The Brief

Los Angeles is in the midst of a pizza renaissance.

Pizzaiolos across the city are slicing up unique takes on pies that pull from multiple influences — local, global, and everything in between — just like Los Angeles itself.

It's like when you create a playlist for your friends with all your favorite songs. There’s a little jazz, rock, hip-hop, country, pop.

That’s L.A.-style pizza.

Because the region isn't beholden to any specific standards for pizzas, chefs get to use all the best parts of what makes for a great pie. And, I would argue, that means L.A. is currently making pizza which is better than any other city across the globe.

Fighting talk, I know, but this is a hill I'm willing to die on.

Now, as LAist’s food editor, I’m often asked where to go to get pizza. So I’ve put together a list of my favorite picks. It's clearly not exhaustive, and it's not a list that tells you where to get "the best" pizza. Instead, it's a snapshot of L.A.-style pizza right now — my take on what stands out in terms of creativity and skill.

LaSorted’s: Silver Lake

Tommy Brockert was an L.A. event photographer when his then-girlfriend, now wife, gave him an Ooni pizza oven. That led him to enroll in a one-day pizza-making class, where he was hooked and began stumbling down the rabbit hole of crafting his own naturally leavened sourdough pizza crusts.

When his income dried up at the start of the pandemic, he had the crazy idea of selling his homemade pizzas off the front porch of his home in Echo Park.

Tommy and Erin Brockert started selling pizzas during the pandemic. The pizzeria recently have celebrated their four year anniversary.

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Daviston Jeffers @davefotogram

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Courtesy LaSorted's

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It was so successful that he now runs his own pizza shop, LaSorted’s, in Silver Lake, just down the road from where he used to sell his porch pizzas.

A good place to start is the Mamba, prepared as a regular cheese slice or with pepperoni. Its name comes from the late Laker great Kobe Byrant, who once said he ate a pepperoni pizza before scoring 81 points in a single game in 2006. Brockert, who grew up worshiping the Lakers and Dodgers, chose the name.

The Upside Down Mamba is perhaps the most texturally interesting pie on the menu.

The Upside Down Mamba at LaSorted's in Silver Lake. One of the most texturally exciting pizzas in all of Los Angeles.

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Tommy Brocket

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Courtesy La Sorted's

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According to Brockert, this style of pizza has roots in Philadelphia, which he learned about from some of his Philly-born employees. The name is exactly what it is: their cheese pizza, with its toppings, flipped, with a three-cheese blend serving as its base, then topped thoroughly with tomato sauce, sprinkled with flaky sea salt, and Sicilian oregano. The thin layer of cooked cheese underneath the sauce forms a buffer between the sauce and the pizza crust, making for a uniquely excellent texture that many West coasters, such as yours, truly haven’t experienced before visiting LaSorted’s.

Another standout is the sausage and pepper pie. It's topped with their housemade sausage mixed with roasted green peppers and onions and then drizzled with spicy tomato Arrabbiata sauce and Calabrian chili oil. This is the pizza version of a sausage and pepper sandwich from an Italian deli.

Think about how a producer takes a snippet of a song and creates a new song based on it. Brockert accomplishes something similar with his pizza—it's both specifically Los Angeles and distinctly his own.

Quarantine Pizza Co: Eastside pop-up

If you've ever visited Smorgasburg LA, there’s a good chance you’ve encountered Quarantine Pizza Co., a pizza pop-up run by Brandon and Carolina Conaway. Like many kids who grew up in Southern California, they draw from various influences, both from their respective cultural backgrounds and a slew of others that 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.

Brandon and Carolina Conaway of Quarantine Pizza Co. draw from their diverse background to create fun and inventive pizzas at their pop up.

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Robert Haleblian

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Courtesy Quarantine Pizza Co.

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Brandon worked in Italian restaurants, and Carolina has a background in set design for television and film. The couple has been experimenting with sourdough starters since 2015, which they would trade with friends. When the pandemic hit, they started selling pizzas out of their backyard in Highland Park (you may sense a theme here), which is how they came up with the name Quarantine.

