Stefano's Pizzeria [santa monica]

Stefano's Pizzeria 

1310 3rd Street Promenade

Santa Monica, CA 90401

For the days when you want pizza (everyday), but your appetite is not big enough to eat a whole 800 degrees pizza (rare), pizza-by-the-slice is the answer. Enter Stefano's - the perfect after work pre-shopping snack when you didn't have time to eat lunch and dinner is not for another 3 hours. The place is very small, like the size of a Wetzel's Pretzels but there is an outdoor patio with lots of seating. The pizzas are all out on display, cold, and without any price tags or labels at all. The menu above the pizzas denotes 3 price ranges: cheese, regular toppings, and "gourmet" toppings. I was just looking for a pizza with some mushrooms, and saw one with mushrooms and pepperoni. I definitely did not think that would be considered "gourmet" but once I saw my receipt I saw how silly I was. $4 for one very average slice is definitely not worth it to me, and I then remembered why I tend to avoid slice pizza. 

There were a lot of flavor options, but like I said, they were just sitting there and you would have to ask them what each flavor actually was. The slice I got was surprisingly good, the crust was sturdy yet easy to bite into and not too chewy. The cheese and mushrooms were good but the pepperoni flavor was not very strong. All in all it was an okay pizza for a slice, but I would only go back if I were really craving a slice and not a whole pizza (again, rare). 

Some 'zas

Mushroom and pepperoni "gourmet" pizza ($4.33)

Thickness

Patio and people watching

Crust: sturdy, not too cardboard like, easy to bite into

Cheese: good for slice pizza

Sauce: average

Best Part: unexpected crust density

Recommend: just going to 800 degrees

Girl Reunited with Pizza: Sliver Pizzeria [berkeley]

Sliver Pizzeria

2132 Center St

Berkeley, CA 94704

Andrew and I made our way back up to the Bay Area this weekend to baptize my new goddaughter Juliette! Not only did we get to see my family, but we also were not too far from our alma mater and my favorite pizza place on this earth, Sliver. 

When I lived in Berkeley, my apartment was about 3 blocks from Sliver and I would be here usually around 3-4 times a week, depending on what the pizzas were for the week. Every Sunday I would check the menu for the week and plan all my meals accordingly. Favorites include: any pizza with corn, tomatoes/onions, mushrooms/peppers, mushrooms/onions. Maybe the best pizza I've ever had would be the mushroom/tomato with Sliver special seasoning - an elusive pizza I've only had once, but continue to dream about. The only bad pizza I've ever had there was leeks/brussels sprouts - which tasted as bad as it sounds, only purchased because I was in a crunch.

Sliver is great because of its ingredients and unique flavors that set it apart from all other slice-driven pizza places (other than Cheeseboard of course). But Sliver is better than Cheeseboard for several reasons: 

1. Closer to campus
2. Better crust
3. Better flavors
4. More students
5. More seating
6. TVs playing sports always
7. Happy hour
8. Shorter lines
9. Faster service
10. Proximity to other beverage places

There are a lot of pizza places in the Bay Area but every time I go back I make it a point to stop by Sliver at least once. This weekend we chose to go for the Saturday pizza which was mushrooms and green peppers, because Friday was potato and Saturday was corn and black beans. Typically I would take any pizza with corn but the black beans seemed too weird for me. The pizza was as good as I remember, and even though I had recently been back in the last 2 months, every time I go back it feels like going back to college again. We got a half pizza to share, and ended up each getting another slice/sliver because we didn't get enough. There was live music and lots of students everywhere, and basketball on the tv screens - just like we never left.

Thinking we only needed a half pizza ($12)

Bar seating - saw some people come in just to take tequila shots, so it's like a real bar

Extra slice because I weigh 300 pounds ($3)

After Sliver, I have to also get ice cream. Even though I ate 3 slices of pizza, my stomach will never be too full to get a cone from Ici. I still follow them on twitter to see their flavors of the day, which at times is painful when I'm 6 hours away.  My heart skips a beat every time I see "brown sugar gingersnap" written on their chalkboard sign. The stars have aligned quite a few times on weekends that I am home the flavor is in stock. Those times I have been known to spend up to $70 on quarts and pints and cones of ice cream to stock up for myself and brother.

