Andiamo

I found this place the other day, it is kind of tucked inside a little collection of businesses. It has some interesting decor inside with a collection of antique chairs and tables, and some interesting wall paper it is a little like your grandmothers dinning room. Kind of a cool spot.

I ordered a medium cheese pizza, 14'' it was $13. When i opened the box it was an interesting sight.

The first thing you notice is the huge matte of cheese on top. This is a big problem for me. The cheese was mainly bland tasting not that creamy, either it was a low grade mozzarella or it was a low fat kind. On top of the sub par cheese there was a lot of it. The sauce continued with the theme of low quality. Again kind of bland, but very sweet. Similar to a generic tomato paste. The crust too wasn't quite right, as you can see it was cooked pretty well, it was nice and crispy on the bottom and edge.

However, it was too thick and didn't have and spring back in the edge. It was simply charred on the bottom and gooey and doughy on the inside.

This last picture looks like a pizza murder doesn't it. Don't worry the pizza was not harmed. In fact I flipped it back on the right side with out it being deformed at all. This in fact, is not normal. You can criticize all the elements of the pizza for pages and pages, not being fresh, not being cooked right, not enough of one, too much of the other, but what it comes down to is the overall taste and enjoyment and how well all the elements work together. This is why, to me, this pizza is no good. The cheese, sauce and crust didn't work together. They didn't meld together into one bite of pizza. The cheese just sat on top like it was uncomfortable and slid off after taking a bite. The sauce didn't penetrate the crust or the cheese in any way. It stayed separate. The crust, same as the rest did not mingle with the cheese and sauce. It was like each ingredient was meant for a different pie. None of it complimented each other or fit together in the same puzzle. Overall the experience was not too pleasurable, and just didn't work for me. The crispy crust was a plus but even that was not pliable, it just cracked and crumbled. So really there wasn't a whole lot to like about this pizza, unfortunately.

Andiamo's Pizza

2815 sunset Blvd. Silverlake, CA 90026

213-483-7070

Price: $$

Overall:

La Pizza (Kosher)

I could write a whole blog on kosher pizza.  There seems to be a lot of it.  Places I didn't even know were Jewish neighborhoods are.  I went to Ameci Pizza on Burbank and Whitsett (Valley Village) and down the street I spotted a place called La Pizza.  I put kosher in parentheses to differentiate it from just LA Pizza in general.  Like the name of my blog.  So kosher is not part of it's name, I don't think, but it is kosher pizza.  The man that made my pizza told me about one of the greatest kosher pizza spots down near 3rd street and La Brea, which doesn't exist anymore.  It was called La Kosher Nostra.  What a great name.  Anyway this place had a little fame around it too.  Awhile back there was some high praise over this pizza.  The praise seems to have subsided now, people may have forgotten, but the pizza is still good.   

Other kosher pizza joints I have visited are Shalom Pizza, Pizza Mayven, and Pizza World.   

I ordered a medium pizza about 14'' it was about 15 dollars.  A little pricey.  It was pretty delicious however.  The crust was really key here.  A light and airy crust with a real crispy edge, not too crispy on the bottom but pretty good.  The sauce and cheese were just average but had good amounts of both.  Really a good crust makes a world of difference.  The crust was a bit on the thicker side, but good.  I won't go into this pizza too much, mainly because I don't remember to much of it, it was a week ago.  I know the crust was legit and kosher as well.  I can see why people had said it was good.  Kind of under the radar but I recommend it.  Not the best pizza I have had.  But I was surprised at how good it was.   

La Pizza (Kosher)

12515 Burbank Blvd. North Hollywood, CA 91607

(818) 760-8198

Price: $

Overall:

Ameci Pizza

Ameci Pizza is possibly the biggest local chain in Los Angeles.  They have about 50 locations in the greater LA area.  I have to say it tastes like a chain.  It is cheap which is what these places have going for it.  Regular price for a 14'' is $10.  Who really ever pays regular price though, other than me.  Certain days the pizza $7, and I'm sure there is a book of coupons that can be used.  According to the sign they have a 2.99 lunch special, which I have no idea what that includes.

Like I said the pizza tastes like a mass produced generic pie.  Anything that comes out of a conveyor oven is probably going to stink.  It wasn't all bad.  As I have said many times, bad pizza is usually still satisfying.  The crust was surprisingly crispy and thin, which isn't to say it was crispy or thin just more so than I expected.  The sauce was actually very tasty.  Extremely sweet. The cheese was pretty basic but had a good amount to go with the sauce.  Of all the cheap, conveyor pizzas this might be one of the best.  Again that is saying almost nothing. 

You need to be aware of the type of pizza you are getting into, before going. Don't be fooled by thinking it might be some buried treasure from N.Y. that nobody has heard of.  If you want cheap pizza and don't care about quality, Ameci is the place.  

Ameci Pizza

12450 Burbank Blvd # H, North Hollywood, CA‎ (reviewed)

(818) 509-1666‎

All other Locations

Price: $

Overall: