L’antica Pizzeria da Michele

Los Angeles, CA (The Joy of Food) — Like many things in Hollywood, all that glitters is not gold. 

Symbols carry both denotative and connotative meanings. Take, for example, pizza as a symbol of interest. To some, pizza is a quintessential Italian meal, a popular, desirable, and personalized thing served up in a timely and tasty fashion. To others, it is a fast food meant for sharing. Like any regional food, where you have it largely influences how it looks, what it’s made of, and how it tastes. 

But social context is of considerable importance. A pizza in Italy is simply not the same cultural object as a pizza in America, in L.A. or Miami or New York. This all becomes obvious when you have the same place producing supposedly the same food in both locations, yet they are world’s apart, and not just geographically. No doubt, much of this is on purpose.

The original L’antica Pizzeria da Michele was founded in 1870 and is one of the oldest pizzerias in Naples, Italy. The movie “Eat Pray Love” brought it to international attention over a decade ago when Julia Roberts’ character inhales a whole pizza surrounded by the unwashed masses. Naturally, a scene to buy a bigger pair of pants follows. 

The L.A. knockoff came about in a franchising deal and is the first of several planned restaurants in the United States that will use the name. Let’s be clear that’s all it is — the rights to a name. It exists to capitalize on the fame and recognition while offering none of the charm, tradition, or food of the original.

And about the name. I can’t get over the fact that something called ‘antica’ — meaning ‘ancient’ in Italian — looks like the inside of a Crate & Barrel. Soft leather couches, tan wood accents, and glistening marble tables await you in the living-room bar, and the outside patio is equally manicured. 

Through the glass-enclosed tiled kitchen, you can watch the pizzaioli stretch dough, add sauce, sprinkle cheese, and slide pizzas in and out of the wood-fired oven. The original da Michele offers two pizzas — a margherita and a marinara — but here there are considerably more choices, including versions topped with greens, and there are of course truffles in the building. 

The crust comes out suitably charred and spotted, and locally sourced fior di latte (cheese) and tomatoes ensure the eye of the pie is characteristically wet. The texture is passable, but the ingredients are largely tasteless, except for a heavy dose of salt. About the only carryover from the original is the size — the pizzas are larger than what you’ve come to expect for a personal Neapolitan pizza. These could easily feed two people, or provide a lot of leftovers for one.

Beyond pizzas, there are more dishes including pastas and salads intended to cater to a ‘little of everything for everyone’ mentality. I saw something with avocado on the menu to once again snap me back to southern California reality.

Considering the legend, the Naples da Michele is tiny. The L.A. location is not. But you might have a hard time finding the door; like any trendy thing in L.A. these days, it’s located in a back alleyway and hidden behind a giant shrub.

Written by Joy

Thanks for reading. The Joy of Food blog celebrates eating well, traveling often, and living la dolce vita. San Diego, California is home base, but thoughts are from all over. Reviews and photos help to highlight wonderful (or not) food experiences from around the world.

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