Michael's Pizzeria

 

When Mother Dough of Los Feliz showed up I thought that would be the best pizza LA would ever see.  Then NY heavy hitters Joe and Grimaldi came to town and I thought finally real NY pizza.  

I am once again surprised as I have now experienced Michael's Pizzeria.  Quite possibly the best pizza in LA.  The problem is it isn't technically in LA.  It is in Long Beach.  

Despite being far away (from me anyway)  it is worth the drive.  There are 3 locations, 1 in Rancho Mirage.  Two in Long beach, one on what is technically an island appropriately named Naples.  The ambiance isn't exactly what you'd expect from a pizza place.  It feels like more of a sit down juice bar.  Or a diner from the cartoon The Jetsons.  

The pizza is near perfect.   The crust is is amazing.   Flavorful, perfectly cooked, which good char markings all over.  Cooked in a wood fired Brick oven.  I timed the pizza in the oven, cooking about 7 minutes I think.  Just had a great consistency, very thin in the middle and doughy and chewy on the outer edge but crispy on the outside.
The cheese is made fresh in house and you can tell.  Generous chunks of it sporadically about.
The sauce is really tasty.  Packed with flavor, not too sweet but not too spiced.  A perfect balance.
There could have been a little more of it.  Where it was thin on the sauce, it was a tad bit dry.

This place is a D.O.P. - so its supervised by the pizza gods of Italy.

The meat pizza which was the special had several kinds of delicious italian meats as wells as some cilli peppers and huge chunks of garlic.  They had a clam pizza as well.  Really a great selection of unusual pies that makes going there an adventure every time.
The prices are pretty standard for this kind for  Neapolitan style pies of this caliber.

Michael's Pizzeria 

5616 E 2nd St

Long Beach, CA 90803 

Price: $$$

Rating: 5‎