Pizza is the Holy Grail for Los Angeles dining. There are 1000s of places, but few measure up to the pizza meccas of New York and Italy (specifically Naples.) One of the few that does is Pizzana in Brentwood.
Chef Daniele Uditi came from Naples in 2010, with yeast in hand, and hasn’t stopped making great pizzas since. The secret is in the dough, although the rest of the ingredients are sourced from top producers and are of very good quality. Despite celebrity chef status (at a local level) and celebrity investors (like Chris O’Donnell, Uditi is in the kitchen every night, making sure that Pizzana’s food is meeting his high standard.
For a better insight into Uditi, we recommend the Netflix series “The Chef Show”. In season 2, they dedicate a whole show to Uditi and Pizzana, which is short for PizzaNaples.
As for our meal, we went with friends, which we always recommend, since it will provide you with more food options to share and taste.
The “signature” dish is probably the Neo-Margherita Pizza, which substitutes the classice tomato sauce and basil with little dollops off sundried tomato and dried basil crumbs. It’s a very similar taste to a classic Margherita, but with more intense flavors.
In the kitchen with the magic oven 
Neo-Margherita Pizza
But there is more to the menu (and more pizzas). In addition to the highlight above we also had:
- Shaved brussel sprout salad with lolla rosa, apple, toasted pistachio and caramelized shallot vinaigrette
- Meat balls, wood fried in San Marzano DOP tomato sauce with wood fried bread
- Diavola Pizza with spicy salami, charred shallots, Nduja walnut romesco and honey
- Cacio e Pepe with Fior di Latte cheese, Provoloncino de Agerola cheese, Parmigiano crema and cracked black pepper
Brussel Spout Salad 
Wood-fried Meat Balls
Diavola Pizza 
Cacio e Pepe Pizza
The cacio e pepe pizza is a small miracle: crisp crust, pungent cheese and a showering of black pepper, a near-exact duplication of the flavor of the pasta’s particular tang even before your tongue hits a stripe of cream, which lends a bit of the pasta’s texture.
– Jonathan Gold, LA Times Food Writer and Pulitzer Prize Winner
Recap:
For great pizza in Los Angeles, look no further. You may get lucky as a walk-in, but to play it safe, make a reservation ahead of time. Go with friends to mix it up with multiple pies, salads and antipasti.
- Pizzana (11712 San Vicente Blvd, Brentwood, CA 90049)
- Web: pizzana.com
- Instagram: @Pizzana
- Cuisine: Italian
- Price: $$ ($50-$100 for two with a glass of wine)
- Overall Rating (w/o price): ★★★★ (Exceptional)
- Four Star Rating (w/ price): ★★★☆ (Good Deal)