The Brief

The L.A. vs N.Y. rivalry may be front of mind right now (Dodgers in six btw), but let's face it, it’s always lurking in the background.

In-N-Out vs Shake Shack.

Freeway vs subway.

Malibu vs the Hamptons.

You name it, we can argue about it. So in this high stakes moment it seemed a good time to ask that vital question:

Pizza: N.Y. or L.A.?

For many years, we conceded that there was no contest (Hail New York).

But in recent years, L.A. has supercharged its pizza scene, setting the stage for a more heavyweight battle.

L.A. has the imagination to mash up its cultural influences and reinvent a culinary classic; N.Y. is determined to dig in its heels and work for perfection.

While I confess I’ve most recently been on Team L.A, the times I’ve bitten into a perfect crust at one of our excellent New York-style pizza joints could have me swayed.

It's difficult to call. I'll leave it up to you to decide.

To help I've put a list together of what I believe to be the best places to get pizza in the city — from both coasts. Try them out and see what your tastebuds tell you. And at the very least it means you'll know exactly who to order from when it's game time.

Play ball!

LaSorted’s (Silver Lake, Chinatown)

West Coast Style

Tommy and Erin Brockert started selling pizzas on the porch of their Echo Park home during the pandemic. Tommy was an out-of-work event photographer looking to earn money. Now, four-and-half years later, LaSorted’s has morphed into a successful mini-empire with the recent opening of its second location in Chinatown.

While the original Silver Lake order-at-the-counter location remains, the new digs feature a cozy sit-down restaurant chock-full of Brockett’s extensive collection of signature L.A. sports and pop culture ephemera, including a Dodgers Cabbage Patch Kid still in its box. (Not surprising given the place is named after the famed Dodgers coach).

As for the pizza, the Mamba is a great place to start, a regular cheese slice with or without pepperoni. It's named after the late Laker great Kobe Byrant, who once said he ate a pepperoni pizza before scoring 81 points in a single game in 2006.

The Mamba has its own following

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Brian Feinzimer

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The love of innovation is on display with the Upside Down Mamba, which is precisely what it sounds like: the cheese pizza plus toppings, flipped, with a three-cheese blend serving as its base, topped thoroughly with tomato sauce, sprinkled with flaky sea salt, and Sicilian oregano. The cooked cheese underneath the sauce forms a uniquely layered buffer, making for an exceptional texture.

Quarantine Pizza Co. (Various locations)

West Coast Style

If you like something outside the (pizza) box, check out Quarantine Pizza Co., a pizza pop-up by Brandon and Carolina Conaway. Like many who grew up in Southern California, they draw from their respective cultural backgrounds and other influences they’ve picked up along the way.

Brandon is Asian (Chinese and Vietnamese) and white. Carolina is Latina (Mexican and Colombian). Both grew up in Orange County, where they met before moving to Los Angeles for college.

The al-pastor pizza is the stuff dreams are made of — a pizza that tastes like a taco!

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Courtesy of Quarantine Pizza

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Their collective experiences have led to outstanding combinations, such as Banh Mi pies, Char siu pies, birria sausage, salsa roja, and red corn sourdough.

They can nail their version of the classics, too. When you bite into a slice of their sourdough, “Neapolitan-ish inspired," its fluffy texture is like a breath of fresh air. The outer rim of the crust features the perfect amount of “leoparding,” which occurs when the naturally fermented dough is cooked under high heat and creates little dark spots around the edges of the crust.

They've recently announced they'd be opening a brick-and-mortar location early next year, renaming themselves Wallflour Sourdough Pizza. In the meantime, you can find them regularly popping up at the El Sereno Night Market every Wednesday night and at Benny Boy Brewing in Lincoln Heights

Apollonia’s Pizza (Mid-City)

West Coast Style

If you judge Apollonia’s Pizza by its limited menu, featuring a handful of round and square pies, you may wonder if you’ve come to the right place—is this some of the best pizza in L.A.?

But you'll quickly understand after encountering the long lines outside this standing-room-only, cash-only pizzeria off Wilshire Boulevard — and taking your first bite.

Justin De Leon, owner and head pizza maker, grew up on pizza; his first job was working at a pizza restaurant when he was just 13.

