Are you the type of person who is offended when a pizzeria closes on the rare days when its dough refuses to behave? Then Mother Dough probably isn't for you. Bez Compani nurtures his fire-spitting oven with the ferocity of Hogwarts gamekeeper Hagrid nurturing a dragon child, and when it comes down to a choice between pleasing his customers or doing right by his dough, I'm afraid the dough is going to win every time. Compani's pizzas are unlike anything in Los Angeles, or in Naples, come to think of it: soft and elastic, made from long-risen dough, paler than you think they should be, not quite crisp but freckled with bits of char. Compani doesn't quite sign on to the strictest Neapolitan pizza standards — you can get a sausage pizza if you want one, although it bears little resemblance to what you might find at Mozza — but he uses only bufala mozzarella, the toppings are sparely applied, and the pizza with prosciutto and arugula feels fresher and lighter than pizza has any right to be. 4648 Hollywood Blvd., Los Feliz. (323) 644-2885, motherdoughpizza.com. Tues.-Sun., 6-11 p.m. Beer and wine. Street parking. MC, V. Pizzeria.

99 Essential L.A. Restaurants 2011:

Jonathan Gold's Introduction
Anne Fishbein's Photos
The Google Map

The List:

A-Frame
Akasha
Alcazar
Angeli Caffe
Angelini Osteria
Animal
Antojitos Carmen
Attari
Babita
Bludso's
Border Grill
Bottega Louie
Bulgarini Gelato
Cacao
Campanile
Casa Bianca
Chang's Garden
Chego
Chichén Itzá
Chung King
Church & State
Ciro's
Comme Ça
Cut
Dae Bok
Din Tai Fung
Drago Centro
El Huarache Azteca
El Parian
Elvirita's
Euro Pane Bakery
Eva
Fab Hot Dogs
Father's Office
Fig
Gjelina
Golden Deli
Golden State
Good Girl Dinette
The Gorbals
Guelaguetza
Guisados
Huckleberry
Hungry Cat
Ink.
Jar
Jitlada
Kiriko
Kobawoo
La Casita Mexicana
Langer's
Larkin's
Lazy Ox Canteen
Le Comptoir
Little Dom's
Lou
Lucques
LudoBites
Lukshon
Mantee
Marouch
Mayura
Meals by Genet
Mélisse
Mezze
Mo-Chica
Mother Dough
Mozza
Musso & Frank Grill
Nem Nuong Khanh Hoa
Newport Tan Cang Seafood Restaurant
The Nickel
Night + Market
Oinkster
101 Noodle Express
Palate Food + Wine
Park's Barbecue
Picca
Playa
Pollos a la Brasa
Providence
Ray's
Red Medicine
Rivera
Rustic Canyon
Salt's Cure
Sapp Coffee Shop
Sea Harbour
Son of a Gun
Sotto
Spago
Spice Table
Street
Tacos Baja Ensenada
Tasting Kitchen
Terroni
Tsujita L.A.
Vincenti
Waterloo & City

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.