Vito's Pizza

"A small fire broke out at a strip mall along La Cienega in West Hollywood over the weekend, threatening both Asakuma and Vito’s Pizza next door." - Farley Elliott

"The new Vito’s Pizza is open wide as of today in Downtown, following a few small hours of operation the past few evenings while getting the kitchen up and running. Diners can now stop by for stable hours and a slew of by-the-slice pizzas and salads, with more to come. It may be hard to find Vito’s at first given the alleyway location off 4th Street, just behind the Continental Club and nearly next door to Bar Ama and Orsa & Winston. The space for years was a cafe called Lost Souls, but that closed unceremoniously and the pedestrian-friendly alleyway has been gated ever since. Now no more, as Vito’s reveals a completely redone 75-seat interior with communal tables, barstool seating, and big red booths. There’s a small patio in the front as well, and reps for the company say there’s even room to grow down through the alleyway with seating in the future as well. For now, expect whole pies and slices only, plus a few salads, as the kitchen continues to get up and running. This Downtown location includes a full basement commissary kitchen for prep and dough, making it the new anchor in the growing Vito’s portfolio, and the first place that new menu items for the group will debut. Look for pastas and mains like chicken parmesan in the next month or so, along with wine; a few craft beers are already available. Vito’s Pizza is widely considered to be one of the most essential pizza places in all of greater Los Angeles. The original shop still stands inside a strip mall off La Cienega, where owner Vito di Donato turns out many of the pizzas and pastas himself. He is rumored to use a 500-year-old starter for the dough, brought over to the States directly from Italy by his family. Regardless of the lineage, Vito’s pies are among the truest recreation of New York City / New Jersey-style wide pies anywhere in Southern California, making the original a draw for thousands upon thousands of diners per year. Because of all that success, di Donato partnered with Reiss Co., the Westside restaurant group behind places like A-Frame, Sunny Spot, and The Brig, in order to expand the name. His nephew Dominic is now helping to run the expansion side of things, which could see more local locations sprouting up in the not-too-distant future. As of now expect hours from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily in Downtown, with talks of a walk-up slice window and late night weekend hours (for the post-club crowd) coming very, very soon." - Farley Elliott