la.foodblogging

I go downtown on quite a frequent basis, but I wouldn’t say that I really GO there. Once a week or more, I am there, but my experience is generally limited to the Joe’s parking lot on Olive and the second floor of the Superior Court.

So when I drew the jury duty stick last week, I found that no matter what parts of it I was NOT looking forward to–the sitting around, the imagining my work piling up on my desk to monstrous heights, the $15 paycheck–there was one part I was looking forward to–the hour and a half lunch and the chance to do a little downtown exploration.

Stepping out the door at 12:30 I suddenly realized what I missed so much living here. I miss the CITY-ness of being in a big city. The tall buildings and the urban squish and the people all outside, going places, or just hanging out. There it all was, from the mausoleum-tower of City Hall to the fortress of the Times, proudly proclaiming itself in gigantic letters like something out of Gotham City.

Recently, the Los Angeles Times did an article on great bargains in L.A. One of the features was a pie from Pitfire Pizza Co., which the article mentions allows the dough to rise one and a half to two days and then fire it in a special ceramic-bottomed oven. So as I walked by the Times building, wondering where to go, and then suddenly spied a Pitfire Pizza beyond a construction area it seemed like serendipity and I decided to try it out.

The restaurant itself looks like a typical restaurant you would find in an up and coming urban area that’s full of loft apartments and young artsy professionals. The design suggests a wherehouse, spacious, spare and airy but very neat and modern as well.

There was a line out the door to order and almost every spot was filled, so that seemed like a good sign. The creators of Pitfire Pizza envisioned a place where friends could get together and eat meals made from scratch with fresh ingredients at a reasonable price. They state on their menu that they are “obsessed with flavor” rather than profits. They profess a commitment to local, seasonal ingredients purchased from area farmer’s markets. They claim that the morning’s market specialties will be on your plate by afternoon.

Looking at the menu board above the registers, you can see their commitment to seasonal ingredients by the list of summer specials which include several dishes made with market heirloom tomatoes.

I am not a huge fresh tomato fan, so I chose instead to order the Pacifica, which was a pizza with goat cheese, roasted garlic, house-cured tomatoes and pine nuts ($7.50). That day they were featuring a watermelon lemonade ($1.75) so I ordered that.

You order at the register and then they hand you a number on a stand and you go find a table. All of the booths and tables on the main floor were taken so I made my way up to the loft-like second floor. It’s darker up there, and not quite as nice, but it’s also a lot quieter and would be better if you want to have a more intimate conversation with a friend or two. After a while, a waitperson will bring you your meal.

My pizza was delicious. The crust, as promised was soft and fluffy on the inside and crispy at the edges. The ingredients definitely seemed fresh and there was a decent amount of cheese, but too much so that the other flavors were overwhelmed. The pine nuts were a little strange, and I could have been perfectly happy without them, but they didn’t detract from the experience. I was disappointed in the watermelon lemonade, which tasted like a Jolly Rancher. I guess I was hoping for a more natural, subtler flavor from a place that touted it’s fresh market ingredients.

One of the things I really appreciated as well was the size of the pizza. It was not too big, but enough to make a whole meal for one person or great for sharing between two people along with a salad.

Pitfire Pizza also has salads, soup, pasta, panini,and desserts. Also, if you want to order in at the office or have a group event, they have box meals available, which include pizzas, pasta, salad, fresh bread, and “crazy cake.”

Pitfire Pizza Co.
5211 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood
(818) 980-2949

108 W. 2nd St.
Downtown L.A.
(213) 808-1200

http://www.pitfirepizza.com

By KT (see more of her posts). You can find more of KT's writing at her own website Gastronomy 101.