{"id":13315,"date":"2015-01-08T19:19:36","date_gmt":"2015-01-09T01:19:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/burgersdogspizza.com\/?p=13315"},"modified":"2015-01-08T19:19:36","modified_gmt":"2015-01-09T01:19:36","slug":"los-angeles-ca-melody-pizza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.peterstromquist.com\/?p=13315","title":{"rendered":"Los Angeles, CA – Melody Pizza"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Melody<\/a><\/p>\n

(Editor’s Note): I was contacted by the owners of a new place, Melody’s Pizza, \u00a0near LAX in Los Angeles, a new venture for a couple that owns a hot night spot down the street, the Melody Bar and Grill.<\/i>\u00a0<\/em>I was invited to come by, couldn’t make it, so Los Angeles Burger Bureau Chief Larry gathered up his crew and hit up the Melody recently.<\/em><\/p>\n

Does the Water really make NY Pizza taste better than it\u2019s west coast cousin The LA Slice?<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Hell yeah! \u00a0And Melody\u2019s Pizza near LAX Airport tries hard to replicate that taste and texture. \u00a0Especially in its traditional round (as they refer to it), just saucy enough and not too cheesy, a wonder baked in a Marsal & Sons deck oven\u00a0imported from New York. \u00a0But that alone couldn\u2019t do it. \u00a0It takes a Pizza-monger, a man (or woman as the case may be) to master the years it takes of dough making and dough throwing and sauce making and tasting, to get it right.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Melody\u2019s seems to have found that guy. The chef (and expert pizza maker) is a Brooklyn transplant who goes by the name of \u201cRonnie\u201d. And it\u2019s a \u201cRonnie\u201d with all the real stuff going for him. \u00a0Years of working at premiere pizza joints in and out of the city. \u00a0No, not LA City. The Big Apple one. \u00a0The accent, the tattoos and the hands and mouth to taste (and throw out NY stories to boot) makes our memories and the melody of Melody\u2019s sing New York, New York, loud and clear. \u00a0A near authentic NY style pie in our midst.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Ronnie uses their own Brooklyn Water system including reverse osmosis water treatment along with other secret things the owners just refused to cough up at our meeting at their restaurant one evening recently – \u00a0to make the water more like NY water for NY dough for NY pizza. \u00a0I was very, very skeptical.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Melody<\/a>
Marsal & Sons Pizza Decks<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It seems to work.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Excellent texture to the dough. \u00a0Yet a nice crispiness to the bottom of the pizza. \u00a0And traditional taste.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We had a taste of at least 10 pies. But please understand: if you\u2019re ever going to work your way up to being even a beginning pizza critic, clearly, the first thing you must do when tasting a pie that restaurateurs proclaim is NY style\u2026 you\u2019ve gotta start with a slice a PLAIN cheese pizza with their tomato sauce. End of story. \u00a0Or if that restaurateur is proclaiming that they\u2019ve got the next best thing to a true Italian pie\u2026 from the homeland\u2026 you\u2019ve gotta start with a small Pizza Margarita. Nothing else on them. Nothing else to screw them up. And clearly NO California Pizza B.S. with adding the kitchen sink to your pie.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Just start slowly. And plain. \u00a0And work your way in. \u00a0It\u2019s like a Ballet.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So, needless to say, I was very nervous at the thought of discovering a NY slice from my homeland in LA-LA land.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

So, I brought my family to taste. \u00a0The wife and kids. \u00a0Wanted to make sure I wasn\u2019t being fooled. \u00a0And my kids have grown up on NY Pizza so they should know it from a mile away. \u00a0My wife on the other hand is a different cookie. \u00a0She grew up in Great Neck, Long Island so you never know what she\u2019s gonna think real NY Pizza is supposed to taste like (Just Kidding. I have a thing about the Island. Can\u2019t get over it). <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Setting: Small place, a few tables and chairs (for a real coziness) but with a long bar area for Pizza prep viewing and sitting to dine (with at least a dozen such comfortable bar chairs with a granite tabletop).<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Melody<\/a>PIZZAs we sampled:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The traditional Round as they call it. \u00a0We all had slices and they were really fabulous. \u00a0Made me miss home.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Then, we had the Chicken Parmigiana Pizza. \u00a0Excellent Sauce. Chicken was very moist. Too often that topping will dry out when recooked in the pizza oven. Not here. Ronnie cooks the Parmigiana on the stove top – right next to his gi-normous pot of his nonna’s recipe marinara – just enough so that the next baking in their Marsal & Son ovens \u00a0gives the pizza just what it needs. Beautiful. A particular winner for my kids.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Then came a Gorgonzola and Poached Pear Pie. Pizza Pie, that is. A winner. \u00a0With Mama\u2019s original crust. Kind of a cross between a Sicilian crust and a homemade Mama Mia pan pizza crust from the old lady\u2019s oven in her Roma pensione. \u00a0Really a highlight at this place.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

