Yes, New Haven has its own style of pizza. And now it’s in LA

For something as simple as a mixture of flour, tomato, and cheese, there sure are many different styles of pizza. Chicago deep dish. New York style. Detroit style. Welcome to the latest to arrive in L.A.: New Haven style, from Connecticut.

Italian immigrants to New Haven at the turn of the 20th century brought bread-baking traditions from Naples, which evolved into a style of simple tomato pies, thin-crust pizzas, and a sparing (if at all) use of mozzarella. Known locally as “apizza” (pronounced “ah-Beetz”), it became popular along Wooster Street in the city’s Little Italy at places like Frank Pepe Pizzeria and Sally’s Apizza.

Hence, the name of L.A.’s first New Haven-style eatery, Ozzy’s Apizza. Started by Connecticut transplant Chris Wallace (the Ozzy is a tribute to his dog), a new location just opened in the North Hollywood Arts District after a successful run in nearby Glendale — and a satellite location back in his hometown.

Wallace grew up eating pizza in New Haven. “My connection is deep-rooted. Every Friday, my family and I would have pizza. On special occasions, we drove to Wooster Street. I fell in love with it. I said, 'Oh my god, no one makes this,'” Wallace remembered.

New Haven-style defined

Wallace aims to give the proper nod when crafting his pizza at Ozzy’s. It’s stretched thin and traditionally baked in an open-flame brick oven powered by coals. When it emerges, the crust is well-cooked and features a crisp on-the- outside, chewy on-the-inside texture with a few charred black spots, another signature of the NH style.

Chef and founder Chris Wallace of Ozzy's Apizza tosses dough to create a New Haven-style pizza

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Julie Leopo

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LAist

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Easy cheese

When I visited Ozzy’s, I tried two New Haven classics. First, I had “The Liotta,” a plain pie made with their house-made red sauce, fresh crushed tomatoes produced daily, olive oil, and a light sprinkling of parmesan. Then I sampled “You’re Welcome,” their clam pie made with little necks from Rhode Island, garlic, pecorino, oregano, and olive oil.

The sharp tang of the tomato pie shined bright, smoothed over with just the right amount of olive oil for added depth. The clam pie featured the perfect amount of brine from the clams, highlighted with a squeeze of the lemon slice that comes with your pie.

Chef and founder Chris Wallace of Ozzy's Apizza .

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Julie Leopo

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LAist

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Tomato sauce is placed on fresh dough prior to be fired in the brick oven at Ozzy's Apizza.

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Julie Leopo

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LAist

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For Wallace, crafting his pizzas is all about balance.

“You don't want to get fully hit with acid from the tomato on the Liotta," he said, "and you don't want to get hit with too much brininess from the clam on the clam pie.”

One of the most striking aspects about both pizzas was the lack of mozzarella cheese, which gave them a lighter quality that you’d be hard-pressed to find in other pizzas. As someone who regularly eats a lot of pizza, I was intrigued by what it did to the texture.

That isn’t to say it’s strictly a no-cheese affair at Ozzy's. For example, “The Zupp Pie,” named after another famed New Haven-style pizza joint, Zuparadi’s, is made with mozzarella, spicy Italian sausage, and tomato sauce. I didn’t have room for it this time, but I intend to remedy that on my next visit.

The last laugh

The North Hollywood location pays homage to both Wallace’s New Haven upbringing and his love of the golden era of professional wrestling from the 1980s and '90s. Many of his pizzas feature names from that time, and classic matches play on a loop on the TVs in the background. A 90s pop-punk soundtrack also plays loudly alongside the giant mural of Wallace’s now-famous dog, Ozzy, on the main wall of the pizzeria.

But the story of the space goes deeper.

Wallace moved to California from Connecticut in 2014. After getting a job in security management, for which he originally got his degree, he decided to try his hand at stand-up comedy. Still needing to pay bills, Wallace worked part-time at the North Hollywood location of MOD Pizza, the fast-casual build-your-own-pizza chain restaurant.

New Haven-style pizzas are made in a gas brick oven at Ozzy's Apizza in North Hollywood.

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Julie Leopo

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Despite having never worked in a pizzeria, his love for pizza ran deep, and he was willing to learn. As he honed his pizza-making chops and brick oven skills, he also started hosting stand-up comedy nights on the restaurant's patio. Eventually, he worked his way up to manager. Life was good for Wallace, who found a way to blend his two loves until he was assigned a new district manager who wasn’t picking up what Wallace was laying down.

“He didn't like me; he was rooted in old-school corporate life, and I was doing the open mic,” he recalled.

Wallace saw the writing on the wall and parted ways with MOD. Shortly after, the pandemic hit, and burned out from comedy, he decided to get sober. After some serious soul-searching, he also decided to get serious about making pizza, which became his pandemic hobby. Remember when all of us were making sourdough loaves? Wallace was making pizza.

The interior of Ozzy's Apizza, in North Hollywood.

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Julie Leopo

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LAist

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Ozzy's Apizza in North Hollywood.

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Julie Leopo

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LAist

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He started giving away pizza to neighbors in his apartment complex, who, after trying it, encouraged him to start selling it. The first weekend, he sold five pizzas in 20 minutes. But he needed a name. After the whirlwind weekend, a visiting friend saw his dog Ozzy eating crumbs off the ground and told him, “Just call it Ozzy’s.”

New Haven meets L.A. style.

After opening his Glendale and later New Haven locations, Wallace noticed that the MOD pizza location he used to work at had closed just before the pandemic. After touring the space, Wallace realized it had everything he would need — a walk-in refrigerator and a trusty fire brick oven. He felt like it was meant to be.

While the style of pizzas is strictly New Haven style, he’s worked hard to make his business representative of the Los Angeles community. He prides himself on maintaining a diverse staff.

For Wallace, the opening of Ozzy’s North Hollywood is his way of making it his own by fusing his home state and his new home in California.

“It’s beautiful to see," he said. "It's not just a bunch of old white guys making pizza. It is all about diversity, and that's why I love being here because you can be yourself.”