It's led to some outstanding combinations, such an Banh Mi pies, Char siu pies, and birria sausage, salsa roja and red corn sourdough.

When you bite into a slice of their sourdough “Neapolitan-ish inspired pizza", its fluffy, airy texture is like a breath of fresh air. It's a revelation. 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.

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

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Courtesy Quarantine Pizza

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I suggest you try the al pastor. The soft crust feels like a thicker-style tortilla because they use Masienda, a single-origin heirloom masa harina infused into the dough. It features sausage from A’s BBQ, topped with sliced pineapple purchased from a local street vendor and salsa verde, onion, and cilantro.

The sausage cups up like pepperoni, pairing exceptionally well with the pineapple's sweetness and the masa in the pizza dough. Each bite contains a rush of freshness.

Yes, that’s right. It's the best of both worlds: pizza and tacos. What a time to be alive in Los Angeles.

Apollonia's Pizza in Mid-City 

The busy entryway to Apollonia's Pizzeria on Wilshire Boulevard.

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Brian Feinzimer

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LAist

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Justin De Leon, owner and head pizza maker at Apollonia's Pizza, grew up on pizza. His first job was working at a pizza restaurant when he was 13. The modest menu might make you wonder if this is really some of the best pizza in Los Angeles. But you'll quickly understand why after your first bite — or encountering the long lines outside his standing-room only, cash-only pizzeria off Wilshire Boulevard.

De Leon has been a lifelong student who has broken down pizza into its fundamental elements. If you ask what defines his pizza craft, he’ll say his job is to “simplify it.”

“I've challenged myself to create something that I want. Not necessarily what there's a market for.”

I suggest you start with a traditional slice of De Leon's cheese pie. “I was looking for something thin, light, and crispy,” De Leon said. Well, he found it. This is the cheese slice all others should be judged against.

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

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Brian Feinzimer

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LAist

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Next, try the square slice, but take a look before taking a bite — notice that crispy, frico cheese crust that rises up on the sides, giving it a 3-D effect. Contrast that with the square slice's light and spacious interior and you'll know why I think this is one of the best in Los Angeles.

De Leon is quick to point out that he doesn’t use specific names, such as Detroit style, Siciliana, or Grandma’s style to describe his pizza. Instead, he likes to think of it as a combination of all of them wrapped into one, as well as his own background and that of his employees: DeLeon is Latino, and many of the staff members he works with at the small pizzeria are Latino.

LAist food editor, Gab Chabran and How To L.A. Host Brain De Los Santos with Apollonia's Pizzeria owner Justin DeLeon

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Aaricka Washington

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LAist

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Listening to De Leon describe his square slice is like listening to an artist talk about their most recent work, which makes sense given his background in photography. He describes it as “graphic” with “a strong visual representation,” stating that the flavor of the slice itself should match the visual.

DeLeon describes L.A.-style pizza as a mixture of various styles, and believes that combination gives it a unique taste.

In his own words, "To me, L.A. pizza is a mix of everything."

The Los Angeles Unified School District is preparing for possible “Super El Niño” storms that could damage schools and lead to closures, the district announced in a media release Tuesday.

District staff are clearing drains, trimming trees and checking roofs, windows and doors. LAUSD is also testing emergency equipment, including pumps and emergency lighting systems, and stocking supplies such as flashlights and drinking water.

“Preparing for severe weather starts well before the first raindrop,” Superintendent Andrés Chait said in a statement. “We can’t control the weather, but we can take steps now to protect our students and employees and help our schools stay ready.”

The district will monitor weather patterns using information from the National Weather Service and local emergency officials, it said.

LAUSD encouraged families to update their contact information to ensure they receive district calls, texts and emails. Families should also monitor weather alerts, follow emergency officials’ instructions, avoid flooded roads and review safe routes to and from school, according to the release.

“Preparing for a storm is a shared effort — from the crews maintaining school buildings to the principals reviewing emergency plans and the families making sure they can receive critical updates,” LAUSD said in the release. “By taking these steps before the rain begins, Los Angeles Unified is working to help students and employees stay safe and keep school communities as prepared as possible for the winter ahead.”

