Hollywood Pies - FINALLY some decent Chicago Pizza in LA
There was an Eater LA profile on Monday about a new Chicago Pizza place - delivery or pick-up only - called Hollywood Pies, so this past Friday I figured I'd give them a try.
I was born and raised in Chicago, and love deep dish Chicago style pizza. I had gotten used to the fact that there is no real Chicago pizza to be found in LA - I've had Masa, I've had Tony's Little Italy, they're fine but they're not quite 'it". I was fine mail-ordering some Lou Malnati's every so often. But I'm always game to try something claming to be authentic Chicago pie.
I ordered a large sausage and a small spinach, and about an hour later I picked them up from their place, which as it turns out is right across from the Largo on La Cienega. It was formerly the Acapulco on La Cienega. I called them up again and they came out with my pizzas. It felt just a little bit like a drug deal, but then proper Chicago pizza is kind of a drug, right?
I gotta say, this is good, authentic Chicago pizza. I think they got it just about perfect. To start with, it's heavy. I mean, it has a proper heft the way a real deep dish pizza should. The crust is very nice, not too buttery or greasy, no corn meal on the bottom but they laid down a little netting mat under each pizza to keep it from unifying with the box. The back crust is nicely crispy and flavorful, the bottom crust is not too thick or doughy. Just about perfect.
There is then a nice pully layer of mozzarella on top of the crust, then the toppings, then the tomatoes and spices. For the sausage, it was broken up into smallish bits with good spice and flavor, some fennel seeds in there, and mixed with ricotta. It added a nice smoothness and richness to the overall flavor. The spinach was sauteed with some garlic and chopped fine.
The tomatoes on top were especially good, nicely garlicky and with a great smack of oregano that really helped to make the taste that much more authentic. Then a layer of parmesan on top of the tomatoes.
I managed three pieces before getting very full - again, it's nice and dense - and my wife, who is from LA but a Chicago pizza convert from our visits there, enjoyed it as well.
I'm now convinced that proper Chicago deep dish pizza exists in Los Angeles. And they're in my neighborhood! I grew up eating at Malnati's, Giordano's, Carmen's and Due. Lately when I go home we've been going to this place Delisi's which was truly amazing, though they closed recently. Hollywood Pies ranks right up there with my favorites from Chicago.
Tim
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Masa Restaurant
2063 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91107
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Johnny Pastrami
Sep 23, 2011 08:05 PM
After moving here from Chicago 20 years ago, and being disappointed with every single 'Chicago-style' pizza joint that has come and gone in that time, we have a winner in Hollywood Pies. I ordered a large Bugsy ($24) & a small Spinach ($11) from them a while back and was completely satisfied. Everything from the crust, cheese, meat and sauce was authentic and delicious. The spinach had a very fresh taste. Two pies were required for free delivery. I now see that you can get free delivery with one large or two small pies. At last, LA has Chicago pizza that is as good as my own. This is going to be very bad for my waistline...
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Hollywood Pies
385 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048›18 Replies-
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re: kevin
Servorg
Sep 30, 2011 05:31 PM
Nothing about this place has changed regarding where to pick up since the last time you inquired about it: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/803953
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re: Johnny Pastrami
Having lived in Chicago for 7 years, and my husband 11... Hollywood Pies is fairly close to the real thing. But the crust was a little overcooked and hard. More similar to Pizzeria Uno's crust. Has that bisquick/cornbread taste and texture.
Not exactly a replacement but still very tasty! We tried the spinach and capone.
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Hollywood Pies
385 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048-
re: veee
Mr Taster
Oct 24, 2011 10:52 PM
After our office lunch, I emailed the shop with our thoughts about the pies, which were almost entirely positive. The owner was nice enough to call back and we talked for a little while.
My office has a couple of Chicago expats and they too felt the crust was too hard/crunchy. I addressed this with the owner and his response was that they're not really trying to recreate any one Chicago pizzeria pie, but are trying to do something slightly different. I guess an extra crispy crust is part of that.
Mr Taster
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re: kevin
Dommy
Nov 14, 2011 01:33 PM
I know... I know... I am the same way... my brother is even WORSE... but it is not as a big of a pain as it sounds. What we have done is Plan a DVD night or Game day around it. And I've picked up the pie on my way back from shopping or having an afternoon tea as friends, so it was along the way anyway... Really painless and super delicious (And I got to pick out my own beer from my collection at home! ;))
--Dommy!
