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When I started this article, I was happy. Pizza happy. I had misread an entry on EaterLA and thought John's Pizzeria was opening a Santa Monica location. (I wasn't the only one.)
To qualify this, let me explain my connection with John's.
My husband (a pizza connoisseur ) and I go to NYC about once a year, and usually, the night we fly in, we check into our hotel and go straight to John's. It's my husband's favorite pizza in the world -- thin crust, with just a hint of charcoal from the oven, drippy with cheese and delicious sauce (it's well spiced, but not spicy. Spicy sauce has no business in pizza!) We get ours with mushrooms sausage and tomatoes.
Sometimes, we go twice on a trip (which is usually around three nights.)
But then, when I was checking my sources for this article, I realized that it was Joe's Pizza of Bleeker Street. An institution I have never visited. New Yorkers seem to like it. It's a slice place, which is different from John's, where you have to buy the whole pizza.
People say that Los Angeles isn't a pizza town, but I beg to differ. There's Casa Bianca, and Hard Times Pizza. Over here on the Westside, we've got the Coop and a bunch of other great places. You just have to keep trying places that aren't big chains till you find what's good.
So I'll try Joe's. But if you guys from John's are out there, it's never too late to jump on the bandwagon -- everyone's doing it!!
John's Pizzeria, 278 Bleeker Street, NYC
Joe's Pizza of Bleeker Street, 7 Carmine Street, #7, NYC
Casa Bianca Pizza Pie, 1650 Colorado Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA
Hard Times Pizza, 2664 Griffith Park Boulevard
Coop, 10006 National Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA
Photo of John's by vidiot, photo of the Coop by bossco, both via flickr
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I used to live on King Street and 6th Avenue. I went to Joe's much more often than John's since, as you mentioned, you couldn't get slices at John's. Let me tell you--Joe's is good stuff. Superior crust, good toppings nicely balanced, not overloaded like Ray's. You'll love it.
There is, of course, good pizza in Santa Monica. Try "The Slice" at 915 Wilshire Blvd.
Arturo's on Houston is where I go every trip back to NYC. It's totally all around awesome.
Big fan of Abbot's Pizza Company here.
http://laist.com/2006/07/25/sitting_outside_at_abbots_pizza_company.php
Joe's is MUCH better than John's - totally delicious.
I like Abbot's, but it's not *quite* close enough for an easy pizza run.
I've heard about Arturo's, but haven't yet been. Another slice place I like in NYC is Ben's Pizza of SoHo. That place rocks!
Hard Times had a C rating earlier this year.yummy
Domenico's in Belmont Shores, Long Beach. The most fantastic ground pepperoni pizza evar!
I just tried some stuff last week from Albano's Pizzeria in West LA. It was my cousin's recommendation. It's pretty good, I would compare it to street pizza in NYC.
But I haven't found anything out here that matches Brick Oven Pizza from Brooklyn. Grimaldi's rocks my world. I'm going back in December and can't wait.
Hard Times has gone way downhill in the last few years.
Sad.
tough call to say if Joe's or John's is better - they're both amazing, but as people have said Joe's has a slight advantage because you don't have to get a table. you had me excited too there for a second, thinking that John's was going out to LA!
man now i think i might go to Joe's for lunch tomorrow.
Joe's of bleeker is opening in SM.
http://la.eater.com/archives/2007/07/23/pizza_plywood_joes_pizza_from_nyc_terroni_from_toronto.php
Hard Times has had a C and two consecutive B's. The quality of their pie has gone down so much since being taken over by the new management I don't eat it anymore. The drive over to Albano's on Melrose is well worth it.