Local 10 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2008 A newspaper with issues New pizzerias continue to spring up
DOWNTOWN Without a blink, Steven Simeone can automatically offer up his choice of best pizza joint in town.
“This is the best place in L.A., without a doubt,” the Santa Monica resident said, taking a bite of a slice from Joe’s Pizza of Bleecker Street as he sat outside of the pizzeria on Friday afternoon.“Everything else is in competition for second place.”
Nearly every pizza aficionado has their argument as to which pizzeria tosses the best pie, and in a city like Santa Monica, the perennial contender for the best food destination distinctions in Southern California, it seems only natural that its selection of pizza would be just as good.
The already large pizzeria population in Santa Monica is about to get more crowded, with the possible additions of a Mulberry Street pizza in Downtown Santa Monica and a new organic pizza parlor called “Pizza Fusion,” part of a growing national franchise.
So is Santa Monica becoming known as a food city? Probably not, according to pizza lovers, who believe that the beachside city, though it offers a good selection of pie, can’t hold a candle to traditional pizza cities like New York, Chicago and even Boston.
But what makes pizza popular in Santa Monica is the same reason that makes it popular elsewhere — it’s a relatable dish, according to Lesley Balla, the editor and writer of Eater LA, an online gossip blog following restaurants and nightlife in Los Angeles.
“It’s that food group everyone appreciates,” Balla said. “I think pizza is every man’s food.”
It is for that reason, coupled with the tourist attraction nature and walkability of the city, that makes Santa Monica a desirable and target location for pizzerias, Balla added.
“Because of its local demographic and all the tourist traffic, it does make a lot of sense,” she said.
The city has to offer various types of pizza, from New York style at Joe’s, which opened in November on Broadway near Ocean Avenue, to California-style at California Pizza Kitchen, to what Simeone calls “New Jersey” style pizza at The Slice, which has two locations in Santa Monica — on Wilshire and Ocean Park boulevards.
The opening of Joe’s Pizza caused a lot of buzz among the New York transplants that now live or work in the Los Angeles area, flocking to the long-time Greenwich Village neighborhood fixture. The owner, Joe Vitale, said at the time of the opening that he wanted to open in Santa Monica, hoping to add more variety in Italian pie offerings in the Los Angeles area.
New York style pizza seems to be a favorite among Santa Monicans. More than a year ago, Gary Wallack, who owns the Bookmark Cafe in the Santa Monica Public Library and has run Bud’s Deli on Ocean Park Boulevard the past 27 years, opened a pizzeria adjacent to the deli.
Wallack said he uses the most expensive imported cheese and dough purchased from New York. The proud pizzeria owner claims that many of his customers from New York City rave that the pizza is better than in their hometown.
“The Slice — they have the best pizza,” — local resident
“Every owner says they have the best and the great pizza,” Wallack said. “I let the customers decide for themselves.”
Wallack doesn’t believe there isn’t anything unique about the abundance of pizzerias in Santa Monica, pointing out that in New York City, there are pizzerias on every corner.
One of the newest kids on the pizza block will be Pizza Fusion this summer, though local franchise owner David Whitworth has yet to secure a location in the city.
With the motto, “Saving the Earth: One pizza at a time,” Pizza Fusion will incorporate environmentally friendly practices in both its food, which will use locally grown organic materials, to its restaurant, which Whitworth anticipates will be certified in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), a designation for green businesses granted by the U.S. Green Building Council. The green theme will be extended down to the delivery vehicles, which will be hybrid cars.
Whitworth believes it will be a sound business plan in a community like Santa Monica where the residents are environmentally aware.
“I know the type of clientele in that area and the need for something of this sort in the area,” Whitworth, who has lived on the Westside for the past 15 years, said.
Pizza Fusion will be joining some establishments that have been part of the community for decades.
Steve Trager opened Main Street’s Wildflour Pizza, housed in a recognizable yellow cottage, about 35 years ago. The restaurant’s pizza has won several honors in the past few years, including “The Best Thin Pizza” distinction by the Los Angeles Times and the gold medal at the California State Fair.
The recipe to success is in the dough, baked fresh daily, the pricey thick pizza sauce made from real Italian tomatoes, and natural white cheddar, according to Trager.
“I can open a can and toss it at you and not drop of sauce would get on the clothing,” Trager said, adding that the sauce needs to be diluted with water.
The pizza scene in Santa Monica was vastly different 35 years ago than it is today, Trager said. It was a pizza scene that consisted of Wildflour and about two or three other pizzerias, he said.
“I’m from Boston and I could not find a good tasting pizza in Southern California,” Trager said.“I went back and learned the business and brought it back to California.”
Not everyone is that impressed with the pizza selection in Santa Monica.
Lily Sanchez, who works at Hostelling International’s tourist store in Downtown Santa Monica, said she and her co-workers will head to Johnny’s Pizza on the Third Street Promenade. She’s tried other locations like Classic Pizza on Pico Boulevard and Buca di Beppo, but none compared to Johnny’s.
“Their tomato sauce is good and that’s what makes it taste better,” Sanchez said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 9, 2008. Read the original PDF.