Sotto (CLOSED)

By now, Sotto is regarded as a stalwart of L.A.'s Italian dining scene—and with good reason. A wood-burning oven is the heart and soul of this basement eatery in restaurant, where pizzas and pastas are supplemented with fennel-crusted pork chops and prime ribeye. The oven is a Neapolitan hearth, built by real Neapolitans for the making of true Neapolitan-style pizzas. And the pizzas are very, very good—pillowy white dough spotted with black blisters and a sparse smear of tomato sauce, a few oozy globs of fresh mozzarella and a leaf or two of basil. If you stick around for dessert, opt for the cannoli Siciliani, made with ricotta, orange marmalade, pistachios and chocolate.