I suggest you start with a traditional De Leon cheese pie slice. The chef wanted something “thin, light, and crispy.” Well, he found it. This is the cheese slice against which all others should be judged, with its well-portioned ingredients over the perfectly stretched, crispy, tasting crust, showcasing an almost zen-like attention to detail.

Some of the best pizza you can find in L.A., sold by the slice at Apollonia's Pizzeria

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Like every great master, De Leon says he doesn’t subscribe to specific labels when describing his style of pizza. While his square pie could easily be described as a Detroit, Siciliana, or even Grandma slice, he simply calls it L.A.-style, a mixture of the multiple styles he draws from. He believes that combination gives Apollonia’s pizza its unique taste, much like the city of L.A.

Prime Pizza (various locations)

East Coast Style

With the tagline "New York style pizza made for L.A.", you shouldn’t be surprised that Prime Pizza has some excellent slice options, which is rare to find in L.A. If you’re looking for value for money, this hits the spot: the two-cheese slice combo with a drink was $10 (hello, Cheap Fast Eats!).

The two slice Combo with both cheese and pepperonis slices from Prime Pizza

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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The slice stays in its lane with a crispy crust and a respectable amount of sauce, perfect for satisfying your pizza craving in a jiff. Its original recipe was developed as an ode to N.Y., inspired by some of the great pizzerias of the Big Apple.

Despite its allegiance to the East Coast, Prime Pizza perfectly nails the vibe of an L.A. neighborhood pizza shop. It's the type of place that conjures up my middle school days, throwing back a few slices after an afternoon of skateboarding with friends, and we love it.

Milana’s (Long Beach)

East Coast Style

Milana’s proudly wears its New York heart on its sleeve, with the flatscreen on the wall showing a live feed of Times Square, and various pies named after well-known spots in the five boroughs. The standout for me is the Sheepshead Bay, made with house-made meatballs, topped with pillow-soft dollops of ricotta and sprinkled with bits of basil.

The Sheephead's Bay slice from Milana's

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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The soft creaminess of the cheese, with just a slight bit of sharp flavor, perfectly cuts through the fattiness from the sliced meatballs. It contains elements of both soft and crispy, which drives the whole thing home.

The large, chewy slice of pie has thin edges allowing for maximum foldability when consuming. It’s a beautiful thing,

Secret Pizza (Montecito Heights)

East Coast Style

A slice of New Jersey style cheese pizza from Secret Pizza

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Courtesy Secret Pizza

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New Jersey-style pizza might be a product of the Garden State, but it’s one of my favorite East Coast-style pies, New York or otherwise.

Secret Pizza was started by Sean Lango, who began cooking pizza out of his Hollywood apartment before graduating to his pizzeria in the foothills of Montecito Heights.

He calls his pizza New Jersey-style because he's from there, and wanted to protect himself from the wrath of purist New Yorkers not happy with outsiders laying claim to their turf. It's very similar to a classic NY pie; he sees it as an opportunity to highlight his home state and his love for it.

What makes his pizza so memorable? Its simplicity. The thin crust gives way to a stellar crispy underside, providing an excellent texture, topped off by a tangy sauce.

Sure, you could add different toppings, but Lango's pie, with crushed tomatoes, a small amount of mozzarella cheese, and topped with aged pecorino is perfect as it is. Sometimes, when you rely on a good, uncomplicated formula, good things happen.

The story first appeared on The LA Local.

Koreatown is preparing for major 2026 FIFA World Cup watch parties next month, with thousands of fans expected to cheer on South Korea during three of its group stage matches.

As excitement builds around the World Cup, concerns remain about possible federal immigration enforcement during the international event.

The three watch parties are scheduled for June 11 and June 24 at Liberty Park and June 18 at Seoul International Park, which organizers expect to draw thousands of attendees.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass attempted to reassure any concerns about federal raids Tuesday while promoting the watch parties. 

“I want folks to know that the World Cup is going to be peaceful,” Bass said during a press conference at Liberty Park. “With this administration, I can tell you the best that I know at this hour. So with that in mind, I do not believe that ICE will be at any of the watch parties.”

Bass could not give a firm guarantee that immigration enforcement would not take place during the tournament.

