IT COULD BE THE TASTE, THE TEXTURE or the convenience. Whatever it is, pizza has become a staple in most American households. Over the past two decades pizza recipes have become more creative, more ingenious, giving credit to the founders of California Pizza Kitchen for coming up with unique concepts in pizza making.
Their idea spawned others like Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza and soon popular chains like Pizza Hut and Roundtable Pizza were making adjustments to their menus, offering gourmet style pizzas for those with a more developed palate.
So thus became the gourmet pizza craze which seems to have grasped most Californians, whereas those in Chicago and New York prefer the more traditional.
With gas prices rocketing out of control, shoe prices climbing (I remember when I could get a pair of Manolo Blahniks for $385 not on sale) and people talking about the economy “this” and the economy “that,” many are considering going back to the basics.
And that’s how I was introduced to Richie Palmer’s Pizzeria, a new pizza joint that opened in Santa Monica on Ocean Avenue about seven months ago.
I love this place because it brings the traditional New York style pizza and other recipes to the West coast with no fluff. The menu is basic: pizza by the slice, hero’s, pasta, and salads.
One of the owners, Allan Davis, joined me for lunch one afternoon and made sure that I tried one of everything in each category. I tried a slice of the classic cheese pizza, a slice of the BBQ chicken pizza and a slice of the artichoke and fresh tomato pizza. Out of the three I tried, to my surprise I loved the classic NY cheese pizza the best. I am not a cheese pizza only gal. I am a toppings gal at heart.
But something about the mix of fresh herbs and cheese just did it for me. Allan (originally from New York) informed me the reason why they do the thin crust is so that you can taste every topping and flavor of the pizza without getting all the dough in the way. Good to know.
I also tried the eggplant parmesan that was light on cheese, perfect amount of tomato sauce and breaded lightly so that you can actually taste the eggplant.
Another back to basics item I tried was the sausage, pepperoni and cheese calzone served with a side of marinara sauce.
The dough is light and flaky which is not the norm for most calzones. I never order a calzone due to an overload of dough, but this one is much different. It’s a great on-the-go, lunch snack.
I couldn’t leave Richie Palmer’s without trying the baked ziti. Now this is a classic Italian dish. It’s penne pasta baked with mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce. Most places never put enough cheese and sauce but when this dish arrived, it had plenty.
Oh my, I was in heaven with this sinful entrée. I felt like I was in the shoe salon at Saks during their once-a-year sale. As I took a bite, the cheese just melted in my mouth. It was like a decadent mac-n-cheese.
Definitely a dangerous dish for me, one that I could eat everyday but then wouldn’t be able to fit into my skinny jeans. I also loved how the baked ziti was served in an aluminum container because if you can’t finish it (this is a large dish) then you can pop on the lid and take it home.
I asked Allan if they usually serve it this way and he said yes, it’s baked in the container to keep it hot. Makes sense to me.
Lastly, I had to try their chopped salad. I was going to save my comments for a future chopped salad story but I can’t resist.
It’s good. It’s fresh. I’m a big fan of the chopped salad. I make a mean one myself.
Everything at Richie Palmer’s tasted very fresh probably because the chefs buy most of their ingredients at our local farmer’s market every week. Richie Palmer’s is a great place to go for a slice of good ‘ol fashioned pizza and a salad.
Now here’s Maria’s wrap up on other pizza and salad eateries: California Pizza Kitchen (of course) located on the corner of Wilshire and Second Street; Alejo’s Italian Restaurant in Marina del Rey located on the corner of Lincoln and Washington (Alejo’s chopped is the bomb!); and Santa Monica Pizza Kitchen on the corner of Wilshire and 14th (if you like toppings, try the House Special pizza). That’s a wrap!
MARIA ROHLOFF is a food enthusiast and one heck of a good cook. She
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 17, 2008. Read the original PDF.