\u201cI didn\u2019t know that bread, sauce, cheese, pepperoni and basil could be the best thing I\u2019ve ever had,\u201d says Garcia. \u201cI came back to L.A. and was like, that\u2019s what I want to do. I want to make pizza.\u201d<\/p>\n
Read more: Welcome to L.A.’s golden era of pizza: Try 21 of the best slices at these pizzerias<\/a><\/p>\n Diego Garcia, chef-owner of Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake. (Jenn Harris \/ Los Angeles Times )<\/p>\n At the time, Garcia was also dabbling in fashion, making hats and clothes, and about to learn how to become a shoe cobbler. Instead, he bought a small wood-burning oven off Amazon and a red counter-top mixer, then started making pizza. He was on a quest to re-create the oversized Neopolitan-style pies from Juliana\u2019s with a leopard-spotted crust.<\/p>\n Read more: The cornmeal-crust pizzeria that helped make L.A. a world-class pizza town<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI was also inspired by Nancy Silverton<\/a>\u2019s \u2018Chef\u2019s Table\u2019 episode<\/a>,\u201d he says. \u201cIt took her a year to make a pizza. I knew it would take me a little longer.\u201d<\/p>\n It ended up taking Garcia two years filled with YouTube videos, dozens of recipes and lots of trial and error. He hosted a few successful pop-ups right before the pandemic, then put all of his money \u2014 and a big chunk of his parent\u2019s 401(k) \u2014 into a small space he found on Craigslist, at the Fletcher Square shopping center in Silver Lake. He opened Pizza Cafe L.A. on Valentine\u2019s Day 2021.<\/p>\n Instead of specializing in a single style of pizza, Garcia offers seven, spanning regions across the United States and Italy.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought to myself, pizza is pizza,\u201d he says. \u201cI researched one style pizza, I can research more.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more: 7 new favorite pizzas to try in Los Angeles<\/a><\/p>\n The crust on the Margherita is covered in big, charred bubbles, with a tang that\u2019s present, but fleeting. The sauce painted over the surface is thick like puree, with a vibrant, all encompassing, fresh tomato flavor. Milky, creamy blobs of mozzarella are melted over the top with plenty of torn basil.<\/p>\n A Neapolitan-style Margherita pizza from Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake. (Jenn Harris \/ Los Angeles Times )<\/p>\n During his second year in business, Garcia turned his attention to Detroit-style pizza. He developed a focaccia recipe, then bought a single square pizza pan on Amazon.<\/p>\n \u201cI only had one pan, and that first day I was offering it, I got an order for two Detroit-style pizzas,\u201d he says. \u201cI was like, what am I going to do?\u201d<\/p>\n He bought more pans, and installed a second oven in the kitchen.<\/p>\n The Detroit pizza features the style\u2019s signature crown of crispy cheese around the edges, and a blanket of brick cheese. There\u2019s the initial crunch, then your teeth sink into a wonderfully soft and squishy focaccia.<\/p>\n Read more: 9 great places to try Midwest-style tavern pizza in L.A.<\/a><\/p>\n A Detroit-style pizza with pineapples, Canadian bacon and jalapenos from Pizza Cafe L.A. in Silver Lake. (Jenn Harris \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n Next, he set his sights on New York pizza, tweaking the amounts of olive oil and sugar in the dough to create a crust that\u2019s crisp, but supple and foldable. And when it comes to the toppings, let your imagination run wild. There\u2019s sausage, Canadian bacon, both cup and sliced pepperoni<\/a>, peppers, olives, onions and pineapple. I\u2019m partial to the pepperoni cups (even on the New York) and the way the tiny pools of grease gush into your mouth with each bite of pizza.<\/p>\n While Garcia runs a steady takeout business, there are a handful of tables inside, with chili flakes in shakers and rolls of paper towel for napkins. On one wall, Garcia has some of his hats on display, beautifully constructed in beaver felt. Outside, there\u2019s a reed-fencing-lined patio with a few tables and a couch that may or may not be real leather.<\/p>\n At present, Garcia is making Neopolitan, New York, Detroit, New Haven, Chicago tavern, Chicago deep dish and Sicilian pizzas. And he\u2019s already working on more.<\/p>\n Read more: In a sea of bakeries and pizzerias, this San Pedro standout is in a league of its own<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why I called it Pizza Cafe,\u201d says Garcia. \u201cCafe means variety restaurant. It\u2019s like a variety pizza shop.\u201d<\/p>\n Deputy Food editor Betty Hallock recently remarked that Los Angeles is \u201cthe pizza capital of the world.\u201d With places like Pizza Cafe L.A., and a city that boasts nearly every style of pizza imaginable, I thinks she\u2019s on to something.<\/p>\n I can hear all of the New Yorkers screaming. Have a slice at Quarter Sheets<\/a>, Apollonia\u2019s<\/a>, Pizzeria Sei<\/a>, Pizzeria Mozza<\/a>, DeSano Pizza<\/a>, Dtown Pizzeria<\/a>, Pizzana<\/a>, Fiorelli Pizza<\/a>, Little Coyote<\/a>, Pizzeria Bianco<\/a>, Wallflour Pizza<\/a>, Cosetta<\/a>, Bub and Grandma\u2019s Pizza<\/a>, Ozzy\u2019s Apizza<\/a>, Redwood Pie<\/a>, Ronan<\/a>, LaSorted\u2019s<\/a>, Pijja Palace<\/a>, Old Gold Tomato Pies<\/a> and Friends & Family Pizza Co. <\/a>(to name a few), then we can talk.<\/p>\n Sign up for our Tasting Notes newsletter for restaurant reviews, Los Angeles food-related news and more.<\/a><\/p>\n This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Diego](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/8192e55f28e8d08cd6042cc803c0d4f2.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/a85ff8fefede3ade96e96c3834c22449.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/6fa18081fb841cd781dd41296ffe5ab0.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n