THE URBAN OVEN FOOD TRUCK
WOOD-BURNING OVEN PIZZA ON THE GO

Pizza in this town just got a little more mobile with the splashy launch of The Urban Oven, a premiere pizza enterprise that is bringing world-class pizza-making to the streets of Los Angeles by offering a unique menu of signature pizzas and seasonally sourced ingredients.

From Chef Scott Tremonti comes a gourmet mobile truck with an actual one-of-a-kind wood-fueled oven, which allows him to serve artisanal pizzas from classics such as Margherita with Buffalo Mozzarella to unique offerings such as Homemade Fennel Sausage with Calabrian Chiles, to Potato Leek with Gruyere, Yukon potatoes, and sea salt. 

Combining old-world style with a contemporary twist, The Urban Oven is changing the landscape of pizza making with its use of premium, West Coast sourced ingredients, such as San Marzano tomatoes picked in the peak of ripeness to Seattle-sourced salami and organic, farm-fresh vegetables and cheeses.

With the novel approach of actually having a wood-burning oven inside a food truck, it takes Chef Tremonti and his team approximately three minutes to cook a pizza, which cost $10 per delicious pie. And while you wait for your order, patrons are encouraged to get creative and draw on the truck's chalkboard, if not the truck itself.

During our lunchtime visit across the street from LACMA, a weekly destination for The Urban Oven, we feasted on the classic Margherita, made with Pomodoro, Buffalo Mozzarella, olive oil, and basil. You can’t go wrong with a tried and true favorite and they really get this one right.

Another homerun is the Bacon & Onion pie, made with olive oil, smoked mozzarella, Grana, goat cheese, caramelized sweet onion and arugula. This is a hearty pie and a must for meat lovers.

The Prosciutto & Grape, made with olive oil, Fontina, Prosciutto Crudo, red grapes and rosemary, is a great option for someone looking for something on the lighter side. A good savory pie, this one makes for a great guilt free meal.

Seasonal pies that I can’t wait to sample at future visits include the Fig pie, made with olive oil, fig, goat cheese, Prosciutto Crudo, rosemary and arugula—that just sounds out of this world, as does the Bacon and Eggs pizza, made with egg, bacon, assorted potato, caramelized sweet onions and Grana. Wow, that’s unique and sounds like an instant favorite.

According to Chef Tremonti, the secret of his crowd-pleasing pizzas is his dough, which is aged to perfection. The Urban Oven’s gourmet crust with hints of sourdough achieves an irresistible mix of flavor and crispness. “It took years of trial and error to achieve just the right combination of time and temperature,” says the affable chef, as he shapes his crust over almond wood splits in his wood-fired oven with the concentration of a glassblower.

The Urban Oven is also available to cater film sets, private parties, corporate events, charity functions, festivals and food fairs. Follow @TheUrbanOven for an up-to-date schedule, which usually includes the following weekly stops:

• Tuesday - LACMA (Wilshire and Fairfax) - 11 am to 2:30 pm
• Wednesday - Beethoven and Jefferson - 11 am to 2:30 pm
• Thursday - Olympic and Bundy in front of Hulu - 11 am to 2:30 pm
• Friday - 111 Universal Hollywood Dr., Universal City - 11 am to 2:30 pm