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re: kevin
Peripatetic
Nov 14, 2011 02:10 PM
Seems pretty clear: http://hollywoodpies.com/locations/
For a map, check out the link in my post above:
- http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/797509#6860984
Note that this is the third time you've asked the board where it is!
First time: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/803953
Second time: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/7975...
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re: Clyde
Peripatetic
Nov 14, 2011 03:08 PM
It was (or just off La Cienega, on Westmount Dr). They switched to the new location at 333 S Boylston St on October 4th.
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re: Peripatetic
FYI. from their website, I plan to give them a try this Wed:
Hollywood Pies offers weekday pick-up specials!
Two for One Tuesdays: Buy one small get one free; valid on pick-ups only
Wacky Wednesdays: All large pies are only $15; valid pick-ups only
Note: 15% off not valid with these offers
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According to the website they are planning on opening a Downtown pickup/delivery location as well.
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re: dette
Peripatetic
Oct 4, 2011 03:20 AM
Starting today (Tuesday, Oct 4), the new rendezvous point is 333 S Boylston St, in front of Club Tatou. It appears they will no longer be using the La Cienega rendezvous point.
Here's a Google Maps view of the new location:
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re: kevin
E Eto
Oct 24, 2011 12:12 AM
The Boylston St location seemed a bit odd and lonely, but it worked out fine. The pizzas were quite good, but since I'm no Chicago native, I couldn't tell whether I liked these better than the ones from Tony's Little Italy in Placentia. Maybe I just have a soft spot for any Chi style pizza, because even Numero Uno scratches that itch in a pinch. But these Hollywood Pie versions were definitely notches above.
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Yippie! i'm eating a slice right now that my co-worker gave me. i've never had this type of pizza before (NY Native) and i gotta say this rules!!! it's sausage and i don't normally eat meat but i made an exception for this. whoohoo!
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Had my second pizza from Hollywood Pies tonight. Last time I went sausage, this time straight cheese. Absolutely the pizzas I have been looking for in LA since Pizzeria Uno left. Probably better than Pizzeria Uno, in fact. Let's keep bumping this topic, they deserve all the business they can get.
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Hollywood Pies
385 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048 -
katydid13
Aug 15, 2011 08:32 PM
Thanks to this thread, I tried Hollywood Pies the other day. I'm lucky enough to live within their delivery zone. My pizza (Italian Garden) was DELICIOUS. My only beef is that it arrived sort of lukewarm, but it was easy enough to solve that!
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Hollywood Pies
385 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048 -
I've had real Chicago pizza only a couple times, like spinach at Giordano's (if that's the place with the graffiti'd walls) & home-cooked some frozen ones I brought as carry-on pre-9/11 (Xray screener didn't even flinch). Tony's hits the spot nicely for me now. If this place is better, I'm all over it, so thanks for the tip.
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I've never had an "authentic" Chicago pizza, but hubby and I have been happily trekking out to Placentia for deep dish at Tony's Little Italy for some time now. We were excited about this place and decided to brave the traffic to try it. It was definitely good - we'll probably go there again if we visit the Hollywood Bowl - but we still prefer Tony's overall.
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I ordered some more from Hollywood Pies - this time I got delivery, which was just fine. The pizza took a little while, but they advised us of that fact. When it got to us, it was piping hot and ready to eat.
I got the Bugsy, which is sausage and pepperoni, and the Cheese, which is just cheese and tomatoes, basic. The cheese was fine, lots of nice mozzarella and that delicious tomato mixture. I am more of a toppings person, but this was nice and basic, and my wife wanted something less spicy.
The sausage and pepperoni was really good, even better than the sausage and ricotta in my opinion. There was larger pieces of sausage, it was nicely seasoned with fennel. The pepperoni was spicy and cut thick, but was not too hard to cut. The two flavors went very nicely with the tomatoes and crust. I was full after two pieces, and I'm really looking forward to the leftovers since it heats up nicely.
Tim
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Hollywood Pies
385 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048›5 Replies-
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re: msmerymac
Mr Taster
Oct 23, 2011 09:08 PM
Where are you getting this info? I organized a pizza lunch for my office and they had no problems with modifications- additions or subtractions.
Additionally, the spinach was truly the weakest of the several pies we tried. Bugsy and Capone were both great. My classic was great too.