If BSGS isn't on the menu, I am obviously very disappointed but can usually settle with other flavors. Ici is known for their original flavor combinations, but after going to other "artisanal" ice cream shops their flavors are not actually as outlandish as I had once thought. There usually are around 3 flavors that I will at least taste, and probably like. Some other notable flavors include "banana cream pie" and milk chocolate n cookies. Their ice cream is all handmade and of the best quality, so sometimes even plain vanilla can be really good, especially with their signature cones and the little bit of chocolate at the end. Sometimes there aren't any flavors that speak to me (rare), and then I would just drive a little farther over to Smitten.

There's usually a line outside, especially on weekends and when flavors are good. The line is definitely worth it and really helps people inside to be able to sit down and enjoy their cone without being crammed with a bunch of people inside a tiny store. The aesthetic of the place really speaks to me, and I appreciate the effort that goes into every flavor, not only taste wise but with the corresponding signs in the store and on the chalkboard outside. Ici is the most perfect ice cream shop.

Best ice cream in the world

"What are you waiting in line for?"

"Is it really THAT good?"

Ice cream craft decor

Vanilla - Dark Chocolate/Caramel Swirl 

Peanut Butter - Chocolate Peanut

Obica Mozzarella Bar [century city]

Obica Mozzarella Bar, Pizza e Cucina

10250 Santa Monica Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90067

On a Yelp search for pizza close to Westwood, Obica generally does not pop up as a top hit. Maybe on a very specialized search in the 5 mile radius from my apartment it finally popped up. I wanted to come because mozzarella bars have to have at least decent pizza, at least topped with high quality cheese! 

The restaurant is located inside the Westfield Century City "mall," upstairs near Bloomingdales. We came late on a Thursday night, around 8:30 so the mall was about to close. There was no one really inside, but everyone was seated in a little outdoor tent that was heated and lit with string lights. I ordered the "pomodoro biologico e mozzarella" or the "pomodoro" which was the closest thing to a margherita. It basically was a margherita, but I think because they didnt use SM tomatoes they didn't want to call it that. Also the pizze menu boasted that their dough rises slowly for 2 days and is "worth the wait" so my expectations were rising. We started out with a taster plate of cheese, as anyone must, and it was very delicious especially with the accompanying spinach and tomatoes. 

When the pizzas were brought out to our table, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. The pizza did not look like a typical neapolitan as I was expecting, but the crust/dough looked very reminiscent of Italian-restaurant or CPK style pizza. My expectations were immediately lowered to that standard. However, I still had high hopes for the cheese. The pizza was sliced into 4 quarters, which is always a good sign and in my opinion is how all pizzas should be sliced for optimum folding. One bite and I was sold. The dough, although on first impression looked lackluster, was very very good. It was sturdy and crisp on the outside yet still soft and chewy. The sturdiness of it, though an odd quality for pizza, I thought was especially important and successful considering how many people bash on pizzas for being "too soggy" or having all the toppings fall off in one bite. The cheese was impeccable, as expected after we had already tasted some of the bufala to begin with. The sauce was not the typical neapolitan pizza sauce, but probably because they didn't use SM tomatoes which are a little bit sweeter. Andrew's prosciutto pizza was also pretty good, but I would probably still rather get the regular pomodoro again and really enjoy the delicacy of the cheese. 

All in all the pizza was delicious and I would definitely come back (even by myself). Its location in the Westfield mall makes it a perfect destination to get delicious food after a bit of shopping. I don't think it gets too busy here (see photos below) but there is definitely ample seating if they ever do.

"Pizze"

Lots of availability here, clearly

Bar seating

Mini-tasting of the smoked (left) and classic (right) bufala mozzarella ($8)

(near) Pomodoro Biologico e Mozzarella ($14)

(far) Prosciutto Crudo ($17)

Prosciutto and arugula 

Milky clouds of cheese

Excellent foldability, nothing falling out

As close up as my phone would semi-focus of that cornmeal crust

Outdoor tent (where we were seated)

Crust: looks like a cracker but still soft, covered in corn meal for a good texture

Sauce: not made with San Marzano tomatoes, a little bit tart

Cheese: very good quality, sizable amount on pizza

Recommend: tasting one of the mozzarellas, pomodoro/mozzarella pizza

Best part: highest quality cheese, Westfield mall location, great place for a nice bite to eat after shopping

