Where to find the best pizza in Los Angeles

Have you ever had a meal change the course of your entire life? For Pizza Cafe L.A. owner Diego Garcia, it was a slice of Margherita pizza extraneously covered in pepperoni.

He was in New York for one of his entertainment production jobs and thinking about getting into stand-up comedy. Wanting to make the most of his time in the city, he grabbed a seat at the counter at Juliana’s Pizza in Brooklyn. He watched mesmerized as the cooks stretched and topped pies, then slid them in and out of the coal-burning brick oven.

“I didn’t know that bread, sauce, cheese, pepperoni and basil could be the best thing I’ve ever had,” says Garcia. “I came back to L.A. and was like, that’s what I want to do. I want to make pizza.”

At the time, Garcia was also dabbling in fashion, making hats and clothes, and about to learn how to become a shoe cobbler. Instead, he bought a small wood-burning oven off Amazon and a red counter-top mixer, then started making pizza. He was on a quest to re-create the oversized Neopolitan-style pies from Juliana’s with a leopard-spotted crust.

“I was also inspired by Nancy Silverton’s ‘Chef’s Table’ episode,” he says. “It took her a year to make a pizza. I knew it would take me a little longer.”

It ended up taking Garcia two years filled with YouTube videos, dozens of recipes and lots of trial and error. He hosted a few successful pop-ups right before the pandemic, then put all of his money — and a big chunk of his parent’s 401(k) — into a small space he found on Craigslist, at the Fletcher Square shopping center in Silver Lake. He opened Pizza Cafe L.A. on Valentine’s Day 2021.

Instead of specializing in a single style of pizza, Garcia offers seven, spanning regions across the United States and Italy.

“I thought to myself, pizza is pizza,” he says. “I researched one style pizza, I can research more.”

The crust on the Margherita is covered in big, charred bubbles, with a tang that’s present, but fleeting. The sauce painted over the surface is thick like puree, with a vibrant, all encompassing, fresh tomato flavor. Milky, creamy blobs of mozzarella are melted over the top with plenty of torn basil.

A Neapolitan-style Margherita pizza from Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake.

(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times )

During his second year in business, Garcia turned his attention to Detroit-style pizza. He developed a focaccia recipe, then bought a single square pizza pan on Amazon.

“I only had one pan, and that first day I was offering it, I got an order for two Detroit-style pizzas,” he says. “I was like, what am I going to do?”

He bought more pans, and installed a second oven in the kitchen.

The Detroit pizza features the style’s signature crown of crispy cheese around the edges, and a blanket of brick cheese. There’s the initial crunch, then your teeth sink into a wonderfully soft and squishy focaccia.

A Detroit-style pizza with pineapples, Canadian bacon and jalapenos from Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake.

(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

Next, he set his sights on New York pizza, tweaking the amounts of olive oil and sugar in the dough to create a crust that’s crisp, but supple and foldable. And when it comes to the toppings, let your imagination run wild. There’s sausage, Canadian bacon, both cup and sliced pepperoni, peppers, olives, onions and pineapple. I’m partial to the pepperoni cups (even on the New York) and the way the tiny pools of grease gush into your mouth with each bite of pizza.

While Garcia runs a steady takeout business, there are a handful of tables inside, with chili flakes in shakers and rolls of paper towel for napkins. On one wall, Garcia has some of his hats on display, beautifully constructed in beaver felt. Outside, there’s a reed-fencing-lined patio with a few tables and a couch that may or may not be real leather.

At present, Garcia is making Neopolitan, New York, Detroit, New Haven, Chicago tavern, Chicago deep dish and Sicilian pizzas. And he’s already working on more.

“That’s why I called it Pizza Cafe,” says Garcia. “Cafe means variety restaurant. It’s like a variety pizza shop.”

Deputy Food editor Betty Hallock recently remarked that Los Angeles is “the pizza capital of the world.” With places like Pizza Cafe L.A., and a city that boasts nearly every style of pizza imaginable, I thinks she’s on to something.

I can hear all of the New Yorkers screaming. Have a slice at Quarter Sheets, Apollonia’s, Pizzeria Sei, Pizzeria Mozza, DeSano Pizza, Dtown Pizzeria, Pizzana, Fiorelli Pizza, Little Coyote, Pizzeria Bianco, Wallflour Pizza, Cosetta, Bub and Grandma’s Pizza, Ozzy’s Apizza, Redwood Pie, Ronan, LaSorted’s, Pijja Palace, Old Gold Tomato Pies and Friends & Family Pizza Co. (to name a few), then we can talk.

