This casual SoCal chain is a stand-by for its California seasonal-meets-authentic Italian pizza, pasta, and sandwiches. The personal pizzas have the perfect ratio of cheese-to-crust, and they come with a variety of toppings, from burrata and fennel sausage to seasonal vegetables and marinated wild shrimp. There's also a make-your-own-pizza option. Every location of Pitfire has a chill attitude and laid-back industrial vibe.

• 108 W 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
• 213.808.1200
• Website

This mini-chain (aside from the Melrose location, it has outposts in Pasadena and Silverlake) sets itself apart from other pizzerias with its customizable pies. Choose from one of four pie styles then decide on your cheese, meat, and vegetable toppings. If you find the sheer amount of options overwhelming, go for the signature namesake pie. The square-pan tomato pie is topped with marinara sauce, romano cheese, parsley, olive oil and oregano. The menu also includes pasta with garlic knots and meat subs in case you're in the carbo-loading mood.

• 7751 1/2 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
• 323.653.9993
• Website

The restaurant group that brought us Umami Burger is behind this fast-casual pizza chain with locations all around the world. 800 Degrees is kind of like the Chipotle for pizza -- you choose the ingredients for your pizza at an assembly-line counter, then the pie is cooked under two minutes in an insanely hot (800 degrees!) oven. The pies are satisfying, the service fast, and the ingredients top-notch. Speciality pies and gluten-free crust is also available, so really, the choice is yours.

• 10889 Lindbrook Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90024
• 310.443.1911
• Website

This Mid-Wilshire pizza place serves up authentic Roman-style pies, which means the dough is fermented for 24 hours then baked in an Italian-imported wood-fire oven. The signature pizzas are near perfect (and since this is LA, they're available with gluten-free crust) and seriously affordable -- most hover around $10. Pizza Romana's menu also includes panini sandwiches and spicy fried chicken. Add affordable bottles of Italian wine and this under-the-radar restaurant is the perfect date spot.

• 615 N LA Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036 (Mid Wilshire)
• 323.939.1148
• Website
• Menu

Owned by Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich and Nancy Silverton, Pizzeria Mozza put LA pizza on the map when it opened in Hollywood in 2006. It's been a continuous hit since then (and has expanded to Newport Beach and Singapore) because it serves some of the best pizza in the city. The perfectly bubbly, chewy and charred pies are topped with Italian meats and cheeses, like the fontina, mozzarella, and sottocenere white pizza and the eggplant, parmesan, ricotta, and mozzarella pizzetta. Pizzeria Mozza has the casual but upscale vibe characteristic of Batali's restaurants. It's a go-to for dinner, but definitely consider brunch, when the morning pastry basket is proof of Silverton's top-knotch pastry skills.

• 641 N. Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036 (West La)
• 323.297.0101
• Website
• Menu

Ask anyone who grew up in LA to name the pizza that makes them nostalgic for childhood, and they'll likely say the floppy pies from Mulberry Street. With two locations in Beverly Hills and two in the Valley, this checkered-tablecloth restaurant feels like a classic New York pizzeria, and it kind of is, given that the owner is from the Bronx. The flappy, thin-crust pies come in massive slices and are topped with the spot's signature marinara sauce, which is also available to buy.

• 347 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (Beverly Hills)
• 310.247.8998
• Website

The 213 LA guys (who are behind some of LA’s best bars, including the Varnish and Seven Grand) seem to always get it right, and this downtown pizzeria is no exception. Pellicola serves pizzas by the slice or by the pie, and flavors range from simple pepperoni to loaded vegetarian. It's open late every night (1am Sunday-Wednesday, 3am Thursday-Saturday), and black-and-white Italian movies are projected on a big screen nightly, so you'll likely want to sit and stay a while. Come extra hungry though -- Pellicola makes must-try Nutella dessert pies.

• 421 8th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90057 (Downtown)
• 213.614.8000
• Website

This Eagle Rock institution serves Italian food of the family-style, checkered tablecloth variety. You know what we mean -- hearty Italian-American dishes like eggplant parm (served with a side of spaghetti of course), meatball subs, and mozzarella sticks that are cheap and consistently good. The pizza is what makes Casa Bianca an LA institution though. The thin-crust pies are customizable with a variety of toppings, but the fried eggplant is a must. If the cheesy slices don't charm your pants off, then surely the retro decor (leather booths, stained glass chandeliers) will.

• 1650 Colorado Blvd, Eagle Rock, CA 90041 (Eagle Rock)
• 323.256.9617
• Website
• Menu

It’s nuts that DeSano isn’t a thousand times more famous: the casual East Hollywood pizza shop imports its ingredients straight from Italy, and you can clearly taste the difference when you bite into any of the its cheesy masterpieces. The industrial space includes an open kitchen with a few pizza ovens, communal wood tables, and flat screen TVs, so it’s great for groups. And don’t think DeSano is just about pizza, the menu includes calzones, meatballs, and cannoli.