LA's Artisanal Pizzas, by location

Westside

800 degrees - LAX

800 degrees - Santa Monica

800 degrees - Westwood
Doma (beverly hills)

Gjelina (venice) 

Milo & Olive (santa monica)

Obica Mozzarella Bar (century city)

Olio Woodfired Pizza (beverly grove)

Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana (marina del rey)

Sotto (century city)

South End (venice)

Stella Barra Pizzeria (santa monica)

Wildcraft (culver city)

Central LA/Hollywood

800 degrees - DTLA

Ciao Cristina (burbank)

De Sano Pizza Bakery (east hollywood)

Mother Dough (los feliz)

Pitfire Artisan Pizza (DTLA)

Pizzeria Mozza (hancock park)

Stella Barra Pizzeria (hollywood)

Eastside

800 degrees - Pasadena

Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana (pasadena)

Wood: handcrafted pizza (silverlake)

Mother Dough [los feliz]

mother dough

4648 Hollywood Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90027

Almost everywhere in LA was completely booked for reservations on Valentine's Day, so Andrew and I decided to finally go to Mother Dough, which is a place that never takes reservations. In light of MD's recent notice for best pizza in LA, we figured there might be a long wait (especially on Valentine's Day) so we tried to get there right when they opened at 6pm. We got there around 6:20, and there were still a bunch of tables open to choose from even in the tiny restaurant space. 

As it was Valentine's Day, it was mostly couples in the restaurant, and we sat next to maybe the worst couple in the world. The guy was clearly either writing a pizza blog or planning his next Yelp review, and the girl was okay other than the fact that she had bright pink hair. They ordered the burrata salad, and were seated probably 15 minutes before us. We opted to skip salad, obviously, and our pizzas came out before the table next to us. It was honestly very amusing to us while eating our pizza to hear the guy freak out about not having his pizza. We had almost finished our own pizzas when their pizzas arrived, and it got even better. The girl ordered the prosciutto/arugula pizza, and the guy ordered one of the special pizzas (not sure which). The guy clearly wasn't listening to the waitress when she was describing the pizza to him, because apparently there was something on the pizza that was "his least favorite ingredient ever." It might have been horseradish, which I know was on one of the specials, but Andrew said he was picking out something green. Regardless, he hated it so much he made the girl switch pizzas with him and he ate all of hers. She also noted "your pizza does have a funny taste" but she continued to eat it. Still waiting on the guy's yelp review... 

As for our pizza, the dough that the place is so famous for seemed very inconsistent. Although "artisan" pizzas are not supposed to all be perfectly the same, my dough and crust was very thin and charred, while Andrew's was soft and much better. His pizza was also basically the same as my Margherita, but with sausage on it. He actually asked the waitress if he could split the pizza, as we had seen in Yelp reviews, but she said that they don't do that when the restaurant is "busy" and only would be like a half margherita/something else, meaning half of the pizza just wouldn't have the extra toppings. Andrew thoroughly enjoyed his sausage, and I thought his pizza was better than mine because his had the same amount of cheese AND toppings, and his pizza dough was much softer. My margherita was okay, there was a sufficient amount of cheese, but next time (if there is one) I would definitely order something else. 

In searching for the other diners' Yelp review, the only one I came across from Valentine's Day was a guy who came at 10:30 and they were closed. When we tried to come to mother dough last, it was a Tuesday night at 10:30 so it seemed more understandable that they would not be busy and would close early. But that they closed early on a weekend night AND Valentine's Day seems wrong. Basically, don't ever expect this place to be open until their stated operating hour of 11pm. Being ranked LA's best pizza seems to not be doing much for the place, but the place doesn't seem to be doing very much to show they deserve that ranking. It definitely wasn't the worst pizza I've had in LA, but it surely was not the best. More consistent dough (especially since that is part of their namesake) and consistent hours would get this place a higher rank in my book. 

No wait on Valentine's day/night, 

you can basically see the entire restaurant from this photo.

Don't know what this door is for, not the restaurant

I must say I am into the typography and no capital letters

If you squint really hard, mine might be a heart shaped pizza.

Also, look at the thin (basically no) crust in the bottom left.