Have you ever had a meal change the course of your entire life? For Pizza Cafe L.A. owner Diego Garcia, it was a slice of Margherita pizza extraneously covered in pepperoni.

He was in New York for one of his entertainment production jobs and thinking about getting into stand-up comedy. Wanting to make the most of his time in the city, he grabbed a seat at the counter at Juliana’s Pizza in Brooklyn. He watched mesmerized as the cooks stretched and topped pies, then slid them in and out of the coal-burning brick oven.

“I didn’t know that bread, sauce, cheese, pepperoni and basil could be the best thing I’ve ever had,” says Garcia. “I came back to L.A. and was like, that’s what I want to do. I want to make pizza.”

At the time, Garcia was also dabbling in fashion, making hats and clothes, and about to learn how to become a shoe cobbler. Instead, he bought a small wood-burning oven off Amazon and a red counter-top mixer, then started making pizza. He was on a quest to re-create the oversized Neopolitan-style pies from Juliana’s with a leopard-spotted crust.

“I was also inspired by Nancy Silverton’s ‘Chef’s Table’ episode,” he says. “It took her a year to make a pizza. I knew it would take me a little longer.”

It ended up taking Garcia two years filled with YouTube videos, dozens of recipes and lots of trial and error. He hosted a few successful pop-ups right before the pandemic, then put all of his money — and a big chunk of his parent’s 401(k) — into a small space he found on Craigslist, at the Fletcher Square shopping center in Silver Lake. He opened Pizza Cafe L.A. on Valentine’s Day 2021.

Instead of specializing in a single style of pizza, Garcia offers seven, spanning regions across the United States and Italy.

“I thought to myself, pizza is pizza,” he says. “I researched one style pizza, I can research more.”

The crust on the Margherita is covered in big, charred bubbles, with a tang that’s present, but fleeting. The sauce painted over the surface is thick like puree, with a vibrant, all encompassing, fresh tomato flavor. Milky, creamy blobs of mozzarella are melted over the top with plenty of torn basil.

A Neapolitan-style Margherita pizza from Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake.

(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times )

During his second year in business, Garcia turned his attention to Detroit-style pizza. He developed a focaccia recipe, then bought a single square pizza pan on Amazon.

“I only had one pan, and that first day I was offering it, I got an order for two Detroit-style pizzas,” he says. “I was like, what am I going to do?”

He bought more pans, and installed a second oven in the kitchen.

The Detroit pizza features the style’s signature crown of crispy cheese around the edges, and a blanket of brick cheese. There’s the initial crunch, then your teeth sink into a wonderfully soft and squishy focaccia.

A Detroit-style pizza with pineapples, Canadian bacon and jalapenos from Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake.

(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

Next, he set his sights on New York pizza, tweaking the amounts of olive oil and sugar in the dough to create a crust that’s crisp, but supple and foldable. And when it comes to the toppings, let your imagination run wild. There’s sausage, Canadian bacon, both cup and sliced pepperoni, peppers, olives, onions and pineapple. I’m partial to the pepperoni cups (even on the New York) and the way the tiny pools of grease gush into your mouth with each bite of pizza.

While Garcia runs a steady takeout business, there are a handful of tables inside, with chili flakes in shakers and rolls of paper towel for napkins. On one wall, Garcia has some of his hats on display, beautifully constructed in beaver felt. Outside, there’s a reed-fencing-lined patio with a few tables and a couch that may or may not be real leather.

At present, Garcia is making Neopolitan, New York, Detroit, New Haven, Chicago tavern, Chicago deep dish and Sicilian pizzas. And he’s already working on more.

“That’s why I called it Pizza Cafe,” says Garcia. “Cafe means variety restaurant. It’s like a variety pizza shop.”

Deputy Food editor Betty Hallock recently remarked that Los Angeles is “the pizza capital of the world.” With places like Pizza Cafe L.A., and a city that boasts nearly every style of pizza imaginable, I thinks she’s on to something.

I can hear all of the New Yorkers screaming. Have a slice at Quarter Sheets, Apollonia’s, Pizzeria Sei, Pizzeria Mozza, DeSano Pizza, Dtown Pizzeria, Pizzana, Fiorelli Pizza, Little Coyote, Pizzeria Bianco, Wallflour Pizza, Cosetta, Bub and Grandma’s Pizza, Ozzy’s Apizza, Redwood Pie, Ronan, LaSorted’s, Pijja Palace, Old Gold Tomato Pies and Friends & Family Pizza Co. (to name a few), then we can talk.

