Best Pizza Places In The Valley
With pizza, there are a range of preferences you can choose from. From thin crust, thick crust, extra cheese, and pepperoni to sausage, pineapple or anchovies, there are almost endless options for your slice or pie. The Valley has its share of pizza parlors and Italian restaurants, easily topping the large chain pizza options which abound. This top list honors the best pizza options from flatbread style, secret family recipes and pizza for the gluten-free diet.
Il Fornaio
6320 Topanga Canyon Blvd.
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
(818) 297-1700
www.ilfornaio.com
When pizza is on your radar, Il Fornaio Woodland Hills is a must visit. Chef Giueseppe DiMola is behind the scenes creating favorite Italian pizzas and authentic Italian classics for lunch and dinner guests. As the sister restaurant to the location in Beverly Hills, pizzas here are baked in a traditional Italian pizza oven (wood fired). Il Fornaio pizza is created from Chef DiMola to have a thin crust created from housemade dough. Each pizza is topped with fresh Italian mozzarella. Guests enjoy three pie choices. Fradiavoli is topped with sausage, mushrooms, roasted bell peppers, red onions and a spicy pepperoncino oil. The Cristina is drizzled with white truffle oil and a substantial helping of prosciutto, grana pasano, mushrooms and wild arugula. Traditionalists prefer the Margherita, made with the classic mozzarella, tomato and basil ingredients.
Little Toni's
4745 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91602
(818) 763-0131
Open late until 2am, Little Toni's is the perfect neighborhood pizza joint for a slice or pie any time of night. Little Toni's pepperoni pizza is the must have when you visit this North Hollywood locale. Regulars order their pepperoni pizza with garlic. In fact, it's a Little Toni's specialty. Here, the cheese bubbles, the pepperonis curl and crust crunches when eating this pizza. Serving the North Hollywood valley area for more than 45 years, Little Toni's also has a bar that serves beer, wine and cocktails. The menu also offers old school Italian classics including twice baked lasagna, mostaccioli, calarmari and garlic cheese toast with a side of marinara for dipping, of course. Locals who have been eating at Little Toni's for years now enjoy kibitzing with the wait staff and owner.
Pizza Cookery
17976 Ventura Blvd.
Encino, CA 91316
(818) 345-6144
www.pizzacookeryencino.com
A Valley staple, Pizza Cookery offers a great pizza. The restaurant employs a double water filtration system to purify the water used for the pizza dough. The system removes any chemicals in the water, which gives the pizza a great flavor. Pizza Cookery's menu offers many pizza options, from regular or thin crust to thick and whole wheat crust to gluten free. Pizza Cookery always suggests double cheese to guests when placing pizza orders. Toppings include the usual suspects like pepperoni, sausage, anchovies, mushroom, black olive and green pepper, as well as the exceptional such as sliced meatball, turkey sausage or breast, jalapeno, broccoli and green olives.
Barone's
22435-D Ventura Blvd
Woodland Hills, CA 91364
(818) 703-1700
www.baronespizzeria.com
Since 1945, Los Angeles has relied on Barone's for the best pizza in town. Known as the first restaurant to serve pizza in L.A. and Southern California, Barone's is passionate about their recipes and heritage. The Barone sibling owners perfected secret recipes from their grandparents in Sicily and Naples, Italy. Made fresh daily, the dough and house-made Italian sauce are created from the freshest ingredients. The "secret" cheese blend is a Barone's signature ingredient, which helped to make the restaurant a household name, along with 50s celebrities like James Dean, Frank Sinatra and John Wayne who were frequent pizza patrons.
Pagliacci's New York Pizza
3990 Vantage Ave.
Studio City CA, 91604
(818) 766-2515
www.pagliaccisstudiocity.com
A Valley favorite, Pagliacci's is the best option for a quick slice or full pie delivery. Something for every appetite, patrons can order cheese pizzas, create-your-own or gourmet topped pizzas (eggplant with onions and chicken, bbq chicken, spinach pie, etc.) from individual size (10 inches) to grand size (28 inches). Cheese pizza by the slice is also offered, along with a menu featuring salads (antipasto), pastas (lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, Fettuccini Alfredo), and paninis. Pagliacci's is also known as the neighborhood custom blended yogurt shop. Chocolate or vanilla base is mixed in with lots of fantastic sweet ingredients such as candies, chocolates and fruits.
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