When the buzz first started several months back about Vito's Pizza being resurrected, there was an air of excitement amongst pizza aficionados of the likes I haven't seen in a very long time. I wondered what was so special about Vito's Pizza. Apparently, it's a pizza joint that serves what many consider the closest thing to New York pizza in the Los Angeles area. My curiosity aroused, I was happy that my friend planned an outing for a group of us to check this place out.
Soon we sat down and perused the menu and let me tell, everything looked so good that it took awhile to settle on the two we finally did order. Our choices were Vito's Terra Firma which had sausage, pepperoni, olives, peppers, onions and mushrooms and the Pizza Margherita whose ingredients were simply tomato, basil and mozzarella.
After our pics were taken, we sat down to enjoy our first taste of the Terra Firma. So I took a slice, folded it, just like I've seen New Yorkers do it on TV and took a bite and then another bite and another bite. Unfortunately, I found the crust, though thin, was more doughy and chewy than I would have liked. I was disappointed. I was looking for pizza dough that was crispy and crusty and I just didn't get that with either of the two pizzas we had for our meal.
Soon, the Pizza Margherita arrived and after another round of the Pizza Paparazzi doing its thing, it was time to sample this next offering. I wanted to enjoy eating this pizza, but I was less than impressed. The mozzarella part of the pizza was great, but I thought the tomatoes should have been juicier and I found the basil leaves, which normally has a distinct flavor, to be blah. We might as well have just ordered a cheese pizza because neither the tomatoes nor basil added any pizazz to this pie.
After that one experience there, Vito's is definitely not a destination pizza place for me. The crust, as I mentioned, was a disappointment, but what was also missing for me were the bold flavors my palate tends to steer towards. Both pies that we sampled just didn't have the oooomph I was looking for. Even the Good Friday Pizza I took home for the family, which had ingredients like garlic, clams, oregano and crushed red pepper, still didn't do it for me.
Overall, if I was in the neighborhood or with a group of friends who really wanted to dine at Vito's, I wouldn't mind stopping by, but would I make an hour drive from the Eastside? No. There are just too many other better pizza options for me out there.
To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157603378667958/
Vito's Pizza
846 N La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(310) 652-6859
2 comments:
NY pizzas are known for their size, not for their crust. There's actually a number of techniques used to fold each slice while eating to keep toppings and oil from getting all over your clothes.
Maybe, I'm more of a crust kind of person then, because that's pretty important to my particular palate. :)
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