Daily Slice gives a quick snapshot each weekday of a different slice or pie that the folks at the Serious Eats empire have enjoyed lately.
Pizza plays a minor role at Lexington Social House on most nights. But during this summer, every Tuesday is Pop Up Pizza Day. Avid home pizza cook Adam Tomei (yes, he is Marisa's brother) takes over the Blodgett deck oven and serves six iterations of classic pies... the most notable of which, every Slice reader will recognize.
The Ode to CB—Adam's nod to Chris Bianco's Rosa—is the most lauded of the menu. With aged Pantaleo goat cheese, red onion, almonds, rosemary, olive oil ($14), this reinterpretation's toppings strikes an exquisite balance of bold nutty cheese under delicate slivers of onions and almond. Why almonds? After returning from Sicily, Adam was captivated by the local almonds and so used them in place of Biano's pistachios.
The other obvious substitution is the cheese. While I think there is nothing better than a heavy dose of good Parmigiano Reggiano on a pizza, the floral richness of Pantaleo is currently running a very close second.
Where this pizza waivers is in the crust. Though made with imported '00' flour, and benefiting from 24-36 hour proofing, the large hole structure gives way to an overly thick and chewy crumb. Even the very best cheese can't cover that up.
Lexington Social House
1718 Vine Street Hollywood, CA 90027 (map)
323-461-1700; lexingtonsocialhouse.com
About the author: After nearly a decade in Brooklyn, Kelly Bone landed back in Los Angeles where she writes The Vegetarian Foodie. She spends the rest of her time designing office cubicles... you might be sitting in one right now! Follow her on Twitter at @TheVegFoodie