Everything You Knew About Pizza Was Wrong

Richard Atherton

Professor Clark Hansen

Writ 340, Section 66791

Assignment #1: 

Expert Article

The 3 Best Pizza Restaurants in LA

by Richard Atherton 

Seriously who doesn't love pizza? I never really appreciated or gave much thought about what goes into making a pizza.  But after visiting the three best pizza restaurants in LA, I will never look at pizza the same way again.

Background

In its simplest form, pizza is basically a flatbread and seasoned with herbs and olive oil.  These flatbreads are believed to have dated back to Greek and Roman times.  The modern pizza is widely considered to have originated in Naples, Italy.  Pizza was usually eaten and shared by the peasantry.  It took awhile for members of the aristocracy to come to grips with and accept such peasant food.  But when they did, they loved it! Then out came the use of fresh mozzarella di Buffalo which revolutionized pizza (Pizza: the Soul of Italy).  Traditionally, mozzarella cheese is made from buffalo milk hence the name mozzarella di buffalo. It is considered higher quality and better tasting than mozzarella made from cow milk. Physically speaking, mozzarella di buffalo is a brighter white, softer, less firm, and more moist. Taste wise, mozzarella di buffalo had a tangier taste to it as compared to cow milk mozzarella which was sweeter and milder. If you go to any authentic Italian pizzeria, you would never see them use an other kind of cheese---cheddar, provolone, gouda.

Image Courtesy of Best Pizza Supplies

DeSano's Bakery

4959 Santa Monica Blvd, East Hollywood; (323) 913-7000

Image courtesy of DeSano Pizzeria

There are only three locations of this very popular restaurant in the United States: Nashville, TN; Charleston, NC; and here in Los Angeles, CA.  The LA location will be celebrating its two year anniversary this year.  The owner is Marino Monferrato, a simple man who enjoys delicious pizza.  I had the privilege of speaking with him for about an hour.  He told me about the whole process of what goes into making real Italian pizza.  After speaking with him for about an hour. What intrigued me the most was that back in Italy, there is a certain branch of Italian police that inspects and monitors the pizza (Monferrato). Whereas in the United States, we have the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

For all his pizza, he only uses mozzarella di Buffalo.  Also, everything in his restaurant is from Italy--the flour, tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and even the ovens! Yes, even the salt, which he said is a little sweeter than other salts on the market.  Marino was kind enough to give me a Margherita pizza on the house.  A Margherita pizza consists of tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil.  Now I don't know if I was just really hungry that day but that was the best pizza I have ever tasted (that I can remember).  My mouth is salivating just talking about it.  I was totally speechless for 10 minutes which is about how long it took me to devour the entire pie.  If you still don't believe me, here are the opinions of others who have tried their pizza:

Image courtesy of DeSano Pizzeria

"In my opinion, this is the ONLY pizza in LA.  Being a NY'er, good pizza is hard to come by in Socal." (Yelp)

"most authentic, tasty Neapolitan pie that I have had since my trip to Naples, Italy." (Yelp)

"I'm in love with Italian thin crust pizzas and theirs is chewy, a little charred and bubbly." (Yelp)

Pizzeria Mozza

641 N. Highland Ave., Hancock Park; (323) 297- 0101

Image courtesy of Pizzeria Mozza

Los Angeles Times said it best: "Pizzeria Mozza isn't just a restaurant.  It's an action film, a master classic in the art of making pizza, a trip through Italy's wine regions and a magnet for a diverse crowd  of hungry diners only Los Angeles could muster."  With partners Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich, Nancy Silverton is the co-owner of Pizzeria Mozza.  She has received numerous accolades which include: "Best New Chef" and "Outstanding Chef (Pizzeria Mozza)."  She was awarded the latter by the James Beard Foundation.  She was also listed as one of the Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink by Fortune and Food and Wine Magazine.  Basically, she's a highly accomplished individual who makes really good food.

I heard about Pizzeria Mozza by friends who have tried it.  But when I saw this restaurant was listed #3 on the 10 Best Pizza places in Los Angles by LA Weekly, I knew I had to try it.    Pizzeria Mozza is known for its California ingredients and its famous crust.  The recipe for he famous crust can be seen below. 

Nancy's Pizza Dough (Pizza Dough Heaven):

• 22 ounces warm tap water 
• 1 tablespoon compressed yeast 
• 26 ounces unbleached bread flour 
• 1 tablespoon dark rye flour 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons wheat germ 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons barley malt 
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

These are the main ingredients. But there are others that contribute to making this crust one of a kind.

So, I ordered their Margherita pizza.  With that first bite, the fresh tomato sauce and finely grated mozzarella instantly pull you in and you are hit with a magnitude of flavor.  The restaurant's version of their crust is a bit different from the homemade version in that the fermentation process is longer. This gives their crust a crispy, chewy, airy texture. The flavor is like that of a fantastic artisan bread. The dough Pizzeria Mozza uses is flabby and soft. The picture doesn't do it justice.  You have to come in and try it for yourself.  Here's what some other people had to say:

Image courtesy of Pizzeria Mozza

"The edges are light and airy, while the center has a soft chew and mild crunchiness." (Yelp)

"Quality not quantity people!" (Yelp)

"The food is truly gourmet." (Yelp)

Casa Bianca

1650 Colorado Blvd, Los Angeles; (323) 256-9617

Image courtesy of Casa Bianca

Last but certainly not least is Casa Bianca.  The owners, whom I had the pleasure of speaking to, are siblings Ned and Andrea.  Before I dive into what makes their pizza worthy of my top 3, the owner had many fun facts to share with me.  Part of the film Jersey Boys (directed by Clint Eastwood) was shot in Casa Bianca.  Also, Casa Bianca closes for 3 weeks during the summer (Martorana).  Everybody deserves a break once in awhile right? The restaurant has been family owned for 61 years.  They are initially from Chicago but their pizza is not deep dish.  Before Chicago pizza was Chicago pizza as we know it today, it was "New York" pizza.

The restaurant has a family, fun atmosphere.  After waiting an hour, I tried their Deluxe pizza and eggplant pizza.  Both are savory and appetizing dishes.  But it does get really busy on the weekends.  Everything is hand made and fresh.  They use California ingredients except for their cheese which they import from Wisconsin (the cheese state).  Here are what others had to say: 

Image courtesy of restaurant hopper

"One of the best pizza places in Los Angeles.  Better than a lot of fancy places on top 10 lists." (Yelp)

"The smell of the pizza will fulfill half of your appetite." (Yelp)

Works Cited

Jung, Carolyn. Pure Pizza Dough Heaven- The Recipe From Pizzeria Mozza. Food Gal. http://www.foodgal.com/2011/09/pure-pizza-dough-heaven-the-recipe-from-pizzeria-mozza/. 28 April 2016. 

Martorana, Andrea & Ned.  Interview.  09 February 2016. 

Monferrato, Marino.  Interview.  08 February 2016.  

"Pizza: the Soul of Italy."  Life in Italy.  http://www.lifeinitaly.com/food/pizza-history.asp (11 February 2016).

Restaurant - Pizzeria Mozza.  B & B Hospitality Group.  http://la.pizzeriamozza.com/the-restaurant/ (11 February 2016).  

Yelp. Web. http://www.yelp.com/biz/desano-pizza-bakery-los-angeles. 24 April 2016.