What happens when the queen of cupcakes makes pizza? Obviously, we needed to find out.
We don’t eat pizza everyday, but when we do, we love going all in on a traditionally fermented crust piled with hyper local ingredients like the trending new pies at the recently opened Pizzana in Brentwood.
Tucked into a beautiful new space in L.A., Pizzana is already a celebrity haunt and is serving up pizza in a modern way we love.We asked new founder and food alum, Candace Nelson of Sprinkles Cupcakes fame, to tell us everything about the delicious new project. Here’s what the foodie mastermind (she invented the cupcake ATM after all!) had to say about the new menu, her favorite order, and how the team nailed that gluten-free crust…
Why Pizza?
Because if it’s a carb, I’m in! But truly, I have always loved pizza and when I first tasted chef Daniele’s pizza at my friend Chris O’Donnell’s house it was love at first bite. Later, speaking with Daniele, it was clear he was a kindred spirit. He had grown up baking bread with his aunt, I had grown up baking desserts with my mom. Food was family. We spent the evening talking about the nuances of what goes into making the perfect pizza crust or what makes the perfect cupcake. When he mentioned he had always wanted his own pizzeria, I knew it would be a perfect partnership
Design Inspo for the space:
The blue in the color scheme is inspired by the deep blue of the Mediterranean sea around Naples. Mark Hagen’s art mural was inspired by famous Italian architect, Gio Ponti.
Healthiest Thing on the Menu:
It’s a tie! Either the wood fired vegetables, which rotate seasonally (right now it’s wood-fired asparagus with a soft egg) OR the Brussels sprout salad, which is shaved Brussels sprouts and lola rossa lettuce with pistachios and thinly shaved pink lady apples in a caramelized shallot vinaigrette.
Most Indulgent Thing on The Menu:
The Pignatiello pizza, which is topped with “Sunday gravy,” a traditional Neapolitan all-day braised short rib, and parmesan cream.
Pizza should be...
charred, chewy and gooey
About that gluten-free crust...
It was hard to create! It took countless iterations, but chef Daniele Uditi has mastered the most delicious gluten free crust — our customers have thought it was a mistake and that they were accidentally served the real thing!
My Perfect order at Pizzana...
Zucchini fritti, Brussels sprout salad, corbarina pizza and the chocolate olive oil cake
Other LA restaurants I love...
Gjusta, Odys + Penelope, Sushi Park
Fave Sprinkles Cupcake:
Dark chocolate. I’m a purist.
