good too, IMO.

[Ogawak]

Replying to a 3 year old post, but always a relevant if controversial question.

Addressing only the Chicago style question:

Try Banducci's in Lakewood. They have deep dish AND stuffed. The stuffed was great, not quite the level of a Giordano's (as I remember years ago), but certainly feeds the need.

-----
Banducci's
2706 Del Amo Boulevard, Lakewood, CA

[skoop323]

1) Coop ny style culver city (im a regular)
2) Deep Dish pizza ummm i love numero uno's on figueroa
3) Gourmet i would say c&o in marina (its more of a restaurant though)

[ElJeffe]

1) Joe's or Vito's
2) No luck yet outside of Zachary's in San Francisco
3) Pizzeria Mozza for gourmet

[wutzizname]

Thankfully two of the categories have improved in the three and a half years since Dan asked.

[AnnieMar]

Been here since 88 and no, have not found anything real close to NY slice. Thats not to say there isn't good pizza, just not good NY pizza. That being said, last time I was in NYC I had a hard time finding good pizza! I can't believe people think Costco has close-to NY pizza?? C'mon!!! Lat time I tasted anything close to a NY slice outside NY it was in Gilbert, Arizona at a place called NY Pizza... 2 guys from NY run it and the calzone is exactly how I remember as a kid. Italian ices, cannoli, NY chinese, all these I gave up for Tacos, Burritos and Korean BBQ--oh and don't forget good avocados....its a trade off, folks.
My fave pizza places in LA are:

for a basic pie:Foliero's Highland Park

for "everything" on it- incl. eggplant: Casa Bianco Eagle Rock (gotta ask for it "well-done", trust me, to get the crispy crust done right)

Good, large pie: Pizza Bella on Franklin

Drippy, greasy, cheesy: Joe Peeps, Hollywood

Great for takeout, juicy and good: Rocky's in Covina

I am intrigued by the posts about RedBrick and ZPizza, both of which just opened in my neighborhood. Worth a try?

[mlgb]

Zpizza is not NY style (too bready). The slices are not good when reheated, but the made to order pizzas are not bad for a chain. It's more like a CPK model than the red sauce-cheese-pepperoni type.

Brooklyn Pizza is the one...

Brooklyn Pizzeria
6745 Tampa Ave
Reseda, CA 91335
818 344-2473

I also like Folliero's - my top pick for Pizzas

Folliero Pizza & Italian Food
5566 N Figueroa St
Los Angeles, CA 90042
[phone]

Being a commuter between the SF valley and San Diego, I'd have to agree with the posters who noted that the Bronx Pizza in San Diego (on Washington St. in Hillcrest) is the closest thing I've found to a NY pizza in S. Cal.

However, there are quite a few good, if not perfect, large thin pizzas in the SFV.

Here's my favorites, more or less in order:

Mulberry St. in Encino
Pagliacci's in Studio City (get the really big slices)
Joe Peeps' blue collar pizza in N. Hollwood
Greco's pizza (all over the southern SFV)

brooklyn pizza on tampa in reseda is my fav place in la 1.60$ a slice always great

A name I *don't* see much on this board is Johnnie's NY Pizza. I've driven past their Century City location, but never tried. What's the 411?

Seen Johnnie's featured on Food TV's "Best Of" show. Immediately unimpressed by the faux NY period photos. Reminded me of every bad pizza / bagel shop that tries too hard to plaster over lackluster food with said faux NY period photos. Am I being unfairly judgmental?

Take the following with a grain of salt, because I've rarely met a pizza I didn't like. I've eaten at Johnnie's about four times over the years, and it was transcendent once, (3rd St. Promenade), and quite good three times (Century City-adjacent location.)

So, IMHO, not a bad place, but not as good as the (uglier) Lamonica's Westwood (terrific about 80% of the time), D'Amores (only been once, but perfect), or Mulberry Street (I'd guess about six visits, 80% terrific, 20% good.)

But I suspect I'm not as picky as some here, and none of the above is as good as most of the pizza I've had on trips to NYC.

I was transplanted from NYC in '97, too, and the pizza thing was really hard. Don't eat Chicago and don't like the California style, but my two favorite NY style pizza places are Hard Times in Silver Lake and Pizza Bella on Highland and Franklin. Pizza Bella is owned by a couple of guys from Philly and their pizza is great. The only thing is, you can't eat there, you have to take it out (it's in the back part of the market there between a Japanese place and a Starbucks).

Happy hunting!

Best NY style: The Coop - Palms area

Best Chicago: Lamonica's Westwood

Best Calif. style - Abbot's specialty pizzas - Venice

Best for mounds of cheese - Joe Peeps

Best sausage and pepper with crispy crust - Casa Bianca

Wait - forgot Vito's near LACC. That is probably best NY style over The Coop.