That same crust is used in the premiere Mama\u2019s pizza, an excellent Pizza Caprese on their Mama\u2019s crust, with an elegant balsamic vinegar glace (a little sweet and not too vinegary) under beautiful hunky slices of mozzarella and fresh cut vine ripened local farmers market tomatoes\u2026 with, of course, basil leaves atop each Caprese tower\u2026 makes for a wonderful pie. \u00a0Not anything I remember out of NYC however. \u00a0Much more like something out of the old country of Italia.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Bugogi Pizza (yes, Bugogi. You heard me right) with homemade Kimchi was fab. We only thought that the Kimchi could have been a bit spicier. \u00a0Not a NYC dish at all. In fact, would go great if this Pizza Joint were transplanted into Koreatown LA instead of near the airport terminals. This is the Pizza they should have served at Sony\u2019s opening night Hollywood premiere party for The Interview. Oh well, I\u2019d recommend ordering it for home delivery and watching the flick ONLINE instead. Definitely makes the top of list for North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Melody\u2019s is just across the street from In ‘N Out Burger, a Pie\u2019s throw away. Ample street parking and even some parking in back. They also have their sister restaurant three doors down called Melody\u2019s Bar & Grill, and there\u2019s ample parking beyond it as well if you\u2019re bring in your 767. \u00a0In fact, Melody’s Pizza menu can be ordered down the street at their Bar & Grill. \u00a0The waitress\u2019 will run over and get your pizza and run back into the Bar & Grill with enough time to serve you up your drink and a karaoke tune as well.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The owners, Christian and Jen, a wonderful husband and wife restauranteur team manage their businesses with love and good taste. They\u2019ve clearly chosen a winner in Ronnie the Pizza Guy who in his off time is a professional online gamer extraordinaire. Yep, NYC pizza and online gaming seem to go well together. You know you\u2019ve got a winner when you pick up your slice and can hold it like a real New Yorker\u2026 the famous fold. And boy, it works here at Melody\u2019s.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

My\u00a0favorite: The traditional Round.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Negatives: I miss the noise of the taxis of the NYC streets outside. \u00a0It just isn\u2019t the same thing hearing or seeing Uber-mobiles transporting Angelenos to their respective airline terminals outside on Sepulveda. That makes me wanna get on a plane and go to the Big Apple for a slice at one of a dozen joints. But until then, I\u2019ll sing the song of Melody\u2019s.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Melody\u2019s does a brisk biz in delivery too. A great neighborhood to do so in. \u00a0The local homeowners and renters and well as local businesses bring their need for pie to this establishment. \u00a0But just as important is the fact that this place delivers to all the Hotels in the area near LAX and along Century Blvd. as well as to the hard working LAX staff, flight attendants and TSA workers waiting around for a near perfect pie. It’s even close enough to the airport you could run over and grab a slice if you were hanging out between a plane change! <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


\nMelody Pizza has a fairly wide delivery area, if you’re in your jammies and don’t feel like going out. Check out their menu<\/a> and order online<\/a> or by calling (424) 227-7686<\/a>.<\/span> Open daily from lunch til late at 9146 Sepulveda and they cater, too!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

(Editor’s note: \u00a0food samples were comped during this visit).<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Melody<\/a>
Christian and Ronnie<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Melody<\/a>
Caprese Salad Pizza<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"IMG_4503\"<\/a>
Dishing Up Some Meaty Goodness<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Melody<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Editor’s Note): I was contacted by the owners of a new place, Melody’s Pizza, \u00a0near LAX in Los Angeles, a new venture for a couple that owns a hot night spot down the street, the Melody Bar and Grill.\u00a0I was invited to come by, couldn’t make it, so Los Angeles Burger Bureau Chief Larry gathered… Continue reading Los Angeles, CA – Melody Pizza<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8,16,22,26],"tags":[198,2158],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.peterstromquist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13315"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.peterstromquist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.peterstromquist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.peterstromquist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.peterstromquist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.peterstromquist.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13315\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.peterstromquist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.peterstromquist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.peterstromquist.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}