Pitfire Pizza

"Yes, Pitfire is a bonafide chain with seven locations across Southern California, but this wood-fired pizza spot is a North Hollywood original and a place where everyone in the neighborhood seems to gather on a nightly basis. The massive location at Magnolia and Lankershim was also recently overhauled and now includes a sprawling open-air beer garden with its own bar and a standalone Superba that’s open during the day. The pizza itself has a crispy mid-sized crust, tons of fresh ingredients, and is ideal for big groups of friends and family that all have varying tastes." - Brant Cox

"North Hollywood is home to Southern California’s first-ever Pitfire Pizza. In the 13 years since first coming online, Paul Hibler and his American Gonzo Food Corp. team has expanded the brand to seven locations in cities up and down the coast, but now the group has returned to its roots with a whole new look and feel — and one seriously massive patio, ready just in time for cooling fall weather. This overhauled Pitfire Pizza spans a gargantuan 12,000 square feet at Lankershim and Magnolia, spread across a beer garden (with room for 100 people at a clip), a 70-seat indoor dining room, and multiple bars. In short order there will also be a standalone location of Superba Snacks + Coffee, the company’s casual daytime offshoot, as well. Hibler and CEO Jeff Goodman brought in famed architect Barbara Bestor of Bestor Architecture (Intelligentsia, Bettina) to overhaul the address, adding the usual string lights and communal tables while also tying in swipes of color, transformative lighting, and enough new indoor-outdoor games to keep everyone interested. Collin Leaver is in as Pitfire’s new corporate chef, after stints at well-known spots like A16 and SPQR up in San Francisco. The redone North Hollywood location now boasts a Marra Forni wood-fired pizza oven, while the overall menu has been retouched with options like wings, a roasted and grilled steak, and plenty of vegetarian-friendly options. Hibler, Goodman, and Leaver say the plan is to slowly overhaul the entire portfolio of restaurants, updating the branding, spaces, and menus across the board — so they’re starting with the original. The new Pitfire Pizza flagship is open now in North Hollywood, keeping daily hours from 11 a.m. until late evening. Superba Snacks + Coffee opened this morning, keeping hours from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily." - Farley Elliott