Margherita ($15)

(very oval) Sausage pizza ($18) 

Crust: inconsistent between the two pizzas, but very good on the Sausage

Sauce: decent amount, not overpowering

Cheese: Margherita could have had more, but Sausage had good amount with the sausage

Recommend: not the Margherita, get something with toppings

Best Part: good quality ingredients

Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana [marina del rey]

Settebello Pizzeria Napoletana

13455 Maxella Ave

Marina Del Rey, CA 90292

After spending an afternoon in Venice, I thought that we might be able to eat at Gjelina without a reservation. However, once we finally got to the restaurant, it was an hour wait which was not going to happen. Since we were already in the area, we decided to visit Settebello which has been at the top of my list of pizza places to try, but just a little farther south than I would normally drive. 

Settebello is in this weird pseudo shopping center that basically has an Ulta, Pier 1, a Ruth's Chris and Yard House. It seemed pretty commercial, especially since I was pretty sure that there was another Settebello in Pasadena, so I was a bit hesitant that it would be Italian restaurant type pizza again. A lot of Yelp reviews about the place seem to all be about "soggy pizza" where everything falls off in the first bite - clearly written by people that are expecting something like CPK or even Domino's - so we didn't let that cloud our expectations. 

Our waitress did a great job of explaining the pizzas to us, that they are cooked quickly in their 1000 degree oven (straight from Naples) so that they are still a little soft when they come out. She also explained to us what "DOC" stood for, but we basically forgot right away. It's something like "domestic origin control." Anyway, she explained that the DOC marker meant that it was up to Italian standards, and the bufala was authentic Italian. 

I decided to go for the Margherita DOC over the regular margherita, mostly because of my mistake at Olio when the regular margherita paled in comparison to the one with buffalo mozzarella. Andrew ordered the pizza carbonara. 

The pizza was great. Cheese is probably the most important factor to me in judging how good a pizza is, and Settebello's did not disappoint. The crust/dough of the pizza was also soft and a little bit sweet, which was a welcome change after the pizza we had at Wildcraft. Andrew also compared the dough to that of our favorite pizza place in San Francisco (il casaro in North Beach), so it must have been great. The pancetta on Andrew's carbonara was also very nice and crispy. Usually when pizzas come with several toppings, there is less cheese throughout, but not at Settebello! Overall the pizzas were both really great, both had more than enough tasty cheese and sauce to leave us both happy at the end. 

Naples oven and extra bar seating

Interior bar

front: Margherita DOC / back: Pizza Carbonara 

Pizza Carbonara: crushed tomatoes, pancetta, egg, cracked pepper, EVOO

Margherita DOC: crushed tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella, 

basil, parmigiano reggiano, EVOO

Nice fold with plenty of cheese still on the pizza

Location above a Yard House

Crust: soft and slightly sweet, cooked to perfect folding texture
Sauce: tasty and not overpowering
Cheese: deserving of DOC stamp, plentiful throughout
Recommend: Margherita DOC definitely, but probably all pizzas are great and I can't wait to try more!

Best part: no wait, delicious pizzas with lots of authentic cheese

800 degrees [santa monica]

800 Degrees

120 Wilshire Blvd

Santa Monica, CA 90401 

This 800 location is across the street from my office, so I am here basically every Monday and Friday for lunch. There is usually a huge line during lunchtime, especially if there is a good "instagram special" that day. Usually I get the same toppings as I would any other day (broccolini and mushrooms) but that is too boring to continue to blog about. I decided that I would have to start trying the instagram specials if I had any hopes of generating new and original content. I started following the 800 degrees instagram account, and started checking every day. 

Today's pizza sounded like a good start for me, it still had one of my main toppings (broccolini) and the extra ingredients were still basic and healthy. It was also on the regular margherita pizza. When I saw it had smoked provolone, I worried that it would replace the pulled mozzarella. Luckily that is part of the standard margherita and was not replaced! 

To get the instagram special, all you had to do is say "I'll have the Instagram special" to the pizzaiolo and they will take care of the rest. There are no substitutions or add-ons to the special, which is fair because the pizza is 50% off. 

"instagram special, february 2, 2015"

"green" pizza with spinach and broccolini. I couldn't really taste the smoked provolone, but could definitely smell it. 

Everything you need to know in one photo. 

Overall the Instagram special is a really great deal, getting a quality Neapolitan pizza for $5 cannot be beat. However, any pickiness and you might be waiting a while for 800 to post a pizza of the day that suits your tastebuds.