Southern California is likely in for a solid dose of rain this week, just days after heat and Santa Ana winds helped fuel several wildfires across the region.

Forecasters expect the bulk of the rain to roll into the Los Angeles basin Wednesday night and continue into Thursday morning, with a small chance of thunderstorms and hail.

The San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley and coastal areas across L.A. and Orange counties could get around an inch over the next few days. Hills and mountains could get up to 3 inches.

“We could see some pretty high rain rates,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Wofford. “It's a good storm for this time of year — it's a little stronger than what we would see normally.”

The possibility of significant rain in the mountains raises concerns about flooding in areas recently burned in wildfires, particularly around the Bryson Fire burn scar near Malibu, which is only a few days old. Burn scars can’t absorb heavy rainfall and are susceptible to landslides.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the Santa Monica Mountains and surrounding communities from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday. That means heavy rain there could flood streets, creeks and rivers. The flood watch area includes both the Bryson Fire and Palisades Fire burn scars.

This will also be the first nontropical storm of the season, meaning it’s moving into the region from the north. Most storms that hit Southern California follow a similar path, especially during the winter, unlike the tropical storms that formed off the coast of Mexico and brought muggy weather to the region this summer.

Nontropical storms also bring cold air to the region. On Wednesday and Thursday, forecasters expect highs in the 60s and 70s. High elevations will be even cooler.

The science research institute that would likely receive $4.2 billion in public taxpayer money if voters approve Proposition 38 this November had only three employees as of last month — far fewer than the 51 staffers it planned to have hired by last year.

Public statements and public records CalMatters obtained raise questions about how well prepared the institute is to shepherd so much money if the bond measure passes.

Prop. 38 would allocate up to $8.4 billion in bonds for scientific research on diseases and cures concerning the immune system, with an emphasis on finding treatments for Alzheimer’s, cancer and heart disease. The ballot language stipulates that a single, unnamed research institute would receive half the bond’s money to conduct research and partner with other researchers if it meets highly specific criteria. Bonds are a type of debt that must be repaid.

Previous reporting by CalMatters found only one institute in California currently meets those criteria: the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy. The institute’s principal funder is billionaire Gary K. Michelson, who wrote Prop. 38 and is by far the largest donor to its political campaign.

Backers of the proposition said state bond money is needed to stabilize research funding after President Donald Trump repeatedly attempted to cut existing and future federal science grants.

The measure’s critics say Prop. 38 is well-intentioned but poorly designed because it overlooks the many established public and nonprofit university and hospital research labs in California. They also say California should not subsidize subsets of scientific research and instead should support research more broadly.

CalMatters obtained documents that included the five-year business plan of the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy. The plan was part of the formal affiliation agreement between UCLA and the institute, which the two parties signed in August 2024. Among other details, the agreement requires the institute to pay UCLA 7.5% of the net revenue of any drugs and technologies developed by the institute’s staff. The institute is one of the founding tenants at a UCLA-owned research park in West Los Angeles, where the institute is leasing 235,000 square feet of research space, the institute says.

Far fewer employees than plan called for

Between summer 2024 and summer 2025, the institute committed to hiring “approximately” 51 employees, including six executives, five “world-class” scientists who can lead research labs, and 40 other employees, such as data scientists, lab technicians, biologists and administrative personnel. Between 2025 and 2027, the institute would hire roughly 90 more workers, including 10 research lab leaders, according to the agreement.

But John Mazziotta, a senior UCLA official who also serves as a board member of the immunology institute, last month said the institute has hired just three employees: a chief operating officer, a general counsel, and a scientific advisor, and “they're well into the search” for a director. Mazziotta, the CEO of UCLA Health and vice chancellor for health sciences at UCLA, made his comments during the Sept. 16 UC Regents meeting.

The Yes on Prop. 38 campaign has repeatedly refused to comment on whether the bond was written specifically for the immunology institute. Claudia Briggs, a spokesperson for the campaign, told CalMatters in July that whichever nonprofit receives the $4.2 billion portion of the bond fund should be a sophisticated one that “is prepared to accelerate lifesaving research immediately while maintaining the highest standards of scientific quality, accountability, and stewardship of public funds.”

