Hollywood Pies

Whoa-M-G.

Whether it be hot dogs, deep-dish pizza, Italian beef, or modern fine-dining, Chicago offers a distinct style that has placed it on most culinary maps.  So what I'm about to share is a sad truth: I've never visited Chi-town as an adult.*  As a result, I'm missing out on some delicious food this great nation has to offer.  But despite this fact, I've had my share of "Chicago-style" pizza, which usually translates to deep-dish pies -- it just happens to be outside of Chicago.  Does this discredit this review?  Perhaps to a certain extent, but read on to learn more about Hwood Pies anyway.

* Apparently, I was there at the ripe age of two, but since I don't remember it, I'm told it doesn't count.

(Thanks for still reading!)
The interior is simple and small with approx. seven tables, but the set-up is clean and straight-forward. Order at the window, take a seat, and wait for your delicious pie to be made -- easy as (pizza) pie!  To avoid long waits, call in your order before you arrive at the restaurant.  If you want to avoid long waits and save a few bucks (15%), call in your order for take-out (which you obviously have to eat, taken out).   Also, there are other specials on Weds and Thurs. { specials }

There are two sizes: small and large.  The large consists of eight hearty slices.  You think it's a lot of food -- and I suppose it is for people with regular appetites and not beastly ones like mine -- but unlike traditional Chicago-style pizza (or what I imagine such to be), the crust is flakier and less oily.  Where one slice of deep-dish pizza in Chicago will knock you out for the day, you can eat three or four of these babies and still be okay (or maybe that's just me).

Here is a large Spinach pie.  Made with whole milk mozzarella, spinach, romano cheese, and fresh house-made ricotta, the pizza is surprisingly not too heavy.  I ate four slices and didn't feel grossly full (but again, maybe I just have unusual eating habits). 

Hwood Pies even offers thin-crust options.  Now I'm not Chicagoan, but something tells me that ordering a Chicago-style pizza with thin crust is like going to a BBQ place and ordering a side of veggies.  It's doable, but . . . why?!  Still, Hwood Pies offers options, and God bless America and Hwood Pies for options!

The end.

Hwood Pies serves pizza and it is good.
So what are you doing?  Go enjoy your pizza! 



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cuisine: Chicago-style deep-dish pizza + appetizers
location: West LA
hours: Wed-Thurs, 5PM - 9:30 PM; Fri-Sat, 5PM - 10PM; Sun, 4PM - 8:30PM; closed Mon/Tues
websites: { HP | yelp | twitter | facebook }
parking: Street meters
seating: Indoor/ Outdoor
attire: Casual
notes: I'm not sure if this is an advertised thing so don't be upset if I'm wrong, but BYOB and enjoy!
other reviews: { thrillist | serious eats }

Xi'an Famous Foods

In NYC, you can find food on almost every corner.  Whether it's good food or mediocre food, it's food, and it's there for your eating.  If you're the corner of St. Marks and 1st, you'll spot Xi'an Famous Foods.  Go there.  Eat well.  Be happy.  And I'm not just saying that because Anthony Bourdain endorsed it on "No Reservations."

Xi'an has multiple locations throughout the city -- five total, with the Chinatown location still having the most (bar) seats.

Spicy Cumin Lamb Noodles -- $7

Because I had to eat my way through LES, I only grabbed one dish at Xi'an: the N1, aka - Spicy Cumin Lamb Hand-Ripped Noodles.  I understand why this is dubbed as one of the restaurant's most popular dishes.  With chunks of cumin-spiced lamb that sit atop a heavenly bed of hot, hand-pulled noodles, the dish is really something.  The noodles are thick in size and chewy in texture, it's one hot & delicious bundled mess that I'd welcome any day.  The portion is generous and there's a healthy dose of spiciness, too.  Win, win, win!

Seriously delicious noodles.

If I wasn't going to have a progressive eating tour that included four subsequent meals/ snacks in a span of 3 hours, I would have also ordered the lamb burger, too.  Alas, I must return for that soon!