Have you ever had a meal change the course of your entire life? For Pizza Cafe L.A. owner Diego Garcia, it was a slice of Margherita pizza extraneously covered in pepperoni.

He was in New York for one of his entertainment production jobs and thinking about getting into stand-up comedy. Wanting to make the most of his time in the city, he grabbed a seat at the counter at Juliana’s Pizza in Brooklyn. He watched mesmerized as the cooks stretched and topped pies, then slid them in and out of the coal-burning brick oven.

“I didn’t know that bread, sauce, cheese, pepperoni and basil could be the best thing I’ve ever had,” says Garcia. “I came back to L.A. and was like, that’s what I want to do. I want to make pizza.”

At the time, Garcia was also dabbling in fashion, making hats and clothes, and about to learn how to become a shoe cobbler. Instead, he bought a small wood-burning oven off Amazon and a red counter-top mixer, then started making pizza. He was on a quest to re-create the oversized Neopolitan-style pies from Juliana’s with a leopard-spotted crust.

“I was also inspired by Nancy Silverton’s ‘Chef’s Table’ episode,” he says. “It took her a year to make a pizza. I knew it would take me a little longer.”

It ended up taking Garcia two years filled with YouTube videos, dozens of recipes and lots of trial and error. He hosted a few successful pop-ups right before the pandemic, then put all of his money — and a big chunk of his parent’s 401(k) — into a small space he found on Craigslist, at the Fletcher Square shopping center in Silver Lake. He opened Pizza Cafe L.A. on Valentine’s Day 2021.

Instead of specializing in a single style of pizza, Garcia offers seven, spanning regions across the United States and Italy.

“I thought to myself, pizza is pizza,” he says. “I researched one style pizza, I can research more.”

The crust on the Margherita is covered in big, charred bubbles, with a tang that’s present, but fleeting. The sauce painted over the surface is thick like puree, with a vibrant, all encompassing, fresh tomato flavor. Milky, creamy blobs of mozzarella are melted over the top with plenty of torn basil.

A Neapolitan-style Margherita pizza from Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake.

(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times )

During his second year in business, Garcia turned his attention to Detroit-style pizza. He developed a focaccia recipe, then bought a single square pizza pan on Amazon.

“I only had one pan, and that first day I was offering it, I got an order for two Detroit-style pizzas,” he says. “I was like, what am I going to do?”

He bought more pans, and installed a second oven in the kitchen.

The Detroit pizza features the style’s signature crown of crispy cheese around the edges, and a blanket of brick cheese. There’s the initial crunch, then your teeth sink into a wonderfully soft and squishy focaccia.

A Detroit-style pizza with pineapples, Canadian bacon and jalapenos from Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake.

(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

Next, he set his sights on New York pizza, tweaking the amounts of olive oil and sugar in the dough to create a crust that’s crisp, but supple and foldable. And when it comes to the toppings, let your imagination run wild. There’s sausage, Canadian bacon, both cup and sliced pepperoni, peppers, olives, onions and pineapple. I’m partial to the pepperoni cups (even on the New York) and the way the tiny pools of grease gush into your mouth with each bite of pizza.

While Garcia runs a steady takeout business, there are a handful of tables inside, with chili flakes in shakers and rolls of paper towel for napkins. On one wall, Garcia has some of his hats on display, beautifully constructed in beaver felt. Outside, there’s a reed-fencing-lined patio with a few tables and a couch that may or may not be real leather.

At present, Garcia is making Neopolitan, New York, Detroit, New Haven, Chicago tavern, Chicago deep dish and Sicilian pizzas. And he’s already working on more.

“That’s why I called it Pizza Cafe,” says Garcia. “Cafe means variety restaurant. It’s like a variety pizza shop.”

Deputy Food editor Betty Hallock recently remarked that Los Angeles is “the pizza capital of the world.” With places like Pizza Cafe L.A., and a city that boasts nearly every style of pizza imaginable, I thinks she’s on to something.

I can hear all of the New Yorkers screaming. Have a slice at Quarter Sheets, Apollonia’s, Pizzeria Sei, Pizzeria Mozza, DeSano Pizza, Dtown Pizzeria, Pizzana, Fiorelli Pizza, Little Coyote, Pizzeria Bianco, Wallflour Pizza, Cosetta, Bub and Grandma’s Pizza, Ozzy’s Apizza, Redwood Pie, Ronan, LaSorted’s, Pijja Palace, Old Gold Tomato Pies and Friends & Family Pizza Co. (to name a few), then we can talk.