At a September press conference, a Yes on Prop. 38 spokesperson appeared to confirm CalMatters’ findings that only one institute currently qualifies to be the one to receive half the bond money. “It is very likely that CIII, which is a research institute affiliated with UCLA, will qualify for half of the funds under the current criteria,” said Robin Swanson. CIII is the initialism for the immunology institute.

According to the five-year plan, the institute was supposed to spend $25 million on personnel between 2024-25 and 2025-26 and $45 million total on operating expenses in that time, including maintenance, utilities and rent. It was also supposed to spend an additional $167 million in that time on capital expenses, such as construction and demolition. However, Mazziotta told UC regents that the institute had so far spent a total of $20 million on “operating expenses, hires” and other expenses.

The Yes on 38 campaign refused CalMatters’ request to interview Michelson for this story, as did Michelson himself in a separate email. A spokesperson for the institute, Becky Warren, sent a written statement that didn't answer CalMatters' questions about employing far fewer people than the five-year plan laid out. Instead, she highlighted the promise of the institute and a few of its milestones, including signing the affiliation agreement with UCLA and clearing a state environmental review of its forthcoming research facility.

The institute won’t get state bond money if it isn’t ready to begin work, “plain and simple,” wrote Swanson, the Yes on 38 spokesperson, in an email. She stressed that though the institute very likely qualifies, the ultimate decision to award half the bond funding is up to the California Department of Public Health.

Institute facility will be built by 2028

The UCLA research park that houses the institute isn’t slated to be fully built until at least late 2028, according to the agenda item of the September UC regents meeting. The research park is a former mall UCLA acquired in late 2023 that’s now undergoing major retrofitting.

But the 2024 affiliation agreement between UCLA and the institute anticipated this. The agreement permitted the institute to use UCLA health research space on another campus property on an interim basis. Mazziotta told regents that research is underway there.

Mazziotta also told the regents the institute's construction costs are not fully funded — it still needs roughly $100 million. He said UCLA was in serious talks with a donor to provide about $50 million to the institute.

If Prop. 38 passes, the bond funding would be provided in increments based on how often the institute requests new money that senior state officials approve. If all the funds are depleted, Californians would repay the bond at a rate of $500 million to $600 million annually for about 20 years.

Institute would be exempt from public records act

CalMatters submitted the public records request to UCLA, which must comply with the California Public Records Act. The institute, as a private nonprofit, does not have to comply. And while Prop. 38 would channel billions of dollars in taxpayer money to the institute, the proposition’s language specifically exempts the nonprofit that will receive the $4.2 billion from state public meetings laws, political reform laws and the public records act. The other half of the funds would go to a council that’ll pick projects led by researchers from a limited pool of universities and nonprofits. The council would generally be governed by the state’s political reform act, which prohibits financial self-dealing.

Briggs defended the institute’s exemption in Prop. 38, writing that applying state transparency laws to existing private organizations would “not fit well with how private entities are organized and operate.” Instead, she noted the selected nonprofit institute would be required to publish annual reports on its research progress and financial plans plus commit to annual state audits, among other disclosures written into the ballot measure.

Still unclear to the UC regents is the relationship between UCLA and the institute on matters of public disclosure. Four senior UCLA officials sit on the institute’s board. So is a document held by those UCLA officials public because it’s related to UCLA affairs or private because it’s related to the institute’s affairs? UC’s general counsel couldn’t explain where that dividing line is after a regent member asked him. The regent member, Michael Cohen, said he wants more clarity when the regents meet again in November.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Democratic Party endorsed Prop. 38, as have dozens of patient and research advocacy groups, plus the state GOP. The union of graduate students and post-doctoral researchers, whose pay often relies on science research funding, has also endorsed the proposition. The union doesn’t represent faculty.

Money raised in support of Prop. 38 now exceeds $66 million, including at least $61.2 million in contributions from Michelson and his policy institute. Roughly $14 million of that includes loans from Michelson. The no camp has raised about $8,800

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.