Mr Taster
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re: Mr Taster
I ordered from them this past weekend (for the second time). The first time I tried their pizza, we got a large Spinach pie. This time my husband felt like sausage, so I tried to get sausage on half and was told they couldn't do it, but I could get 2 small pies instead - so we went with a small spinach and a small classic chicago. Maybe it was just the "half" topping they had trouble with. Or maybe it's a new policy. Or maybe it varies depending whom you speak with.
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I tried the pizza -- sausage & peppers -- last evening. It was good -- the look and feel of Lou Malnati's and a very tangy, pronounced sauce that reminds me of Pequod's. Two slices can fill you but I almost ate the whole thing -- in a good way. I do feel the sausage needs a little more zest, flavor but all in all, I would definitely go back -- my taste buds are already craving the stuff. It is better than Masa and for me, someone has finally brought the essence of Chicago deep dish to LA.
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Tried it tonight and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm not at all an expert in Chicago style, the only thing I really know is Zachary's from the Bay Area, but this was about what I imagine perfect Chicago-style to be. I kept it simple -- got a large cheese, picked it up and was eating it at home within 5 minutes, so the heat level was perfect. It kept its form well -- no goopy falling apart of the pie. The sauce was tangy, almost made me thing there was a little bit of pepper of some kind in it. (In a good way.)
Agreed that the pickup was very, very odd and drug-deal like. But I'll happily put up with that again and continue to patronize. I can only assume that if all goes well they'll upgrade at some point to a proper pizza place.
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re: QualityMart
lil mikey
Aug 9, 2011 09:34 PM
Agree completely with QualityMart. Whenever I've been to Chicago, I've never been out of O'Hare. So I'm no expert either. But I thoroughly enjoyed this pie. I was craving tomato sauce, and this delivered big time. I also liked the sausage. We had the Cheese (mozzarella and sauce) and the Classic (sausage, ricotta, mozzarella, sauce). And we agree, the sauce on the Cheese was so tangy it tasted a little spicy. Between two hungry adults, we finished half of a large pizza.
I was a little shocked by the weight of the pizza. The large feels like it's about five to eight pounds.
Regarding the pick-up arrangement, I spoke to the fellow who brought the pizza and he said they only have a catering license. So they can't have anyone go directly to the facility. They're looking to open a regular restaurant, maybe on Fairfax, sometime soon.
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Hollywood Pies
385 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048 -
re: QualityMart
Dommy
Sep 23, 2011 08:21 PM
Yeah, I thought the sauce was a bit too dull... it needed something, I thought more like parsley. Also the sausage was missing the fennel bite that is in most chicago pies.
I had to LOL at your last paragraph. I told the the girl I would be very unhappy if I opened the box and found pot in there instead of my pizza... LOL!
--Dommy!
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re: Norm Man
Peripatetic
Jul 23, 2011 02:17 PM
For some reason they're cagey about their address: it's not on their website, not in Yelp, not on their Facebook page, and not in the LA County Food Facility Rating database. I believe the correct address is::
385 N La Cienega Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048Can anyone confirm whether that's correct?
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re: Peripatetic
Arthur
Jul 23, 2011 03:30 PM
Not sure where all of the confusion about their location is coming from. There is an address posted on their website, which I've copied and pasted: 415 WESTMOUNT DR. WEST HOLLYWOOD CA 90048. I checked Google Maps and it appears to be to the rear of the address you listed. They don't seem to be acting cagey - that's exactly where you are expected to go for curbside pick-up of your pizza order.
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re: Arthur
Peripatetic
Jul 23, 2011 06:04 PM
"There is an address posted on their website, which I've copied and pasted: 415 WESTMOUNT DR. WEST HOLLYWOOD CA 90048"
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Is that their address? That's where they say you should "key in" to your GPS for curbside pick up. Then you're supposed to call them and they "will bring your pie right to your car". But 415 Westmount Drive appears to be office units with no apparent retail/restaurant space, two buildings to the north of 385 N La Cienega Blvd:http://lalife.com/address/415_Westmou...
Nothing at that address is in the Food Facility Rating database, either.
Weird or what?
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re: Arthur
That address is correct. The problem is, Chowhound linked a restaurant in Pasadena.
From the Hollywood Pies website:
CURBSIDE PICK-UP SUGGESTION: IF USING GPS/NAVIGATION SYSTEM KEY IN 415 WESTMOUNT DR. WEST HOLLYWOOD CA 90048. WHEN AT THAT LOCATION GIVE US A CALL AND WE WILL BRING YOUR PIE RIGHT TO YOUR CAR.
