Ian K.
Yelp
The reviews here are insane. This place is OKAY by any serious measure. I think a lot of the reviewers here are giving 5 stars because Max is a nice, earnest guy who's putting his heart into his business. That's fantastic. But let's get down to brass tacks -- I'm here to rate the PIZZA.
I thought the pie was well cooked, though I didn't get much smokiness from the wood oven. The dough is simple, doesn't have much of a ferment or tang. It's a pretty basic crust. There is some crunch, but the middle was still soggy, even fresh out of the oven. I always try a margherita first. This one was average. The mozzarella felt a bit low quality and rubbery, not soft and delicate like a high quality fior di latte would. It's dealer's choice with basil, but in my opinion, was put on too early and became black from the heat.
I also got a cannoli order, which I didn't realize comes with 8 mini ones. Way more than I needed. These were not very good or authentic, by any self-respecting cannoli standard. They tasted like cannoli you would get at Albertson's, which is conveniently where the truck is parked.
I think Max is a sweet and nice guy. Some reviewers mention the authenticity here, that he's Italian. It doesn't really matter, but fyi he's not. That's Spanish they are speaking, not Italian. To Max's credit, he has a resume featuring spots around town like Angelini and Cafe Roma.
I don't regret trying Bella Luna, but with so much pizza to try around LA, I'm not sure I'll be back anytime soon. I spent $25 total for the margherita and cannoli, which felt like a lot for how average it tasted.