800 DEGREES NEAPOLITAN PIZZERIA
ONE HOT WESTWOOD PIZZA PIE

Angelenos and New Yorkers often argue about pizza. See, right off the bat, they call it a “pie.” We SoCalers say “pizza is pizza” and then an argument immediately ensues. For those of us L.A. folk that have spent a lot of time in the Big Apple, we do concede that not all pizzas are alike.

Spend 60 seconds at 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria in Westwood Village and you’ll agree there is an upper echelon in the local pizza pie game. The popular pizza shop is easy to find, it’s the place on Lindbrook Drive with the huge line at all hours of the day, which probably explains why they’re open until 2am everyday—makes for happy, hungry UCLA students.

Neapolitan pizza is known for its thin crust, made with just flour, salt, water and wild yeast. All 800 Degrees pies are topped with fresh mozzarella and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. The completed pies are baked in a wood-burning oven and cook in about one minute. Coming hot from the ovens, the crust is characteristically soft and chewy, and with a little bit of char from the intense heat.

A pizza off the Classics side of the menu is the way to go here, the Pizza Margherita is simple and tasty and only costs $6.45 for a whole pie. My favorite is the Pizza Bianca, which is a white pie made with fresh mozzarella, garlic, oregano, olive oil and sea salt, and it only costs $5.65. There are also plenty of add-on items, from proteins, cheese and vegetables to choose from for $1 a piece (shrimp costs $3). And they sell beer and wine for those of us non-college youngsters.

Maybe the folks at 800 Degress (who also own Umami Burger) like to give back by keeping starving students full and satisfied. Because the pizzas cook so quickly, I recommend ordering your pie well done so that it’s not soft and/or slightly soggy. And don’t be afraid of the long lines, most people order to go and since the pies cook so fast, surprisingly the wait is not as bad as you might fear.

800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeriais located at 10889 Lindbrook Drive in Westwood Village. Open seven days a week from 11am to 2am. Call 424-239-5010.