Have you ever had a meal change the course of your entire life? For Pizza Cafe L.A. owner Diego Garcia, it was a slice of Margherita pizza extraneously covered in pepperoni.

He was in New York for one of his entertainment production jobs and thinking about getting into stand-up comedy. Wanting to make the most of his time in the city, he grabbed a seat at the counter at Juliana’s Pizza in Brooklyn. He watched mesmerized as the cooks stretched and topped pies, then slid them in and out of the coal-burning brick oven.

“I didn’t know that bread, sauce, cheese, pepperoni and basil could be the best thing I’ve ever had,” says Garcia. “I came back to L.A. and was like, that’s what I want to do. I want to make pizza.”

At the time, Garcia was also dabbling in fashion, making hats and clothes, and about to learn how to become a shoe cobbler. Instead, he bought a small wood-burning oven off Amazon and a red counter-top mixer, then started making pizza. He was on a quest to re-create the oversized Neopolitan-style pies from Juliana’s with a leopard-spotted crust.

“I was also inspired by Nancy Silverton’s ‘Chef’s Table’ episode,” he says. “It took her a year to make a pizza. I knew it would take me a little longer.”

It ended up taking Garcia two years filled with YouTube videos, dozens of recipes and lots of trial and error. He hosted a few successful pop-ups right before the pandemic, then put all of his money — and a big chunk of his parent’s 401(k) — into a small space he found on Craigslist, at the Fletcher Square shopping center in Silver Lake. He opened Pizza Cafe L.A. on Valentine’s Day 2021.

Instead of specializing in a single style of pizza, Garcia offers seven, spanning regions across the United States and Italy.

“I thought to myself, pizza is pizza,” he says. “I researched one style pizza, I can research more.”

The crust on the Margherita is covered in big, charred bubbles, with a tang that’s present, but fleeting. The sauce painted over the surface is thick like puree, with a vibrant, all encompassing, fresh tomato flavor. Milky, creamy blobs of mozzarella are melted over the top with plenty of torn basil.

A Neapolitan-style Margherita pizza from Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake.

(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times )

During his second year in business, Garcia turned his attention to Detroit-style pizza. He developed a focaccia recipe, then bought a single square pizza pan on Amazon.

“I only had one pan, and that first day I was offering it, I got an order for two Detroit-style pizzas,” he says. “I was like, what am I going to do?”

He bought more pans, and installed a second oven in the kitchen.

The Detroit pizza features the style’s signature crown of crispy cheese around the edges, and a blanket of brick cheese. There’s the initial crunch, then your teeth sink into a wonderfully soft and squishy focaccia.

A Detroit-style pizza with pineapples, Canadian bacon and jalapenos from Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake.

(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

Next, he set his sights on New York pizza, tweaking the amounts of olive oil and sugar in the dough to create a crust that’s crisp, but supple and foldable. And when it comes to the toppings, let your imagination run wild. There’s sausage, Canadian bacon, both cup and sliced pepperoni, peppers, olives, onions and pineapple. I’m partial to the pepperoni cups (even on the New York) and the way the tiny pools of grease gush into your mouth with each bite of pizza.

While Garcia runs a steady takeout business, there are a handful of tables inside, with chili flakes in shakers and rolls of paper towel for napkins. On one wall, Garcia has some of his hats on display, beautifully constructed in beaver felt. Outside, there’s a reed-fencing-lined patio with a few tables and a couch that may or may not be real leather.

At present, Garcia is making Neopolitan, New York, Detroit, New Haven, Chicago tavern, Chicago deep dish and Sicilian pizzas. And he’s already working on more.

“That’s why I called it Pizza Cafe,” says Garcia. “Cafe means variety restaurant. It’s like a variety pizza shop.”

Deputy Food editor Betty Hallock recently remarked that Los Angeles is “the pizza capital of the world.” With places like Pizza Cafe L.A., and a city that boasts nearly every style of pizza imaginable, I thinks she’s on to something.

I can hear all of the New Yorkers screaming. Have a slice at Quarter Sheets, Apollonia’s, Pizzeria Sei, Pizzeria Mozza, DeSano Pizza, Dtown Pizzeria, Pizzana, Fiorelli Pizza, Little Coyote, Pizzeria Bianco, Wallflour Pizza, Cosetta, Bub and Grandma’s Pizza, Ozzy’s Apizza, Redwood Pie, Ronan, LaSorted’s, Pijja Palace, Old Gold Tomato Pies and Friends & Family Pizza Co. (to name a few), then we can talk.

