Mother Dough fires up Los Feliz

Pizzas cook quickly in the wood-fired oven

L.A. has taken big steps as a pizza town since I did a big pizza tasting round-up for VLife Weekend back in 2005. Since then we've gained Pizzeria Mozza, Tomato Pie, Lucifer's, Garage, Two Boots and Il Capricco Pizzeria, just down the street from the new Mother Dough on Hollywood Blvd.
Also sporting a wood-fired oven, Il Capricco is now Di Carlo, and I haven't been there lately, but it certainly raised the bar for Los Feliz when it opened. So pizza has now become a higher-stakes game, and Mother Dough has the goods to compete. It's more of an eat-in than a take out place, with beer and wine and a smattering of starters -- raw almonds with lemon juice, a nice dish of marinated olives, a charcuterie plate, burrata salad, bacon-wrapped dates.

sausage slices and buffalo mozzarella on a just-charred enough crust

Though the uber-hot oven takes only 90 seconds to cook a pizza, the sole pizza cook -- owner Bez Compani -- gets pretty backed up and pizzas take about a half hour after ordering to come out. The menu explains that the pies are traditional Neopolitan style, so toppings are minimal -- basically, sausages, prosciutto, zucchini, roasted tomato or plain bufala mozzarella. The sauce is fresher tasting than most pizza sauces, with bright tomato notes. The pizza comes out nicely charred -- though some have found it too charred -- but the best thing is the taste of the crust itself, with a distinct wild yeast sourdough tang and a perfect chew.
Pros: The crust was good enough that I'd definitely go back. The room is pleasant and I'd like to taste more varieties of pizza. And Bar Covell a few doors down makes a perfect place for a drink afterwards.
Cons: Minimalist menu could use more well-priced salads, sides or starters. Pizzas seem awfully slow for something that cooks in 90 seconds. Pizzas are a bit small for two to share, but at $18 each, pricey for each person to order their own.
Mother Dough
4648 Hollywood Blvd.
323-644-2885