I think Kermit Lynch's Adventure's On the Wine Route is indispensable not because it is comprehensive in any way (it's not trying to be), but because it will change your life, as it did mine about 15 years ago. It evokes the spirit of wine and is probably the best 200ish page "definition" of terroir ever committed to paper.
I am that LA food blogger with the insane claim about Vito's being tied with Mozza. Interestingly, I just posted my top 10 LA pizzas. http://www.eatdrinkordie.com/blog/posts/2789 Mozza # 1, Vito's #2. And a lot of other good ones, too. Joe's didn't make my list because I've never had an inspired slice from there.
@jslander-- was gonna write the same
Yes, agreed, please go and report. I think you will be extremely extremely happy. And talk to Vito if he's there, he's a trip.
As an Angeleno, completely concur that the Joe's slice is too cripsy and not flavorful enough. Vito's on La Cienega is genius and everything Joe's is not. Perfectly floppy/crispy, amazing flavors, amazing toppings. The best in LA (or tied with Mozza)
I definitely don't discriminate against a menu item just because it's listed as a "main course". Obviously, it comes down to two issues: money and time. I want to spend as much time, and as little money, as possible. I'm not saying I'm cheap, but the ritual of everyone at the table ordering an app, a main course, and a dessert (which my family still does) makes me nauseous. I see all that money, and potential enjoyment, going down the drain. I prefer to order one -- or a few, depending on # of diners -- dishes at time, from any category, order wine, and ask the waiter to please leave a menu, as we'll surely be ordering more as we go. In short, I want to course out my meal, at my pace, enjoy my wine, enjoy the flow of a meal, and enjoy my dinner companion(s). I almost never encounter a server who's bugged by this. They sense I will tip well, and they see how much fun I'm having. Having been a waiter myself, I never minded the table that wanted to camp out like this, I knew they were enjoying themselves, I knew I didn't have to worry about them, and they gave my night, and my section, a sense of fun and pleasure, which is what it's all about.
Peanutbutter spread the word about "Natalie MacLean's Red, White and Drunk All Over"! It's terrific ... as the author of Sideways says, it's laugh-out-loud funny." She also has an amazing newsletter and a useful wine-and-food matching tool on her site (www.nataliemaclean.com/matcher). I'm thirsty, gotta go ...
For tasting guides and winery notes, Hugh Johnson's guides are our household favorite. Pithy and pointed, with a more restrained aesthetic than Robert Parker, and less didactic than many wine writers.
Cheesebruger and PeanutButter are right to point out the kind of wine book that I didn't include in my list--great wine reads. May have to do another post on those. And thanks to lol82070 and RichardA for the additional suggestions.
Good choices. "Red, White, and Drunk All Over" by Natalie MacLean is a great read, informative but really entertaining. Sort of a Jeffrey Steingarten book but about wine... Does a movie count? Mondovino is a great documentary about the globalization of wine.
I think you are spot on in your choices. All five books are excellent resources. My only addition would be a good wine atlas, such as The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson.
I've mentioned this before, but Oldman's Guide to Outsmarting Wine is intelligent, funny, and super educational.
@ErikM - Thanks for the inside info on Garage. I guess in a city where you have so few decent places to buy pizza buy the slice, there are bound to be connections.
I went by one of the Mulberry's in Beverly Hills. It looked interesting, I'm going to have to give them a try.
Speaking of Mulberry St., does anyone know anywhere in LA to get a vodka sauce and fresh mozz slice? I used to get them in NY at a place on Spring and Mulberry, though you'd have to fight through a crowd of LIttle Italy tourists to get to the counter. It's a combination I find myself craving.
Re: the Garage Pizza mention above...
It's interesting to note that Elmer, the chief pizzaiolo at Garage Pizza, was one of the principal pizzaioli at Joe's in Venice. [He left Joe's to help start and run GP.] And, to add to the intrigue, he shared with me that GP's dough recipe, leavening technique, and sauce are virtually identical to those at Joe's. Anyway, if anyone reading along is looking for a Joe's pies of old, stop by GP some night and ask Elmer to toss you one very thin, or "Joe's Style." E.M.
Is that what was wrong with Village Pizzeria?...thanks for the info...I'd heard people swear by it but personally, the crust had that not finished taste and consistency.Definitely, the less said about this place, the better. I'll have to check out Garage pizza...As for Vito's...if you know order from a few toppings and specify well-done, Angeleno's can eat pizza there fearlessly. And that's quite a compliment!
It's important to distinguish between the best pizza and the best slice. Mozza is by far the best pizza (second in my heart only to Franny's in Brooklyn), but it's not a place to grab a quick on-the-go slice. Vito's offers the best slice in LA, though clearly not all toppings are created equally.
The two times I've been to Joe's I've been hugely disappointed.
The slices at Village Pizza are not recommend. Unlike a NY slice which is fully cooked yet gains something on second heating, the slice at Village is actually undercooked originally so that they can finish cooking it when you order it. The result is that you wait 10 minutes for a slice that's scalding hot yet insufficiently charred. Not good.
I had a surprisingly good slice at Garage Pizza in Silverlake. Good solid slice, about average for a NY slice but way above for LA. The owner really knows what he's doing and seems eager to experiment with interesting toppings based on customer feedback.
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