Have you ever had a meal change the course of your entire life? For Pizza Cafe L.A. owner Diego Garcia, it was a slice of Margherita pizza extraneously covered in pepperoni.

He was in New York for one of his entertainment production jobs and thinking about getting into stand-up comedy. Wanting to make the most of his time in the city, he grabbed a seat at the counter at Juliana’s Pizza in Brooklyn. He watched mesmerized as the cooks stretched and topped pies, then slid them in and out of the coal-burning brick oven.

“I didn’t know that bread, sauce, cheese, pepperoni and basil could be the best thing I’ve ever had,” says Garcia. “I came back to L.A. and was like, that’s what I want to do. I want to make pizza.”

At the time, Garcia was also dabbling in fashion, making hats and clothes, and about to learn how to become a shoe cobbler. Instead, he bought a small wood-burning oven off Amazon and a red counter-top mixer, then started making pizza. He was on a quest to re-create the oversized Neopolitan-style pies from Juliana’s with a leopard-spotted crust.

“I was also inspired by Nancy Silverton’s ‘Chef’s Table’ episode,” he says. “It took her a year to make a pizza. I knew it would take me a little longer.”

It ended up taking Garcia two years filled with YouTube videos, dozens of recipes and lots of trial and error. He hosted a few successful pop-ups right before the pandemic, then put all of his money — and a big chunk of his parent’s 401(k) — into a small space he found on Craigslist, at the Fletcher Square shopping center in Silver Lake. He opened Pizza Cafe L.A. on Valentine’s Day 2021.

Instead of specializing in a single style of pizza, Garcia offers seven, spanning regions across the United States and Italy.

“I thought to myself, pizza is pizza,” he says. “I researched one style pizza, I can research more.”

The crust on the Margherita is covered in big, charred bubbles, with a tang that’s present, but fleeting. The sauce painted over the surface is thick like puree, with a vibrant, all encompassing, fresh tomato flavor. Milky, creamy blobs of mozzarella are melted over the top with plenty of torn basil.

A Neapolitan-style Margherita pizza from Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake.

(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times )

During his second year in business, Garcia turned his attention to Detroit-style pizza. He developed a focaccia recipe, then bought a single square pizza pan on Amazon.

“I only had one pan, and that first day I was offering it, I got an order for two Detroit-style pizzas,” he says. “I was like, what am I going to do?”

He bought more pans, and installed a second oven in the kitchen.

The Detroit pizza features the style’s signature crown of crispy cheese around the edges, and a blanket of brick cheese. There’s the initial crunch, then your teeth sink into a wonderfully soft and squishy focaccia.

A Detroit-style pizza with pineapples, Canadian bacon and jalapenos from Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake.

(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

Next, he set his sights on New York pizza, tweaking the amounts of olive oil and sugar in the dough to create a crust that’s crisp, but supple and foldable. And when it comes to the toppings, let your imagination run wild. There’s sausage, Canadian bacon, both cup and sliced pepperoni, peppers, olives, onions and pineapple. I’m partial to the pepperoni cups (even on the New York) and the way the tiny pools of grease gush into your mouth with each bite of pizza.

While Garcia runs a steady takeout business, there are a handful of tables inside, with chili flakes in shakers and rolls of paper towel for napkins. On one wall, Garcia has some of his hats on display, beautifully constructed in beaver felt. Outside, there’s a reed-fencing-lined patio with a few tables and a couch that may or may not be real leather.

At present, Garcia is making Neopolitan, New York, Detroit, New Haven, Chicago tavern, Chicago deep dish and Sicilian pizzas. And he’s already working on more.

“That’s why I called it Pizza Cafe,” says Garcia. “Cafe means variety restaurant. It’s like a variety pizza shop.”

Deputy Food editor Betty Hallock recently remarked that Los Angeles is “the pizza capital of the world.” With places like Pizza Cafe L.A., and a city that boasts nearly every style of pizza imaginable, I thinks she’s on to something.

I can hear all of the New Yorkers screaming. Have a slice at Quarter Sheets, Apollonia’s, Pizzeria Sei, Pizzeria Mozza, DeSano Pizza, Dtown Pizzeria, Pizzana, Fiorelli Pizza, Little Coyote, Pizzeria Bianco, Wallflour Pizza, Cosetta, Bub and Grandma’s Pizza, Ozzy’s Apizza, Redwood Pie, Ronan, LaSorted’s, Pijja Palace, Old Gold Tomato Pies and Friends & Family Pizza Co. (to name a few), then we can talk.

