Pizzeria Bianco: Best Pizza In Downtown Los Angeles
Hi Friends,
Well it’s pouring here in LA and there’s actually snow on the Hollywood Sign! We really have no right to complain but we Southern Californians are just not used to this! However the inclement weather did not stop my boyfriend and me from making the trek to The Row in downtown LA to enjoy Pizzeria Bianco, one of LA’s newest and most popular eateries! The reservations book 90 days out. If you’re diligent at staying on top of it…and lucky enough to have a space open up, you’re in for a treat! We were thrilled when my boyfriend’s son and his girlfriend invited us to join them.
Chris Bianco is the founder, owner and chef. I love his story. He started off in the back of a Phoenix grocery store. He now has two Phoenix locations along with another two Pane Bianco restaurants. He won the James Beard Award for the Best Chef Southwest and became a driving force in the artisanal pizza movement. He really exploded after being featured on the Netflix 2022 Chef’s Table:Pizza. He was present in the restaurant the night we went and stopped at each table to talk to his patrons. We found him to be gracious, charming and very unassuming.
For pizzas, the chef serves the six signature pizzas from the original Bianco in Phoenix. We tried three of them:
Pizza Margherita
I have to say that the Pizza Margherita is always my favorite and this one did not disappoint!
The New York-ish style wide slice and light crust is simply delicious as well as the splotches of creamy mozzarella.
Sonny Boy Pizza
This delicious pizza is topped with soppressata, an Italian dry salami, and Gaeta olives. The combination of flavors is superb!
Pizza Rosa
This mouth watering pizza is made with Santa Barbara pistachios, very thin red onion slices, rosemary and Parmesan cheese. Another incredible taste!
Little Gem Salad
This clean and refreshing salad is the perfect contrast to the richness of the pizza. Not pictured are the Weiser Farms Carrots. They are roasted and served with honey nut squash cream and pepitas
The restaurant serves only beer and wine. We ordered a bottle of Vermentino to start, and followed it with a lovely dry Italian red. It was a great night!
The good news is that Pane Bianco will be opening at The Row sometime this spring. According to Eater Los Angeles, “The new Pane Bianco in Los Angeles will serve New York City-style slices and whole 18-inch pies, plus an array of sandwiches including mozzarella basil, soppressata with sweet aged provolone and roasted peppers, and more. The plan is to start simple but then expand the sandwich options like in Phoenix, which has seven different combinations, from a classic Italian to an albacore tuna salad with red onion.”
We can’t wait to return to Pizzeria Bianco. It’s a tough reservation but we will be heading back in 90 days. And when Pane Bianco opens, we will certainly be trying it out.
XO
Harriet