To the delight of every Angeleno who’s tasted Daniele Uditi’s Neapolitan-inspired slices—but couldn’t brave regular treks to Brentwood—Pizzana is expanding with a second location, and this time, the Italian restaurant is headed east. Sporting the same menu, plus takeout, delivery and a patio, Pizzana’s new West Hollywood spot is set to open in early 2019 and take up residence in the soon-to-be-former Ed’s Coffee Shop, a WeHo staple since 1960.
While we’re sad to lose Ed’s, there’s no denying our excitement over a second and more central location for one of the city’s best pizzerias. And while this award-winning restaurant offers a handful of excellent salads, small plates and desserts, the focus is and will always be on the pies.
The Naples-born Uditi brought his family dough starter to his lauded restaurant, which opened along San Vincente Boulevard last April thanks to Uditi and partners Candace and Charles Nelson (of Sprinkles Cupcakes fame) and Caroline and Chris O’Donnell. Using organic, stone-ground Italian flours, the chef ferments the crust for 48 hours, resulting in a chewy interior encased by a blistered, crunchy sheath from a custom wood-fired, imported oven. Dubbed “Neo-Neapolitan,” Pizzana’s pies come crunchy but flexible, and draped in traditional toppings—such as the fior di latte, which arrives shipped from Italy multiple times a week—as well as more untraditional options, such as a basil powder or a cacio e pepe pizza.
Expansion, Uditi recently told Time Out, has always been a goal. The streamlined menu of pizzas, starters and a limited list of wines—primarily from California and Italy—make for an easy and accessible menu to set up shop throughout the region. And there’s great news for those of you with a sweet tooth: Baker extraordinaire Candace Nelson will also be bringing her desserts to the new WeHo spot, which means olive oil chocolate cakes and little glass bowls of salted caramel pretzel panna cotta are thankfully still on the table.
Pizzana is set to open at 460 N Robertson Blvd in early 2019.