Have you ever had a meal change the course of your entire life? For Pizza Cafe L.A. owner Diego Garcia, it was a slice of Margherita pizza extraneously covered in pepperoni.

He was in New York for one of his entertainment production jobs and thinking about getting into stand-up comedy. Wanting to make the most of his time in the city, he grabbed a seat at the counter at Juliana’s Pizza in Brooklyn. He watched mesmerized as the cooks stretched and topped pies, then slid them in and out of the coal-burning brick oven.

“I didn’t know that bread, sauce, cheese, pepperoni and basil could be the best thing I’ve ever had,” says Garcia. “I came back to L.A. and was like, that’s what I want to do. I want to make pizza.”

At the time, Garcia was also dabbling in fashion, making hats and clothes, and about to learn how to become a shoe cobbler. Instead, he bought a small wood-burning oven off Amazon and a red counter-top mixer, then started making pizza. He was on a quest to re-create the oversized Neopolitan-style pies from Juliana’s with a leopard-spotted crust.

“I was also inspired by Nancy Silverton’s ‘Chef’s Table’ episode,” he says. “It took her a year to make a pizza. I knew it would take me a little longer.”

It ended up taking Garcia two years filled with YouTube videos, dozens of recipes and lots of trial and error. He hosted a few successful pop-ups right before the pandemic, then put all of his money — and a big chunk of his parent’s 401(k) — into a small space he found on Craigslist, at the Fletcher Square shopping center in Silver Lake. He opened Pizza Cafe L.A. on Valentine’s Day 2021.

Instead of specializing in a single style of pizza, Garcia offers seven, spanning regions across the United States and Italy.

“I thought to myself, pizza is pizza,” he says. “I researched one style pizza, I can research more.”

The crust on the Margherita is covered in big, charred bubbles, with a tang that’s present, but fleeting. The sauce painted over the surface is thick like puree, with a vibrant, all encompassing, fresh tomato flavor. Milky, creamy blobs of mozzarella are melted over the top with plenty of torn basil.

A Neapolitan-style Margherita pizza from Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake.

(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times )

During his second year in business, Garcia turned his attention to Detroit-style pizza. He developed a focaccia recipe, then bought a single square pizza pan on Amazon.

“I only had one pan, and that first day I was offering it, I got an order for two Detroit-style pizzas,” he says. “I was like, what am I going to do?”

He bought more pans, and installed a second oven in the kitchen.

The Detroit pizza features the style’s signature crown of crispy cheese around the edges, and a blanket of brick cheese. There’s the initial crunch, then your teeth sink into a wonderfully soft and squishy focaccia.

A Detroit-style pizza with pineapples, Canadian bacon and jalapenos from Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake.

(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

Next, he set his sights on New York pizza, tweaking the amounts of olive oil and sugar in the dough to create a crust that’s crisp, but supple and foldable. And when it comes to the toppings, let your imagination run wild. There’s sausage, Canadian bacon, both cup and sliced pepperoni, peppers, olives, onions and pineapple. I’m partial to the pepperoni cups (even on the New York) and the way the tiny pools of grease gush into your mouth with each bite of pizza.

While Garcia runs a steady takeout business, there are a handful of tables inside, with chili flakes in shakers and rolls of paper towel for napkins. On one wall, Garcia has some of his hats on display, beautifully constructed in beaver felt. Outside, there’s a reed-fencing-lined patio with a few tables and a couch that may or may not be real leather.

At present, Garcia is making Neopolitan, New York, Detroit, New Haven, Chicago tavern, Chicago deep dish and Sicilian pizzas. And he’s already working on more.

“That’s why I called it Pizza Cafe,” says Garcia. “Cafe means variety restaurant. It’s like a variety pizza shop.”

Deputy Food editor Betty Hallock recently remarked that Los Angeles is “the pizza capital of the world.” With places like Pizza Cafe L.A., and a city that boasts nearly every style of pizza imaginable, I thinks she’s on to something.

I can hear all of the New Yorkers screaming. Have a slice at Quarter Sheets, Apollonia’s, Pizzeria Sei, Pizzeria Mozza, DeSano Pizza, Dtown Pizzeria, Pizzana, Fiorelli Pizza, Little Coyote, Pizzeria Bianco, Wallflour Pizza, Cosetta, Bub and Grandma’s Pizza, Ozzy’s Apizza, Redwood Pie, Ronan, LaSorted’s, Pijja Palace, Old Gold Tomato Pies and Friends & Family Pizza Co. (to name a few), then we can talk.

