Pizza: West of the 405, when it is not Monday

Is there any good pizza WEST of the 405?

Please do not answer if what you want to say is, "Are you kidding me, Bob, there's no good pizza WEST OF THE HUDSON RIVER!" That's pretty much how I feel, with a few exceptions:

I like Vincente on Monday's - but today ain't.
I like La Buca - but it ain't west of the 405.
Casa Bianca is good - but see above.
I've heard La Bottega might be good.
Any other ideas?
Fioretto?
Thanks,
Bob

[DrBruin]

1. Lamonica's in Westwood - Great memories of huge floppy, and slightly greasy foldable slices. Also, they run (or at least used to run) a lot of coupons in the Daily Bruin, UCLA's free newspaper.

2. In the South Bay, WEST of the 405, is a location of a mini-chain called GARLIC JIMs. I like their crust and toppings a lot.

Garlic Jim's
Redondo Beach [phone]
1876 S. Pacific Coast Highway Redondo Beach CA 90277 Map
Tel: [phone]
Hours: Open Everyday 11am-10pm

For those with gluten allergies, they also serve gluten-free pizza (although I haven't tried it).

[nosh]

For big, generously topped, inexpensive delivery pizza, I agree with Lamonica's if you are anywhere near Westwood Village. The coupon offer for a large pizza with two toppings (including tax) is back down to $13 last time I used one, though they no longer include a large soft drink and say they are really strict about not allowing you to use an old one past the expiration date. (Back a few months ago, at the height of the gas price climb, the price even with a coupon was several dollars more.) Lamonica's offers 2-for-1 even without a coupon on Monday nights.

For a higher-class, woodburning oven gourmet pizza, I really liked the ones we were served at Gjelina last weekend. The lamb sausage pizza was topped with a lot of meat, had a real spice to it, and the edges were very crisp and the crust nicely charred and textured, quite thin. Pizzas were goodsized -- bigger than some of those "individual" little ones -- and about $14. I really liked the gesture of serving them with a small plate of grated parm, crushed red chili flakes, and dried oregano to sprinkle on top if desired.

[casualcat]

abbots in venice or santa monica.

[bdorsey20]

Riva on 4th and wilshire in Santa Monica. Its not like a pizza joint but tey have great thin crusted pizza. The also have great charcuterie also.

[kevin]

since this post is bumped again, why is Vincenti so great for their pizzas? are they some of the best pies in town? thanks.

[Ciao Bob]

I think they are very good. They are of the thin-crust-from-a-woodburning-oven variety. I especially like the porchetta pizza.

It was nice to see this post from 2005 because I forgot I wrote it and we now have so much better pizza...though Vito's still wins for me.

[kevin]

is it vito's better or vincenti? for pizza?

or perhaps mozza compared to vincenti>

[epop]

i say vicenti over vito. mozza tops these though. i'm surprised to be saying this, as i didn't like Mozza last year.

[Ciao Bob]

For my burnt mouth roof, if I want it burnt by NY/NJ-style 'za, there is only Vito's.

If I want something creative and great, its Mozza. I really agree with you epop. Mozza, IMHO, was unsteady at first. Sometimes divine, sometimes not (card-boardy crust) but now they rarely falter.

VIncenti is much closer to what you would get in Italy. I was at Riva last night and was quite impressed with their individual pies.

[Juji]

I was at Riva last night too, and very much enjoyed the pizza with the tiny meatballs.

[kevin]

are these beef meatballs?

[Juji]

I'm pretty sure they were beef, but I didn't ask and it didn't specify on the menu.

[kevin]

where's riva?

i haven't heard of it yet. did it just open?

i'm going to having getting to vincenti, if and only if, it's a monday nite,

[grubtrotters]

Riva just opened. it's from Jason Travi of Fraiche, and it's near the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. The potato pizza is awesome. Here's a pic:

http://grubtrotters.com/2009/03/15/ri...

[epop]

I like Monday's too and would recommend Antica in MDR, especially in Bepe is cooking.

[ldodb]

Im surprised no one has said either of these yet, but
There is also Joes Pizza on Broadway at 2nd,
And Richie Palmers on Ocean Ave.

[Adsvino]

I wouldn't be surprised--they didn't exist in 2005.

[AAQjr]

LOL! I was suckered in again :p

[ldodb]

Hah, I didnt even look at the dates.
I don't get why somone bumped it back up.

[kevin]

yep, neither was around back then, in the jurassic era.

[a_and_w]

Sadly, Richie Palmer's will reportedly be closing by the end of May, if not sooner.

Lamonica's is mentioned below. Great thin crust.
For a thicker, doughy crust I think Jacopo's is vastly underrated on here. Great antipastos/chopped salads and the pizza is delicious and extremly generous with toppings. Pricey but as Sheila E said, "If you have to ask you can't afford it lingerie..."