At a media roundtable on Thursday, Bass said federal law enforcement would have a visible presence around World Cup events and venues.

“The events will be safe, because these are international events. And so it’s not just going to be LAPD, it’s going to be a lot of other local law enforcement agencies as well as federal support,” she said. “So in some instances, especially near the venues, you will have federal presence, not ICE, probably the National Guard, but they will be here.”

Bass said she feels confident there will not be ICE raids during the World Cup matches in Los Angeles, because President Donald Trump and his administration do not want the games to project chaos on the international stage. 

“I think during these games … the last concern will be security, because you’ll see an overwhelming force of security. We just have to get our people to not be fearful that there will be ICE raids that happen,” she said about the World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics. 

“He doesn’t want the world to see chaos on our streets. He really doesn’t. And that’s why I feel confident that we will not have ICE raids,” she said about Trump. 

Bass added Tuesday that she believes ICE would be present in Inglewood during the World Cup to “look for people who might be on the no-fly list.”

Where to watch the World Cup in Koreatown

Viewing parties for South Korea’s June 11 opener against the Czech Republic and its June 24 match against South Africa will be held at Liberty Park in Koreatown, with programming beginning at 2 p.m. for both events.

The June 18 match against Mexico will take place at Seoul International Park and is expected to draw the largest crowds. Organizers say programming for that event will begin at 10 a.m. and continue throughout the day, with the match livestream beginning at 6 p.m.

Each event will feature large outdoor viewing areas with giant LED screens, live cheering squads and a main stage with K-pop performances, taekwondo demonstrations, traditional Korean performances, ballet and other entertainment throughout the day.

Organizers are also planning mini soccer games, face painting, photo booths and other family-friendly activities. Food trucks and vendors will line the festival grounds, and a separate senior area is being planned so older attendees can participate safely alongside younger fans.

Young-wan Kim, consul general of South Korea in Los Angeles, said the World Cup carries deep emotional significance for many in the community because of memories from South Korea’s historic 2002 World Cup run.

“It’s an opportunity for us to demonstrate our strengths and our unity and our solidarity,” Kim said. “I hope our celebration of unity goes beyond our community, bringing all races, all people with different backgrounds together.”

Viewing party organizers are working with the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Fire Department, private security teams, medical staff and city officials to prepare for the large crowds, said Duha Hwang with marketing agency and organizer Advue.

He added that organizers already have insurance coverage and safety measures in place for the events.

The watch parties are being organized by the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles, the L.A. Korean Festival Foundation, the Korean American Chamber of Commerce and more groups.

The first 1,000 attendees at each match will receive free “Red Devils” shirts and cheering items. The “Red Devils,” the official supporters group for South Korea’s national soccer team, became a defining image of the 2002 World Cup, when massive crowds dressed in red packed streets across the country to cheer on the team during its historic run to the semifinals — still the furthest an Asian men’s national team has ever advanced in the tournament.

Hwang said organizers hope to recreate some of that atmosphere in Koreatown.

“We believe this event is becoming something much bigger than a traditional Korean community gathering,” Hwang said.

The Los Angeles City Council has officially delayed minimum wage increases for tourism workers. The council made the final vote Tuesday, pushing back a boost to $30 an hour for airport and hotel workers from 2028 to 2030.

The controversial move comes after L.A. faced major pressure from business interests, which had gathered enough signatures to put a measure on the November ballot to repeal the business tax. That effort could have financially ruined the city if it passed.

After the City Council voted to delay the wage from the November ballot, the leaders behind that ballot measure withdrew it.

It's a maneuver hotel workers have called a "shakedown." Originally celebrated as an "Olympic Wage," the $30 minimum was pegged to the arrival of the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. But a battle to upend it started as soon as the City Council passed it last year.

Workers who had counted on the increases aren't happy.

" I would expect my councilmember to stand up for working Angelenos, not help giant companies take money out of our pockets," Jordan Long, a bartender at LAX, said at a recent council meeting.

Stuart Waldman with the Valley Industry & Commerce Association told LAist that business groups decided to advance their ballot measure after unions wouldn't broker a deal with them directly.

"The business community has taken a page out of the union playbook to play hardball," he said.

Council members Eunisses Hernandez, Ysabel Jurado and Hugo Soto-Martinez voted against the motion to finalize the wage delay Tuesday.