Have you ever had a meal change the course of your entire life? For Pizza Cafe L.A. owner Diego Garcia, it was a slice of Margherita pizza extraneously covered in pepperoni.

He was in New York for one of his entertainment production jobs and thinking about getting into stand-up comedy. Wanting to make the most of his time in the city, he grabbed a seat at the counter at Juliana’s Pizza in Brooklyn. He watched mesmerized as the cooks stretched and topped pies, then slid them in and out of the coal-burning brick oven.

“I didn’t know that bread, sauce, cheese, pepperoni and basil could be the best thing I’ve ever had,” says Garcia. “I came back to L.A. and was like, that’s what I want to do. I want to make pizza.”

At the time, Garcia was also dabbling in fashion, making hats and clothes, and about to learn how to become a shoe cobbler. Instead, he bought a small wood-burning oven off Amazon and a red counter-top mixer, then started making pizza. He was on a quest to re-create the oversized Neopolitan-style pies from Juliana’s with a leopard-spotted crust.

“I was also inspired by Nancy Silverton’s ‘Chef’s Table’ episode,” he says. “It took her a year to make a pizza. I knew it would take me a little longer.”

It ended up taking Garcia two years filled with YouTube videos, dozens of recipes and lots of trial and error. He hosted a few successful pop-ups right before the pandemic, then put all of his money — and a big chunk of his parent’s 401(k) — into a small space he found on Craigslist, at the Fletcher Square shopping center in Silver Lake. He opened Pizza Cafe L.A. on Valentine’s Day 2021.

Instead of specializing in a single style of pizza, Garcia offers seven, spanning regions across the United States and Italy.

“I thought to myself, pizza is pizza,” he says. “I researched one style pizza, I can research more.”

The crust on the Margherita is covered in big, charred bubbles, with a tang that’s present, but fleeting. The sauce painted over the surface is thick like puree, with a vibrant, all encompassing, fresh tomato flavor. Milky, creamy blobs of mozzarella are melted over the top with plenty of torn basil.

A Neapolitan-style Margherita pizza from Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake.

(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times )

During his second year in business, Garcia turned his attention to Detroit-style pizza. He developed a focaccia recipe, then bought a single square pizza pan on Amazon.

“I only had one pan, and that first day I was offering it, I got an order for two Detroit-style pizzas,” he says. “I was like, what am I going to do?”

He bought more pans, and installed a second oven in the kitchen.

The Detroit pizza features the style’s signature crown of crispy cheese around the edges, and a blanket of brick cheese. There’s the initial crunch, then your teeth sink into a wonderfully soft and squishy focaccia.

A Detroit-style pizza with pineapples, Canadian bacon and jalapenos from Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake.

(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

Next, he set his sights on New York pizza, tweaking the amounts of olive oil and sugar in the dough to create a crust that’s crisp, but supple and foldable. And when it comes to the toppings, let your imagination run wild. There’s sausage, Canadian bacon, both cup and sliced pepperoni, peppers, olives, onions and pineapple. I’m partial to the pepperoni cups (even on the New York) and the way the tiny pools of grease gush into your mouth with each bite of pizza.

While Garcia runs a steady takeout business, there are a handful of tables inside, with chili flakes in shakers and rolls of paper towel for napkins. On one wall, Garcia has some of his hats on display, beautifully constructed in beaver felt. Outside, there’s a reed-fencing-lined patio with a few tables and a couch that may or may not be real leather.

At present, Garcia is making Neopolitan, New York, Detroit, New Haven, Chicago tavern, Chicago deep dish and Sicilian pizzas. And he’s already working on more.

“That’s why I called it Pizza Cafe,” says Garcia. “Cafe means variety restaurant. It’s like a variety pizza shop.”

Deputy Food editor Betty Hallock recently remarked that Los Angeles is “the pizza capital of the world.” With places like Pizza Cafe L.A., and a city that boasts nearly every style of pizza imaginable, I thinks she’s on to something.

I can hear all of the New Yorkers screaming. Have a slice at Quarter Sheets, Apollonia’s, Pizzeria Sei, Pizzeria Mozza, DeSano Pizza, Dtown Pizzeria, Pizzana, Fiorelli Pizza, Little Coyote, Pizzeria Bianco, Wallflour Pizza, Cosetta, Bub and Grandma’s Pizza, Ozzy’s Apizza, Redwood Pie, Ronan, LaSorted’s, Pijja Palace, Old Gold Tomato Pies and Friends & Family Pizza Co. (to name a few), then we can talk.