North End Pizza has the best pizza in LA hands down. On Olympic near Bundy.

310-481-7103

[daftpunkxl]

I'm going to raise my hand and politely disagree--we'd get North End delivered at work a lot (not sure by whom) and their sauce tastes like store bought crappy marinara, way overblown with the toppings, and the crust is always soggy.

Mulberry Street Pizza in Encino is west of the 405.

I knew somebody was going to say that... and the OP can go to Nicolosi Bakery on Ventura in Encino afterwards for a delicious sfogliatella.

[toomanypots]

Y'know... on two recommendations I went there. Have to say not impressed with doughy, almost cake-y and flour tasting crust. Smothered in cheese, sauce that tasted of tin cans.... I surely won't be back.
I'm not so egotistical as to say any spot is the best or the worst. Working my way to some more CH recommendations.
Til then I can get a wood-fired, Margherita with charred crust, fresh (sic) Mozz, and a hand crushed from plum tomato sauce... from CPK in Tarzana. Ask for it with no mozz, only fresh mozz and parm. Ask 'em to overcook it in the hottest part of the oven. Deal with the chiffonaded basil. I bet you don't hate it.

I'm partial to Santa Monica Pizza Kitchen on Wilshire near 14th, myself.

Vittorio in the Pacific Palisades makes excellent pizza and they also serve the best garlic knots I have ever eaten.

For slices I like Wildflour Pizza on Main St in Santa Monica.

De Vita's on Wilshire near Bundy is very good.

for a hole-in-the-wall takeout/delivery joint, the coop on national has surprisingly good NY style. it's not west of the 405, but close enough.

I also like The Coop as well for NY style pizza. They also offer a deep dish pizza which is also very good in a small or large size. If you order from here I would reccomend to call and place an order as the wait can be as little as 10 min or an hour if they are swamped.

I third (or fourth) the rec for abbots (love the 5 onion pie, and if you're building your own the olive pesto sauce), and throw in a couple others - Lamonica's on Gayley in Westwood (slightly east of 405 but not much), and if you're in the mood for a mondo slice of cheese pizza with a ton of golden brown bubbly cheese, I recently discovered the pizza by the slice at costco - Washington Blvd just east of Lincoln. Be forewarned - each slice is roughly 800 calories!

[DrBruin]

I'll second Lamonica's.

Hi... Villa Italian makes very good pizza, on Sepulveda blvd. (405 is a block away). Been around for over 40 years. Only eat their pizza (similar to Casa Bianca's); their pasta is blah...

Frankie and Johnnie's on San Vicente is just west of the 405, and in my opnion, the best pizza in LA. Very east coast-esque, floppy slices, easy on the sauce, not too liberal with the cheese, which is something I never understood in such a health conscious city.

Very small hole in the wall place, so don't go looking to impress any dates, unless you're taking out.

I love their pizzas, not too heavy w/ the cheese and sauce, and the toppings are very fresh. Their salads are great, too!

Except that I'm pretty sure they're closed on Mondays.

My suggestion is actually slightly east of the 405. How about UGO on Pico between Veteran and Westwood? They have lovely, thin crust, Italian-style pizzas.

A Happy Hour pie, (salad), and glass of wine always hit the spot (and not my wallet) for me at Le Vecchia on Main St. in S.M.

Why is the first place only good on Mondays?

I think they only make Pizza, in their wood-burning oven, on Monday's.

[daftpunkxl]

Yep.

Antica is supposed to be good, I have never been. In the Marina area by Gelsons

The pizza place on Abbott Kinney is good, dough is a little bagel like, but good toppings

those are good recommendations.
Antica pizza is prepared in the traditional neopolitan style--that is, the crust is extremely thin. you will need to eat the pizza w/ a fork and knife because the crust is too thin to support the toppings.
the chef, i believe, is actually a member of the pizza makers association in naples, italy.

the other place you mention is Abbot's Pizza.
it is a california style pizza, and, you're right, the dough is very much like bagel dough.
if someone is only in the market for a NY or a Chicago style pizza, the odds are that they will never appreciate the beauty in the Abbot's Pizza offering. if you are open to something different, though, it is excellent.

Yes ... Abbot Pizza on Abbot Kinney in Venice or on Pico and 18th in Santa Monica ... they're known for their bagel-style crust.

Also, there is D'Amore's in Malibu off of PCH ... a bit more of a drive, but its surely worth it. Owned by a Bostonian who actually imports all of his ingredients AND his water from Boston to get his authetic taste.

There is another D'Amore's location on Broxton in Westwood.

[grubtrotters]

Antica is good, although I had some of the worst service I have ever had at any restaurant there not too long ago. Yet, I still went back because it was the only place open with decent food after a movie at the theater there. Abbot's pizza is pretty good, and Gjelina has some decent ones, if you don't mind VERY thin crust.