"Opened in September 2018 in the center of an open-air, succulent-filled retail complex, this outpost serves high-quality, genuinely delicious wood-fired pizza to a lunch crowd of business-casual and streetwear-clad diners whose small dogs whine under tables. Inside, two wood ovens rage beside an old-fashioned fridge of ducks and steaks, a terrazzo bar, pastel chairs, and a swooping concrete breeze-block wall; the pizza has a fluffy, tangy crust kissed with char and toppings like raw chicories that can be a touch wet. Prices and touches of local branding (a $6 Budweiser brewed in Van Nuys) underscore the mix of craft and commerce: friendly service and good food are evident, but the overall feel is curated and branded rather than improvisational, producing an uncanny, gentrified version of the original scrappy spirit." - Meghan McCarron