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They've mastered BBQ at Bludso's, perfected the burger at Golden State, and blown our minds with breakfast burritos at Cofax. Now, Jason Bernstein, James Starr, Noah Galuten, and Zack Fishman are getting into the game of pies at Prime Pizza, which officially opens today on Fairfax Ave.
The addition of this small New York style pizzeria makes the scene feel a bit like Brooklyn, with the hodgepodge of Judaica shops, hipsters, dive bars, urban street style, and heavy foot traffic. (The fact that they stock copies of the New York Post inside the subway tiled pie shop doesn't hurt the cause, either.) And it's certainly a welcome addition to the stretch of Fairfax Avenue, which has been devoid of a decent pizzeria for some time.
To start, Prime is serving up a small selection of traditional thin crust pies both by the slice and whole—cheese, pepperoni, veggie, house made sausage made by Erik Black of Ugly Drum, and an off-the-charts white pie with fresh ricotta, mozzarella, and a black olive tapenade made with a smattering of anchovy that takes the slice into Umami-land and beyond. Slices start at $2.50, and whole pies at $18.
As for sides, garlic knots and chopped salads are on offer—the latter of which is upped with a couple more cheffy ingredients like kale, radicchio, and a shallot vinaigrette.
Their chicken wings are cooked confit without dredging flour or corn starch, which makes them gluten-free, but more importantly, delicious. They come with perfectly crackly-skin and a succulent center, and are either dunked in traditional hot sauce, or "bonkers" sauce made with Southeast Asian flavorings like Thai bird chilies, basil, and a tinge of sweetness. And they live up to their name; they're both bonkers hot, and bonkers good.
Right now the wings are a limited off-menu item, so don't be bummed if they're not available. Eventually they'll be worked in full time, as will items like Italian bombolini with a creamy Nutella-esque cream and powdered sugar. Once they're comfortable catering to their walk-in service, they'll do delivery service, too, which is something we love about all of their restaurants; they wait to get it right before taking on too much. (Those breakfast burritos at Cofax were certainly worth the wait, weren't they?)
We're eager to see what the team has cooked up next as they continue to expand their empire on Fairfax. But for now, we're more than satisfied to have a quality pie shop in the neighborhood.
