| Most New Yorkers think California is a wasteland | | | | good. Cooked in a wood-fired oven, they're |
| when it comes to pizza. But that's just because | | | | chewy, charred, and crispy, all at the same time. |
| they have a narrow definition. The pizza | | | | Save room for Butterscotch Budino, one of the |
| restaurants here are as good as any, but it can | | | | best desserts ever. It comes with pine nut |
| be challenge to find your kind of pie if you grew | | | | rosemary cookies and it's bathed in caramel |
| up on the east coast. | | | | sauce. |
| If you're looking for pizza that's lighter, fresher, | | | | Venice is a fun, ocean-front neighborhood with a |
| and more original, this is the place. Since Los | | | | laid-back, beach town vibe. There are a couple of |
| Angeles isn't a city as much as a collection of | | | | good pizzerias here. Abbot's Pizza Company is |
| cities, you'll probably have to drive to try more | | | | best known for their crust, which is made with |
| than one kind. So put the top down and have | | | | bagel dough. It comes in sesame, onion, or garlic |
| some fun. | | | | variety. With five kinds of onions, and four kinds |
| If you only plan to visit one pizza restaurant in | | | | of mushrooms, Abbot's is a good choice for |
| Southern California, make is Pizzeria Mozza, the | | | | vegetable lovers. Sauces include tomato, alfredo, |
| joint venture of Mario Batali, Nancy Silverton, and | | | | olive pesto, and garlic pesto. |
| Joseph Bastianich. There aren't many seats and | | | | Ed Ladou used to make pizzas at Spago, and |
| it's not cheap. But they do take reservations, so if | | | | helped California Pizza Kitchen create their original |
| you book in advance, you won't have to wait. | | | | menu. Now, he has his own place, Caioti Café, |
| There are so many temptations here that it's | | | | in Studio City. And it serves some of the most |
| hard to come and just order pizza. The chopped | | | | inventive pies anywhere. His pizza toppings include |
| salad is fantastic, and the appetizers, which include | | | | white truffle oil, lobster sausage, oysters, crab, |
| fried zucchini blossoms and baked artichokes, are | | | | scallops, and Gruyere cheese. If you're not feeling |
| incredible. Have one of the pizzas with | | | | like pizza, there are bistro dishes like crispy |
| house-made salumi - the guanciale is especially | | | | chicken on the menu too. |