The Trump administration has mass-deleted information about prosecutions tied to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, including cases of defendants who assaulted police officers. The removals mark the latest phase of President Donald Trump's effort to rewrite the history of the violent riot.

Justice Department news releases that detailed guilty pleas, jury verdicts and prison sentences abruptly disappeared from government websites last week.

On social media, the Justice Department defended the move, saying, "We are proud to reverse the DOJ's weaponization under the Biden administration. We will do everything in our power to make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes. This includes stripping DOJ's website of partisan propaganda."

A review by NPR found that the deleted material included information about some of the most serious assaults on law enforcement that occurred that day. NPR maintains the most complete database and visual archive of the Jan. 6 prosecutions.

The purged news releases covered cases including:

• Daniel Rodriguez, who pleaded guilty to driving an electroshock device into the neck of former Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department officer Michael Fanone, and who was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison. 
• Albuquerque Head, who pleaded guilty to assaulting police and grabbing Fanone by the neck and pulling him into the mob of rioters while yelling, "I got one!" Head was sentenced to more than seven years in prison. 
• Thomas Webster, who was convicted by a jury of assaulting law enforcement with a metal flagpole, tackling a police officer to the ground and trying to remove the officer's gas mask. Webster was sentenced to 10 years in prison. 
• Christopher Alberts, who was convicted by a jury of assaulting police with a wooden pallet and carrying a loaded handgun on Capitol grounds. Alberts was sentenced to seven years in prison.
• Peter Schwartz, who was convicted by a jury of assaulting police officers with pepper spray and throwing a metal chair at law enforcement. Schwartz was sentenced to 14 years in prison. 
  

The previously accessible news releases now lead to a "Page not found" message.

The mass deletion of government information about the riot, in which a mob of Trump supporters injured 140 police officers and threatened the lives of members of Congress and then-Vice President Mike Pence, follows a broader effort by the Trump administration to whitewash the attack.

Trump granted clemency to every Jan. 6 defendant, including full pardons for all the most violent rioters and the erasure of seditious conspiracy convictions for members of extremist groups. The Justice Department fired dozens of prosecutors who worked on Jan. 6 cases and hired a former riot defendant who was seen on video urging the mob to "kill" police. The administration settled a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the estate of rioter Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed while storming the Capitol, for nearly $5 million. On the fifth anniversary of the riot, the White House created a website that distorts that day's events, describing the rioters as "patriots" and blaming police for causing "chaos." And just last week, the administration announced a $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund," indicating that even rioters who assaulted police may be eligible for payouts.

When speaking about the attack, Trump consistently describes his supporters as victims rather than perpetrators of violence.

"I pardoned people that were assaulted themselves. They were assaulted by our government," Trump said last year. "They didn't assault. They were assaulted."

Police officers who were violently assaulted on Jan. 6 have described suffering lifelong physical and psychological injuries.

"I have been sentenced to a lifetime of medical issues that include physical pain and mental and emotional distress," former Capitol Police Sgt. Federico Ruiz said in a victim impact statement filed in a Jan. 6 case. "There is not a day that goes by that pain, discomfort, and/or a mental health issue do not flare up to remind me of that day."

Brendan Ballou, a former federal prosecutor who worked on Jan. 6 cases, told NPR in a recent interview that the administration's effort to flip the story of the riot is part of a broader effort to attack democratic institutions.

"It's clear there is an ongoing fight to rewrite the history of Jan. 6, because these people know if they can successfully get people to forget about Jan. 6 — or worse yet, condone it — then they will be able to convince people to accept any attack on democracy," said Ballou.

Ballou currently represents two police officers who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6 and are suing to prevent payouts from the Anti-Weaponization Fund.

While the government continues to remove information on the attack, NPR's database and visual archive of the attack remains accessible. NPR's work has been used by prosecutors, defendants, academic researchers and the general public.

The searchable database covers all the nearly 1,600 criminal cases, including charges, convictions and sentencing outcomes. The archive also includes a timeline of the day's events and makes accessible hundreds of videos from police body cameras, Capitol surveillance footage and other sources. NPR is currently taking legal action to obtain additional video evidence held by the government, which has not been previously disclosed.
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