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re: granadafan
I just pulled into the parking lot at the former Acapulco space, off La Cienega, called them and they came right out with my pizza. Best yet, there's a light there so you don't have to make a hazardous turn onto La Cienega when you leave.
I can report, also, that it's nearly as good the second day reheated.
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re: reality check
Arthur
Jul 23, 2011 01:57 PM
I dunno. I'm no expert on Chicago-style pizzas, and I'll certainly give them a try, but the pies and slices in the Yelp photos look a little dried out/stale to my eyes. Compare them to these pictures of the pie I had at Zachary's Pizza in Oakland last year. Now THAT was a deep-dish slice of heaven!
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re: TimToyGeek
Dommy
Sep 23, 2011 08:17 PM
I agree.. however, that was my one issue with Hollypie's crust. It was very biscuity, which what give its dull appearance on the photos. The pros of it being biscuty was that it held together nicely, had a great buttery flavor and actually made the pizza lighter than most other Chicago styles I've had (Tony's pizza in Placentia leaves me feeling like I ate a brick if I eat more than one slice... with HP, I ate two slices and salad and was happily full)
However, the cons with a biscuity crust is not 100% what I think of in Chicago style, and it was a little more doughy than I would like. It almost reminded me of the mini pizzas my Mexican mom would make me using Pillsbury dough...
--Dommy!
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re: Dommy
Mr Taster
Sep 28, 2011 10:21 AM
Hey Dommy, have you ever had a real Chicago pie? (Like one of the famous ones, Gino's East, etc.) I never have.... Chicago pizza has always been an enigma to me.
I ask because I'm wondering what benchmark you're comparing your Hollywood Pies experience to (other than Tony's in Placentia). My admittedly inadequate understanding of the stuff is that it's supposed to be kind of a crumbly crust, so the Bisquik descriptor doesn't sound strange to me. (I only recently found out from reading a Cooks Illustrated recipe for Chicago pizza at home that it was never meant to emulate the gluteny-elasticy pizza dough of My Homeland.)
Anyway we've got a bunch of enthusiastic Chicagoans at my work who know what a proper Chicago pie is meant to taste like. We're all going in for lunch tomorrow (HP will open for lunch and deliver for a minimum of 10 smalls).
Will report back...
Mr Taster
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Hollywood Pies
385 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048-
re: Mr Taster
Dommy
Sep 28, 2011 08:47 PM
I have.... LOTS. I used to travel to Chicago often and ALWAYS stop by My Pi in Lincoln Park and also Due.
Anyway, while I'm not one to take an MBA from Vermont as the authority of Chicago Pizza. YES, the dough on Chicago style does not resemble the dough on new style at all. In fact, it's supposed be a bit biscuity. But because it is a biscuit based crust, it's still a yeasted pizza dough with olive oil and because it toasted on the bottom in an oiled or buttered pan, it rich flavor.
It's kinda a mixture of one of those greek pizza places in Boston that line the pan with oil and it becomes super crisp... except in chicago of course, it taken to the extreme with the deep dish aspect and the sauce on the top so it doesn't sog up the crust.
Anyway, I should say that I really liked Hollywood Pies and look forward to your thoughts! :)
--Dommy!
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Hollywood Pies
385 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90048
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re: Arthur
Finally made it over here as we don't live close by. We've been known to fly home with half-baked pies from Zachary's. Just had the large spinach, and I am sure the people around my on my OAK-LAX flights will be glad to know I will not need to carry back our usual spinach and mushroom. Slight differences (Hollywood has more of a biscuit crust, and I think less sweetness in the tomato sauce), but thrilled there is a real Chicago style pizza place within reasonable driving distance. Can't wait for their downtown location to open up.
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This sounds great. The problem is, I live in Northridge, probably an hour away with no traffic. Since we can't eat there, do you think the pizza will travel such a distance?
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re: brandygirl
Dommy
Sep 23, 2011 08:13 PM
Yes... they are very nice and place it on a netting on top of the crust. While the crust does sog a bit, it helps it from completely melting on itself. We had to take one to go for some distance, and it survived very well... well enough to be able to eat a slice with your hands... quite an accomplishment with this type of deep dish.
--Dommy!
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