Isn't this the place with the foosball? If I were associated with Terroni, I'd probably be getting angry about now. Because while the Italian restaurant may refuse to put herbs in its olive oil, to allow Parmesan to be sprinkled on its linguine alle vongole, or to cut its pizza into wedges no matter how sorrowfully you beg, nobody seems to notice. Ban ketchup, and the world screams. Force a 25-year-old man to cut his own pizza with a steak knife, and not even Yelp finds it significant.

Terroni is one of the few restaurants in Los Angeles where you actually hear Italian spoken by both customers and cooks, and the Southern-style pastas are often very good, including possibly the first L.A. appearance of spaghetti ca'muddica, a Sicilian pasta a little like spaghetti alla puttanesca enriched with toasted breadcrumbs. But Terroni specializes in stretched-crust pizzas — skinny, crunchy most of the way through and topped with things like broccoli rabe and crumbled sausage; Gorgonzola, honey and walnuts; or plain old mozzarella and tomato sauce. No substitutions are permitted. 7605 Beverly Blvd., Fairfax District. (323) 954-0300, terroni.ca. Sun.-Thurs., 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-mid. Full bar. Valet parking. AE, MC, V. Italian.

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

 

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