I Need a REAL New York Pizza!
The hardest part about my relocation from New York City to Los Angeles for me has been finding good pizza. New York City has so many amazing pizza shops that one does not realize how good they had it in NYC until they move to LA, an area that does not quite specialize in this great Italian cuisine! Since April 2015, I have tried out 27 pizza shops in Los Angeles, all who claimed to have “New York” style pizza. Needless to say I was disappointed the majority of the time; however, I did find two pizza shops that I happen to like a lot. They are listed below and are in no particular order.
PATSY’S D’AMORE’S PIZZA
Located inside the Original Farmer’s Market @ The Grove, 6333 W 3rd St in Fairfax, Los Angeles, not far from West Hollywood.
I accidentally came across this hole-in-the-wall pizza shop while shopping at the Grove. I became particularly interested in eating here, because they are part of the same Patsy’s that I loved from NYC! The one I ate at regularly was literally 2 blocks away from the Green Earth office in Manhattan on W 23rd St. We are 116 W 23rd St and Patsy’s is 318 W 23rd St, talk about spoiled!
I ordered a regular margarita style thin crust pizza, well done, which means crispy and burnt. Everything about this pizza was good from the crust, to the oil, the sauce and of course the cheese. Thank you Patsy’s for giving me a real taste of New York in California.
JOE’S PIZZA
Located at 111 Broadway, just off of Ocean Ave in Santa Monica.
I found out about Joe’s through searching on Google and Yelp. Another hole-in-the-wall shop, but which pizza shop isn’t? Every time I have been here, there is a long line to get pizza, which means that I am not the only one who desires good pizza.
Here, I ordered a pepperoni pie, well done, but I had the pepperoni cooked before it was placed on the pizza. It is a little trick that I learned from other pizza eating experts in New York. It certainly makes the pepperoni and the pizza taste a lot better. You can tell a lot about a pizza joint by their pepperoni pizza and this one for sure did not let me down. Their sauce, cheese and dough are truly reminiscent of what New York City pizza is all about. Absolutely delicious!
As of this article, I am still on the hunt for more great pizza in Los Angeles. I have 10 more checked off to visit, they are in Burbank, Northridge, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, West Hills, Calabasas, Compton, Van Nuys, Century City, Tarzana & Encino. If I find another gem, I will be sure to blog about it.
In the meantime, if anyone has any recommendations for good pizza shops or perhaps questions for me about NYC pizza, then please feel free to email me directly, kery@greenearthpest.com
Peace, Love & Pizza to You! – Kery Bruzzo, Green Earth Pest Control
New York
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