Dough Box Pizza & Bread-Moved

Dough Box Pizza & Bread
2734 N Eastern Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90032
323-346-6811

Back in 2016 I went to Dough Box Pizza & Bread, when they were a take out only business, using a commercial kitchen.  They would open up a brick and motor restaurant a few miles away.  Recently I read on LA Eater, they were going to close by the end of the year. 

I always take these closing notices with a grain of salt.  In late 2017 to early 2018 they wrote that Twoheys would going to close.  Then they wrote they are going to move to South Pasadena.  Yet, here we are in 2019 and they are still at that same location.  The South Pasadena building, the last time I went by, looks at least 2-3 months away from being able to serve the public.

Anyways,  Dough Box Pizza & Bread is really, still a take out place.  There is one small counter with no seats, for people to eat.

On their Instagram page, Dough Box had a large cheese pizza for $20, to celebrate National Cheese Pizza Day!  This pizza is called the Soto on their menu.  I liked the crust, well balanced, flaky, and held up to the toppings.  There was plenty of cheese.  But, the sauce is still too tangy for me tastes.  They need to balance the sauce with some sweetness!

Sicilian slice special $5- mushrooms, garlic, and red onions.

One thing I didn't know, was that Dough Box Pizza & Bread had Sicilian slices!  I decided to give a slice a try.  This was terrible.  The trust was too hard and the sauce was so tangy.  The toppings were fine.

Service was ok.  They told me after I ordered, it would take 1 hour and 10 minutes for the pizza to be ready.

I won't go back to Dough Box.  I only went to see their brick and mortar location.  But, the pizza isn't good. 

Giordanos

Giordanos
3619 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-850-2420

When it comes to Chicago pizza you have Lou Malnati's-my personal favorite, Geno's East, Pizzeria Uno, and Giordanos.  Giordanos, opened a location in Las Vegas about a year ago.  There is a Lou Malnati's in Phoenix.

Giordanos is located near Bally's hotel in an area with other restaurants and bars, this is a huge Giordanos.  They have a patio area in the main level and upstairs is there bar and dining room. 

Medium with mushrooms and spinach, $23.45 plus $2.25 per topping.  The crust is light, buttery, flake and very good!  It's not doughy like many LA area deep dish restaurants.  The cheese was ok, but nothing to make a great cheese pull picture.  But the sauce was lacking, both in terms of quality and amount!  It was just too bland and just seemed like an after thought.

Service at the bar was good.  The bartenders were nice and helpful.  But, the hostess was terrible!  She was rude, unfriendly and not helpful.  They were busy but there were plenty of open seats and very few people in the lobby.  I prefer to sit at a table and not the bar, especially when I am not drinking alcohol.  The bar looked as though it was full, so I said I would wait for a table.  Then I saw a group leave, and took the bar.  The hostess was making it seem as though sitting at a table alone would be the worst thing.  No, honey, the worst thing is a hostess who is rude and unfriendly!

Giordanos was disappointing and would rank last in the Top 4 of Chicago deep dish pizza.

Zachary’s Chicago Pizza

Zachary’s Chicago Pizza
3110 Crow Canyon Pl
San Ramon, CA 94583
925-244-1222

Zachary’s Chicago Pizza has been on my bucketlist of restaurants to try for a long time.  There are a few locations up in the Bay Area.  I don't know which location was the first, but the Sam Ramon location was nearby, so I finally got to check off  Zachary’s Chicago Pizza!

Located in a business shopping center that has a Sprouts and too many Beane Sprouts- my term for Oakland A's fans!  I bet I saw more people with A's gear than people who actually attend A's games at that dump hell hole stadium!

Medium spinach and mushrooms-$26.60.  This was a 14in pizza with a light buttery crust, much less doughy than other deep dish pizza I've had.  They mushrooms were chopped into quarters and the spinach was plentiful.  The sauce was well balanced-not too tangy or sweet.  A very good example of deep dish pizza! 

Service was good.  It's a medium sized restaurant but the noise level was high with a large party that included a ton of kids.  I didn't care, but for some people it may bother them.

I would gladly go back to Zachary’s Chicago Pizza anything!! 

Dough Box Pizza & Bread

Dough Box Pizza & Bread
1539 Fishburn Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90063
323-346-6811

One of the co-owners of Dough Box Pizza & Bread used to own Hollywood Pies.  So, when Dough Box & Bread opened I was excited to give them a try! Dough Box Pizza & Bread went back to the original concept of Hollywood Pies-pick up and deliveries only from a small kitchen.  This location is in an industrial section of East LA, with tow truck yards and recycling centers as their neighbors.

