Wood-burning ovens have certainly added fuel to the L.A. pizza debate fire over the last few years. If an Italian-leaning restaurant opened, it most likely came with an oven built in Italy or by an Italian company, or stoked by a real Neapolitan pizzaiolo. Now we have so many "authentic" pies to choose from in L.A., it's difficult to choose the best. And what makes each one so unique and incredibly delicious starts way before the toppings: the dough, the wood used, the temperature of the oven and the cooking time set them apart. So here are 12 top chewy, crispy and blistered wood-fired pizzas around town. If we missed your favorite Margherita, please drop us a note in comments.
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Yes, this tops our <a href="http://blog.zagat.com/2012/06/5-best-pizza-spots-in-la.html">Best Pizza</a> list from the Survey, but with good reason. Maybe it's Nancy Silverton's dough, or the fact that the oven is kept a tad lower than others (aroud 550 rather than 800). Perhaps we're swayed by sitting at the pizza bar watching the assembly line of pizza makers work magic: Pat the dough down just the right way, add a swirl of sauce, sprinkle of toppings, fire it up. The pies come out with crisp, bubbled, charred rims, the crust with a slight chew and soft in the middle. We'll always go back for the one with Ipswich clams, olive oil and Fresno chiles, the sausage with panna and fennel, or squash blossom and burrata. <em>641 N. Highland Ave.; 323-297-0101</em>
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Honestly, these pies are darn near perfect. Brad Kent stokes the fire with olive and almond wood, keeping it around 800 to 850 degrees. He ferments three styles of dough separately and mixes them together for his preferred texture and flavor. What you get are pies with a uniformly crisp bottom, so no flopping, and a soft, chewy, fluffy slice. The breakfast bialys that come from the oven in the mornings are pretty great, too. <em>8075 W. 3rd Street; 323-930-9490</em>
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If Subway met Mozza, this is what you might get. Backed by the Umami Group (so, yes, expect several outposts soon), it's all about customizable pies that you get within minutes at this popular Westwood pizzeria. Two ovens, both set to 800 degrees, are always fired up, waiting for your topping picks. Or get one off the menu: Giada recently Tweet-raved about the Pizza Bianca with goat cheese, spinach, sundried tomatoes and pine nuts. The lines are always ridiculous; best time to go is off hours or when UCLA isn't in regular session. <em>10889 Lindbrook Dr.; 424-239-5010</em>
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From the owners of other great Downtown spots (<a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/118219628576210182181/about">Spring St. bar</a>, Coffee on Spring, <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/114059226502892195958/about">Library Bar</a>), this pizzeria serves Neapolitan-style pies with a seasonal California sensibility. That means you'll find a classic Margherita, one topped with soppressata and chiles, or one with Weiser Farms fingerling potatoes, brussels sprouts, house-smoked bacon and parmesan cream sauce. <em>630 W. 6th St.; 213-614-1900</em>
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Tucked inside a former train-station luggage room (next to <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/105125745913115024690/about">La Grande Orange</a> in Pasadena), the pizza here has a slight tang from its 70-year-old sourdough starter, and are a bit chewier (and floppier in the middle) thanks to the lower-temp 700-degree oven. The use of olive wood adds a nice flavor. We're pretty fond of the broccolini-topped Rocket Man. <em>260 S. Raymond Ave.; 626-356-4440</em>
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Pitfire Artisan Pizza
This local mini-chain might not have the most authentic pies in town - no one trained in Italy, here - but cooked in a 900-degree oven, the pizza always has just the right amount of smoke, a great crust, bubbled cheese and other charred toppings that lean more Californian than Naples. <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/local/los angeles/s/Pitfire Artisan Pizza">Multiple locations</a>
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An offshoot of Brentwood's longstanding Vincenti restaurant, where Nicola Mastronardi still offers fantastic wood-fired pies on Monday nights, the flame-filled oven is the centerpiece of this Beverly Hills-adjacent spot. Does having a pizzaiolo from Naples make a difference in the pizza? Maybe. The pies are more traditional, thin and classic. Try the one with anchovies and capers. <em>310 S. Robertson Blvd.; 310-271-3426</em>
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The wood-burning oven is a focal point in that giant, cacophonous room, and from it comes respectable pies topped with the typical toppings - sausage, mushrooms, pepperoni. All good. Grab some macarons on your way out. <em>700 S. Grand Ave.; 213-802-1470</em>
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Chefs Steve Samson and Zach Pollack are very fond of their eight-ton Neapolitan oven, custom built for their Italian restaurant below Picca. It burns around 900 degrees, fueled by white oak, so the dough comes out soft and supple, and not dry and crunchy. The pies are wonderful. We'll take the Margherita here any day. <em>9575 W. Pico Blvd.; 310-277-0210</em>
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One of the first to bring an authentic Italian oven to LA, this hidden gem in Monterey Park is the last place you'd expect to find great pizza. The fires are stoked regularly, the oven gets up to 1200 degrees (but settles around 800 for pizza making). The pies cook in less than three minutes and have that perfectly chewy, crispy crust you want. They're also larger than most, making this a true bargain and worth the drive. <em>2315 S. Garfield Ave.; 323-722-7600</em>
<strong>[Also see: <a href="http://blog.zagat.com/2012/07/spanish-kitchen-is-no-mas.html" target="_blank">The Spanish Kitchen is No Mas</a>]</strong>
The former Chez Mimi across from the Brentwood Country Mart was transformed into this Italian garden oasis in 2011, and on the surface it just seems like another overpriced Brentwood Italian restaurant. But the pies - both the oven and the young pizzaiolo are from Naples - are wonderful,. They don't have the charred bubble rims many other Neapolitan-style pies around town have, but the crust is delicious, crisp and soft at the same time, and topped with great ingredients. The Margherita is our pick here. <em>246 26th St.; 310-394-8455</em>
<strong>[Also see: <a href="http://blog.zagat.com/2012/07/summer-food-fests-narrowing-down-los.html" target="_blank">Summer Food Fests: Narrowing Down LA Food & Wine</a>]</strong>
Owner Bez Compani takes his pizza very seriously. He thinks a pizzaiolo should become one with the oven - he supposedly painted over the temperature gauge so he could "feel" his way around the fire. But it's usually around 900 degrees so the pizza cooks in about 90 seconds, leaving a pretty authentic texture. Toppings are simple and classic. The Los Feliz hipster factor is, too. <em>4648 Hollywood Blvd.; 323-644-2885</em>
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