With an ever-growing number of Sprinkles Cupcakes locations in the works and the world’s first 24-hour cupcake ATM under their belt, husband-and-wife duo Candace and Charles Nelson are ready to shake things up once again. The duo is teaming up with partners Chris and Caroline O'Donnell and expanding their burgeoning empire to include their first-ever savory venture, Pizzana, a Neapolitan-style pizzeria opening in Brentwood on April 21.
The family-friendly, 45-seat restaurant will be taking over the space of the now-shuttered Adoteca, a low-key Italian restaurant that silently closed its doors back in fall 2015. And it's no surprise the Nelsons jumped at the chance to snag this San Vicente locale—after all, the duo planted their first Sprinkles Cupcakes roots on the Westside and have since amassed a cult following of sugar fanatics and more than 20 locations nationwide (and counting). So why not open their first pizza joint on the same side of town? As the Italians would say, "É buona fortuna."
Helming the kitchen is chef Daniele Uditi, a Naples native who will be importing San Marzano tomatoes straight from the homeland, which he'll use to craft mouth-watering pies using 48-hour fermented dough. As is a trend with a growing number of L.A. restaurants, the menu will combine traditional Italian technique with a California twist. Think selections ranging from a vegetable pizza with red pepper pesto to an Amatriciana-style pizza made with prosciutto crudo and fior de latte and even a Messicana pizza (an ode to Uditi's wife's Mexican heritage) topped with chorizo, jalapeño and fresh cilantro (it wouldn't be true California-style without a little Latin flare).
While you're probably expecting Sprinkles cupcakes to take center stage on the dessert menu, they're not on the line up. Instead, you'll be pleasantly surprised with Candace's other sweet-tooth-satisfying confections like the chocolate olive oil cake and salted caramel panna cotta. And if you really need to get your cupcakes fix, it's just a short drive down to Beverly Hills.
Can we anticipate the world’s first 24-hour pizza ATM in the near future? Who knows. But for now, we’ll be happily slicing it up at their new Brentwood spot.
Pizzana is located at 11712 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles