Barone's Warm & Cold Welcome

All we could get during dinner hours was a busy signal. Barone's was simply packed last tonight. Angeleno's flocked the staple Valley classic after a six-month hiatus and a northerly move up Woodman Ave. from Sherman Oaks to Valley Glen. A well worthwhile wait, just look at that pizza.

We arrived for some late night noshing at 10 p.m. for pizza to go and met co-owner, Tom Monteleone, under unfortunate circumstances. After we placed our order, one of the waitresses ran up to the front counter yelling "Call 911! They are spray painting on the wall!" We noticed a large amount of fresh spray paint on the back wall (Mammoth Ave.) when we walked in a few minutes before. So what was this? Something new?

It ended up being a rival gang crossing out the tag and putting their own up. When we went to check it out, we are thankful it was only a rock they threw at us as they walked away and not something more lethal.

Valley Glen is not a bad neighborhood, but it seems Barone's white wall is caught in the middle of a turf war.