Los Angeles area - Pizzeria Recommendations

[CopperTop]

 Heading out for Spring Break with family to Manhattan Beach, CA.  Looking for pizza recommendations in the close vicinity (Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach).

Manhattan Beach Pizzeria near the strand has great meatball subs.  Looking forward to trying their NY style pizza with a different set of eyes/palate.

I've heard that there's a pizzeria school in the Del Ray area, but their restaurant is closed....

Thanks!

[jeffereynelson]

The pizza school in Marina Del Rey is the VPN school, it is their american division. Pizzeria Antica used to be located in the area and that was where they did their kitchen training, however the two companies were separate and Pizzeria Antica is now closed. Mozza is definitely the most famous downtown pizzeria. I also went to a place called Olio downtown that was pretty good (I left a review recently). They had really good burrata. However if you want something more authentic, I don't think LA has anything to really offer. Other places that are supposed to be decent but I haven't tried are Mother Dough and Sotto.

[CopperTop]

Thanks, Jeff!  I'll look for the Olio review...sorry I missed it.  Will look into Mother Dough and Sotto as well.  Just got back from the Pizza Expo...I ran into Giulio Adriani, owner of Forcella, and he's super excited about opening a Forcella pizzeria in Beverly Hills/West Hollywood area. Not soon enough for me.

[tinroofrusted]

I also tried Pitfire Pizza http://pitfirepizza.com in Orange County and was very impressed with the flavor of their pizza. They have several locations in Los Angeles, mostly around Hollywood. I think that any of their locations would be worth a visit. Also Stella Rosa Pizza Bar http://stellarosapizzabar.com in Santa Monica is supposed to be good. I have not been there.  The big new thing in LA is Bestia http://www.bestiala.com/ and they are reputed to have very good pizza, along with everything else they make.  It's tough to get in though. Again, I haven't been there, so this is all hearsay. I think they cook their pizzas in an Acunto oven. 

If you have time to venture to the OC, I can recommend Pizzeria Fuoco in Fullerton http://fuocopizza.com. I am no Neapolitan expert, but I really liked it and it seems they have their thing together for authentic Neapolitan pizza.  They have a Stefano Ferrara oven so that's a plus.  Nice people running the place too.  There is another Stefano Ferrara oven further south in the OC, which is Neapolitan Pizzeria in Laguna Beach http://nealaguna.com. I am trying to get over there to try it out but have not done so yet.  There is also Pizzeria Ortica in Costa Mesa, near the shopping Mecca, South Cost Plaza. Their motto is "We are obsessed with pizza." Sounds like the group around here!  Anyway, they have good Naples style pizza as well, worth a try.  http://www.pizzeriaortica.com/.  Seems I've drifted off the original question which is LA pizza, not OC pizza. But it's not far from LA, and lots of folks end up coming down this way, so hopefully it will be helpful to you or others. 

Enjoy your visit! 

Regards,

TinRoof

[flyboy4ual]

800 degrees in Westwood.

Scott D.

[CopperTop]

thanks for all the recommendations!  I read about Pizzeria Fuoco in Fullerton - they recently got their AVPN certification recently along with Sette Bello (?) in Las Vegas. It's a quick trip and won't be going too far from Manhattan Beach.  There's a MB pizzeria that serves NY style...so looking forward to pizza on the beach,  fresh seafood at Capt Kidds, and the best Indian, Akbar.

So looking forward to 70 degree weather!  It snowed yesterday and it's spring time.

Cheers!

[jeffereynelson]

settebello in Pasadena is my favorite authentic pie in the LA area if you are willing to drive a bit.

[John LA]

Mozza his a location in Newport Beach which is close to where you will be. This in not going to be anything like Neo pizza but is unique to itself and the most famous LA pizza. Burrata with squash blossoms and fennel sausage pizzas are probably the most popular along with the butterscotch bundio dessert. I only get pizza from their original LA location and the togo side has a pomadoro with burrata and sicilian oregano but not sure if Newport beach will have it on the menu. One of the latest restaurants that gets talked about the most is MB Post in Manhattan Beach. Sunday brunch fried chicken is supposed to be great. If you want to stay around M beach both of theses places should be on your list.

John

[CopperTop]

The pizza school in Marina Del Rey is the VPN school, it is their american division.

I stopped by the pizza school for a quick tour...nice set up.  Pepe is in Italy, so no classes that week. 

[CopperTop]

Thanks for all the tips!  Kevin's classes didn't end till after 5 pm...and so we stayed close to MB.  Really enjoyed going back to Capt Kidd's and Akhar at Hermosa Beach.    Will probably find ourselves back there same time, next year for Spring Break!! 

Lucky for those of you living out in the left coast