I maintain San Biagio's here in Upland is the best!

1263 W. 7th Upland. Fwy 10 East (for most listers) Exit Mountain.

COMPLETELY AGREE! definitely the best NY style pizza in Inland Empire.

If you're ever around the La Canada area (northwest of Pasadena), you can give these two places a try:

LA Canada Imports
1537 Foothill Boulevard
La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011

I haven't been there since high school (1996), but it was a favorite at La Canada High. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but their pizza was pretty good IMHO. Thin crust, greasy cheese, and just the right amount of sauce.

Georgee's Pizza
720 Foothill Boulevard
La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011

Another local favorite. My family still orders from there even after they moved out of La Canada to Pasadena. It's not traditional NY pizza, but good ingredients and good toppings.

Also, you can check out:

Z Pizza
(various locations)
http://www.zpizza.com/

Good pizza and a great toppings list. I think it's one of the best non-gourmet gourmet pizzas.

New York's Uppercrust Pizza
5291 East 2nd
Long Beach, CA 90803

I've never been there, but it looks good and appears to be busy everytime I walk/drive by.

[Kris P Pata]

My house is a quick bike ride to both Z and NY's UPPERCRUST and after having tried both, I go the extra literal mile (about 2) across the marina to SLICE OF NY in Seal Beach where, incidentally, another branch of Z sits two storefronts from S.O.N.Y. Bizarre.

I would suggest you try the following:

For NY Style Pizza (coal oven, not original ray's): Nicky D's in Silverlake. They do a wood-fired thin crust pie that is really great (especially the clam & garlic). It's more like a John's or New Haven style than the giant cheesy slices like you can find on any street corner in NY, but delicious nevertheless. 2764 Rowena Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90039 Phone: [phone].

Another place that does great NY Style Pizza is Vito's on Vermont. 814 N. Vermont, Los Angeles 323-667-2723.

LA seems to excell more at italian-style pizza over NY Style, in my opinion, like the kind you find in Naples and the region. If this is up your alley, I would suggest you try Alto Palato (755 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood 310-657-9271). They make a really lovely thin crust pizza margherita.

I would also suggest Antica Pizzeria (13455 Maxella Ave., Marina del Rey 310-577-8182), which also does a delicious pizza margherita. I'm also fond of their seafood marinara, which has a perfectly spiced red sauce, over spaghetti, with clams, etc.

As a Silverlake resident and former Hard Times patron, gave Nicky D's a try for the first time a few weeks ago per this board. Got a medium clam (white sauce)/garlic/bacon pie. Ate the whole damned thing myself.

*Magnifico!*

The only Chicago pizza I've found since Chicago Pizza Works closed down is a place called BJs. Apparently this is a chain but I only know of one in Westwood - 939 Broxton Ave. They have pretty good Chicago pizza - deep dish, however, they also have all the usual "California" toppings (BBQ chicken, etc.) which is disappointing.

For NY Pizza, there are only two places that are great: Lamonicas NY Pizza in Westwood (1066 Gayley Ave)and Mr. Pizza on Fairfax (412 N Fairfax Ave)across from Canters. Lamonicas is a tad bit thicker and less crispy than Mr. Pizza - but both are outstanding!

Good call on Mr. Pizza, which I know as Damiano's. I'd forgotten about that place. Damiano's (Mr. Pizza) is located at 412 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A. 323-658-7611. They actually do have pretty darn good NY-style cheesy, greasy pizza. It's best if you eat in rather than take out, I've found (the pizza seems to steam in the box and get a little soggy when you take it out).

"Mr. Pizza on Fairfax (412 N Fairfax Ave)"

Full name of this joint is actually Damiano's Mr. Pizza. They get their boxes from close-outs of other pizza joints, I have heard, and therefore it can be a little confusing to order at Damiano's and get a pizza box from Vito's, or Sal's, or Tony's, or...

BTW the pizza here is grease-laden and terrific.

Damiano's Mr. Pizza
412 N Fairfax Av Los Angeles, CA 90035
323 556 3100.

I believe one can reccomend Mr. Pizza with the reservation that the crust is not exactly right. It is never crispy on the bottom - I have been there a dozen times, and I always forget to ask them to overcook it for me. There is also no serious puffing up at the non-sauced outer circumference. That being said, I enjoy it frequently.

MZ

Patsy's in the Farmers Market. It's the only pizza in LA that is even close to east cost pizza. Really.

And it's not as good as it once was, so go now before it gets worse.

JD

closest thing to John's Pizzeria in the Village is Casa Bianca in Eagle Rock.

I love both John's and Casa Bianca, but unless something changed after I left Casa Bianca last night, I wouldn't say they're at all similar.

Both excellent, but both quite different. For an Original Ray's experience (the one on 6th Ave & 12th?), I think Costco does a reasonable approximation, although Costco's crust is a little thicker.