Have you ever had a meal change the course of your entire life? For Pizza Cafe L.A. owner Diego Garcia, it was a slice of Margherita pizza extraneously covered in pepperoni.

He was in New York for one of his entertainment production jobs and thinking about getting into stand-up comedy. Wanting to make the most of his time in the city, he grabbed a seat at the counter at Juliana’s Pizza in Brooklyn. He watched mesmerized as the cooks stretched and topped pies, then slid them in and out of the coal-burning brick oven.

“I didn’t know that bread, sauce, cheese, pepperoni and basil could be the best thing I’ve ever had,” says Garcia. “I came back to L.A. and was like, that’s what I want to do. I want to make pizza.”

At the time, Garcia was also dabbling in fashion, making hats and clothes, and about to learn how to become a shoe cobbler. Instead, he bought a small wood-burning oven off Amazon and a red counter-top mixer, then started making pizza. He was on a quest to re-create the oversized Neopolitan-style pies from Juliana’s with a leopard-spotted crust.

“I was also inspired by Nancy Silverton’s ‘Chef’s Table’ episode,” he says. “It took her a year to make a pizza. I knew it would take me a little longer.”

It ended up taking Garcia two years filled with YouTube videos, dozens of recipes and lots of trial and error. He hosted a few successful pop-ups right before the pandemic, then put all of his money — and a big chunk of his parent’s 401(k) — into a small space he found on Craigslist, at the Fletcher Square shopping center in Silver Lake. He opened Pizza Cafe L.A. on Valentine’s Day 2021.

Instead of specializing in a single style of pizza, Garcia offers seven, spanning regions across the United States and Italy.

“I thought to myself, pizza is pizza,” he says. “I researched one style pizza, I can research more.”

The crust on the Margherita is covered in big, charred bubbles, with a tang that’s present, but fleeting. The sauce painted over the surface is thick like puree, with a vibrant, all encompassing, fresh tomato flavor. Milky, creamy blobs of mozzarella are melted over the top with plenty of torn basil.

A Neapolitan-style Margherita pizza from Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake.

(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times )

During his second year in business, Garcia turned his attention to Detroit-style pizza. He developed a focaccia recipe, then bought a single square pizza pan on Amazon.

“I only had one pan, and that first day I was offering it, I got an order for two Detroit-style pizzas,” he says. “I was like, what am I going to do?”

He bought more pans, and installed a second oven in the kitchen.

The Detroit pizza features the style’s signature crown of crispy cheese around the edges, and a blanket of brick cheese. There’s the initial crunch, then your teeth sink into a wonderfully soft and squishy focaccia.

A Detroit-style pizza with pineapples, Canadian bacon and jalapenos from Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake.

(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)

Next, he set his sights on New York pizza, tweaking the amounts of olive oil and sugar in the dough to create a crust that’s crisp, but supple and foldable. And when it comes to the toppings, let your imagination run wild. There’s sausage, Canadian bacon, both cup and sliced pepperoni, peppers, olives, onions and pineapple. I’m partial to the pepperoni cups (even on the New York) and the way the tiny pools of grease gush into your mouth with each bite of pizza.

While Garcia runs a steady takeout business, there are a handful of tables inside, with chili flakes in shakers and rolls of paper towel for napkins. On one wall, Garcia has some of his hats on display, beautifully constructed in beaver felt. Outside, there’s a reed-fencing-lined patio with a few tables and a couch that may or may not be real leather.

At present, Garcia is making Neopolitan, New York, Detroit, New Haven, Chicago tavern, Chicago deep dish and Sicilian pizzas. And he’s already working on more.

“That’s why I called it Pizza Cafe,” says Garcia. “Cafe means variety restaurant. It’s like a variety pizza shop.”

Deputy Food editor Betty Hallock recently remarked that Los Angeles is “the pizza capital of the world.” With places like Pizza Cafe L.A., and a city that boasts nearly every style of pizza imaginable, I thinks she’s on to something.

I can hear all of the New Yorkers screaming. Have a slice at Quarter Sheets, Apollonia’s, Pizzeria Sei, Pizzeria Mozza, DeSano Pizza, Dtown Pizzeria, Pizzana, Fiorelli Pizza, Little Coyote, Pizzeria Bianco, Wallflour Pizza, Cosetta, Bub and Grandma’s Pizza, Ozzy’s Apizza, Redwood Pie, Ronan, LaSorted’s, Pijja Palace, Old Gold Tomato Pies and Friends & Family Pizza Co. (to name a few), then we can talk.