Quick Bites: Giovanni’s
Giovanni's Pete's pizza - don't expect to have leftovers.
The only thing worse than a trip to the mailbox that yields a handful of nothing is finding something that you can’t have. And that’s just what we got by the fistful yesterday when the new issue of New York arrived. Sure, the cover story was titled “Eat Cheap” but that two-word umbrella wasn’t really accurate — it was really Pizza Porn.
15+ pages overflow with pies of all shapes, sizes and persuasions: all hot and ready and seeming calling our name.
We tried to ignore it, but a friend of ours picked up the issue and started thumbing and drooling over it immediately. We took it away from her, but the damage was done. Getting on with our night, we originally entertained multiple dining options, but knew we only had one choice–we were going to put the “i” in pizza pie.
After much deliberation, we chose Giovanni’s, a pizzeria that’s been in Mammoth for a quarter century and many locals believe to be the best in town. The unpretentious restaurant had a diverse crowd ranging from a party of 10+ that spanned three generations to visiting couples.
The ‘za menu is split into two sections: build your own and specialty pizzas. Choices abound for the former: diners can choose between 30 toppings, four different crusts (regular, thin, whole wheat and whole wheat thin) and five sauces (mild Italian, spicy Italian, New York, Pesto and White).
But we deferred to the experts and went to specialty pizza section. With 11 offerings, just about all of ‘em whet our appetites and for all you ovo-lacto vegetarians out there, there were lots of veggie options. We went with one of those. Dubbed “Pete’s” it was a medium crust, slathered in sundried tomato sauce, and topped with spinach, tomato, garlic, gorgonzola and mozzarella.
It was the best choice we made all day: one of those great pies that taste great from first bite to maybe-I-shouldn’t-have-had-that-last-slice. But when eating food developed by the Romans, it’s good to make like a Roman and overindulge.
For Angelenos, Giovanni’s is closer to Pizza Bianca than Pizzeria Mozza in style of pie as well as the casual vibe. And you don’t even have to wait. And for New Yorkers, this place may just change your mind about California’s pizza reputation.
Giovanni’s Restaurant & Lounge is at 437 Old Mammoth Road in the Vons plaza at the corner of Old Mammoth and Meridian. They’re open Monday through Thursday, 11:30am – 9:00pm; Friday & Saturday, 11:30am – 9:30pm; Sunday, 10:30am – 9:00pm. 760.934.7563. Giovanni’s pizza menu is below. Click here for the complete menu.
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