• 4959 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90020 (Hollywood)
• 323.913.7000
• Website

Anybody who's tasted the house-made pasta at this beloved K-Town Italian gem won’t be surprised to know that its pizza is equally outstanding. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu, from the thin-crust pies topped with crispy pepperoni and breaded eggplant to the steaming calzones. The strip mall storefront is unassuming and basic, but the generous Italian-style portions will make you feel like royalty.

• 4050 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90020 (Koreatown)
• 213.368.7888
• Website
• Menu

This New York-based pizza chain doles out its signature Cajun-meets-Italian pies in a colorful and quirky space in Echo Park (it has another LA location downtown). Available by the pie or slice, Two Boots' pizza comes with a funky array of toppings from Bayou specialities like spiced shrimp, crawfish, and andouille to vegan-friendly "cheese." Wondering where the joint got its name? Hint: Italy and Louisiana share a pretty similar shape.

• 1818 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026 (Echo Park)
• 213.413.2668
• Website

Though they started as a covert operation run out of an alley, Mid-Wilshire's Hollywood Pies has established itself as a pizza heavy-hitter doling out what many Midwestern ex-pats call the only true Chicago-style deep-dish in the city. There are more than 10 kinds of deep-dish pies on the menu, and if you know a thing or two about Chicago pizza, you'll want to order your pie "Native Style," which gets you an added topping of crushed whole tomatoes, olive oil, and oregano. One slice of these multi-layered monstrosities will keep you full for ages.

• 6116 1/2 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035 (Mid Wilshire)
• 323.337.3212
• Website
• Menu

Since opening in 2012, Bestia's become the definitive LA restaurant, offering a menu that appeals to both eat-anything foodies and eat-carefully dieters in an industrial but homey space. The Arts District restaurant serves an Italian menu with next-level pizza, pasta, and small plates, and no matter what you get, be sure to start with the beloved charcuterie board -- all the meats are cured in-house.

• 2121 E 7th Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90021 (Downtown)
• 213.514.5724
• Website

Luckily for New York transplants, Santino's in Sherman Oaks lives up to its promise of serving authentic New York-style pizza. The casual parlor spot is pretty under-the-radar, but its red checkered tablecloths and Italian villa roof are hard to miss. The square-or-round pies are kind of amazing, especially when topped with on-point toppings like spicy sausage and baked eggplant.

• 4319 Woodman Ave, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
• 818.784.3226
• Website

From Lettuce Entertain You, this Hollywood spot is part of an upscale mini chain (there's a nearby location in Santa Monica) that focuses on artisanal pizza. The menu is split between red and white thin-crust pies (plus a few starters and salads), and there's an option to have your pie made the extra-thin, Roman way. The shaved mushroom pie, topped with parmesan cream instead of tomato sauce, is a signature. The space is laid-back and homey with an open kitchen where you can see the daily-made dough rising in its 18-hour fermentation period.

• 6372 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028 (Hollywood)
• 323.301.4001
• Website

Gjelina is a perennial all-day hotspot in Venice known for its inventive American (dare we say, farm-to-table?) cuisine. In tune with similar restaurants of the California cool breed, its focus is on sharable plates like oysters, grilled and roasted vegetables, steak and seafood, and unusual grains. The real speciality, though, is pizza. The wood-fired, Neapolitan-style pies are topped with meat, vegetable, and cheese combinations like you've never tasted before. Trust us: one meal at Gjelina is all you need to join the ranks of its Angeleno addicts.

• 1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291 (Venice)
• 310.450.1429
• Website
• Menu

If you want breakfast pizza and Jon & Vinny's is too far west for you, consider Little Dom's, the Los Feliz alternative. The cool and casual Italian bistro serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner that'll knock out your tastebuds. Seriously. Expect the aforementioned breakfast pizza and egg dishes at breakfast, meaty sandwiches at lunch, and a range of pasta and meat entrees at dinner. Oh, and did we mention Little Dom's pizza margherita? Keep it simple with tomato sauce and mozzarella or dress it up with house-made sausage but either way, it's good.

• 2128 Hillhurst Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027 (Los Feliz)
• 323.661.0055
• Website

From Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo (Animal, Son of a Gun), this Fairfax restaurant specializes in all-day Italian, by which we mean all-day pizza. Aside from the signature breakfast pizza, Jon & Vinny's breakfast offerings include pastries (nutella toast!) and hot plates like burrata scrambled eggs and buttermilk pancakes. The lunch and dinner menu emphasizes house-made pastas and pizzas, and your meal should definitely start with bruschetta served on Gjusta bread. The airy and casual neighborhood spot houses a wine shop helmed by Helen Johannesen, the wine director for all of Shook and Dotolo's restaurants.

• 412 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036 (Mid Wilshire)
• 323.334.3369