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cuisine: Northern Chinese
location: East Village, NYC (multiple locations)
nearest metro stop: Asto Pl; 1st Ave
websites: { X | yelp | facebook | twitter }
menu: here
attire: Casual
notes: CASH ONLY! Take-out is available, but take-out noodles won't be as good as noodles eaten straight away.

Eataly

Though a lover of LA, if there's one U.S. city I could live in purely for culinary reasons, it would be NYC.  Hold the rotten tomatoes (or applause) for a sec and hear me out.   I live in LA, was raised in LA, and will forever love LA -- it's home.  And with so many varying ethnicities and cultures, what a good home it is!  But maybe because it's so vast, its streets so congested, and parking impossible or overpriced, it's just tougher to eat your way through LA than through NYC.  That said, I have no plans to move to the Big Apple, so "until I see the light," I'll stick with my food tours.  When I was in NYC a few months ago, the first place I hit up was Mario Batali's Eataly.


"Eating is an Agricultural Act."

Eataly is a food market that also has multiple restaurants.  It first opened in Turin, Italy in 2007 and in NYC in 2010.  There're rumors that another location will open in LA soon.  More info on Eataly's history here.

Located at 200 Fifth Ave, Eataly NYC boasts five restaurants: La Piazza, Il Pesce, Le Verdure, La Pizza & La Pasta, and Birreria.  In Italian fashion, the restaurants are located throughout the marketplace to mimic an "al fresco dining" experience.

After learning that the wait for a table at La Pizza & La Pasta would take over an hour on a Monday night (typical?), we put our name down and went upstairs to the rooftop beer garden, Birreria, which thankfully had no wait (atypical?).



Formaggi -- Parmigiano, Asiago Fresco, Ricotta Fresca -- 3 for $11



Salumi -- Sopressata -- Single plate for $11

Birreria also serves salads, sausages, and entrees ranging from grilled portobello mushrooms to grilled lamb chops.  Best of all, there are casks and casks of beer.  There's outdoor patio seating too, which unfortunately I didn't get to take advantage of given the rather uninviting NY weather at the time.

After a quick bite at Birreria, we went back downstairs to La Pizza & La Pasta.  To get a sense of how much I enjoyed the food, let me just say this: For a brief moment, I reverted back to my time in Firenze, where I consumed one of the best pasta dishes in my life.  There wasn't one particular dish that did this for me.  Rather, it was a combination of the rich potato gnocchi, light but pesto-y lasagne, and the perfectly-cooked seafood paccheri.  Paired with several glasses of red wine, everything complemented each other splendidly.  La Stella is technically a pizza, but it's listed as an antipasti and is served in an entree portion.  It was delicious. 

Gnocchi al Ragu di Agnello -- housemade potato gnocchi with braised lam shank ragu -- $19

Pasta Al Forno al Pesto -- Lasagne with pesto, Bechamel sauce, and green beans -- $16

La Stella -- pizza with cherry tomatoe, arugula, shaved Grana Padano fresh basil, and extra virgin olive oil from Sorrento -- $13

Paccheri con Sugo di Mare -- shrimp, calamari, and scallops with tomato, garlic, white wine, and parsley -- $18

Eataly has gotten some bad rap for being overpriced and overhyped.  Maybe there's some truth behind that, but from my one dinner at Birreria and La Pizza & La Pasta, I can confidently say Batali is doing a really good thing there.  For that reason, I can't wait for Eataly to make its LA debut.  Salute!


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cuisine: Italian
location: Flatiron, NYC
nearest Metro: 23rd St.
websites: { E | yelp | facebook | twitter }
attire: Casual
notes: Don't go here if you're not a fan of long waits or pricier foods.  Go here if you appreciate quality and have an open mind/ heart for Italian food.
other reviews: { NYMag | NYT | Serious Eats | Amuse Bouche }