A more in depth story of Dough Box!

They have been open for about five months with some late hours- 5-10pm Tues-Sun.  I went on a Saturday and the area was empty except for the people picking up pizza.

9in deep dish- mushrooms and spinach, $16.35.  Their menu prices says $15 plus $1.50 for each veggie topping.  I didn't get out a ruler to see if this is a 9in pizza, but I assume it is  So, either their online menu prices are wrong or they charged me the wrong amount.

The crust is very firm and holds up well to the toppings and sauce.  The toppings were fresh and plentiful.  But, the sauce is just way to tangy for my tastes.  They need to add some sweetness to the recipe.

Service is good.  I called before opening hours and was able to place my order.  The pizza was ready when I got there and the transaction went smoothly.

I had high hopes for Dough Box Pizza but I was disappointed.  The sauce just ruined it for me.  I'll stay with Masa or go back to Hollywood Pies.

Taste Chicago-Closed

Taste Chicago
603 N Hollywood Way
Burbank
818-563-2800

I reviewed the Chicago dog at Taste Chicago in 2005, the day before the Chicago White Sox opened the World Series.  Of course, the WHITE SOX won that World Series vs the Houston Astros.   Unlike that other baseball team from the slums of the northside of Chicago; the LOSER Cubs who haven't won a World Series since 1908 or been to a World Series since 1945.  Suffer you drunk, idiot loser Cubs fans!!

Tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of one of the biggest choke jobs in baseball history; the 2003 NLCS.  NO, you drunk idiot moron cubs fans, Steve Bartman did NOTHING to hurt your chances of winning Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS.  It was losers like Mark Prior, who couldn't get out of the 8th inning.  Or loser Alex Gonzales who couldn't turn that double play, that would have gotten the losers out of the 8th inning.  Or loser Kerry Wood could have held a 5-3 in Game 7.  Not to mention loser players like STEROID Sammy Sosa or Moise Alou or Eric Karros, who all could have actually gotten hits and driven in runs in Game 7.   Yeah, blame an INNOCENT fan like Steve Bartman for the choke job by the Chicago Cubs.   Hey Cubs fans you're nothing but a bunch of drunk idiots!!

Steve Bartman has always refused to make any money from this incident; he turned down $25K to sign autographs at a show, and has never spoken publicly about the Cubs choking in the 2003 NLCS.  This is the statement Bartman made the next day;

"There are few words to describe how awful I feel and what I have experienced within these last twenty-four hours. I am so truly sorry from the bottom of this Cubs fan's broken heart. 

I ask that Cub fans everywhere redirect the negative energy that has been vented towards my family, my friends and myself into the usual positive support for our beloved team on their way to being National League champs."  Steve Bartman, Oct. 15, 2003

On the other hand, that jerk who ended up with the ball sold the ball for over $100K to a restaurant named after that terrible, overrated, drunk announcer Harry Carey.  People around him gained their 15 minutes of fame.

The Cubs organization handled the Bartman case with class, never blaming Bartman, for their own players choking!  Unlike the media; the Chicago Sun-Times, who actually published where Bartman worked and his hometown, or idiot Steve Lyons who broadcasted the game for Fox TV.  This is what that idiot Lyons, who was recently fired by the Dodgers because he's a terrible announcer, said after that play "Why? I'm surprised someone hasn't thrown that fan onto the field."  Really Steve?  Somebody should throw Lyons out of the broadcast booth!

All loser Cubs fans owe Steve Bartman an apology!  Oh, drunk idiot Cubs fans and loser Red Sox fans, there is no such things as curses!!  It's loser players and managers who didn't get the job done when it counted!  Yes, I know the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004 and 2007.

Why the stuff about Bartman?  Well, besides getting a chance to rip the drunk idiot Cubs fan base, Taste Chicago is celebrating their 10th anniversary!  They have changed a bit since I went in 2005.  They enclosed the patio area and extended the kitchen and counter area.  Gone is that marquee sign and it's been replaced by a sign with the skyline of Chicago.  The walls are still decorated with Chicago sports teams items and pictures of the owner, who is a well known actor.

Mini deep dish sausage pizza, $7.35.  This was a much better option since I wasn't going to order a 14in. deep dish pizza for myself.  The sauce was ok, very mild and while you could tell it was there, it didn't really add much to this pizza.  The sausage were huge, but pretty flavorless.  But, the dough was just too doughy.  I'm used to a buttery flakey crust, with cornmeal at the bottom.  This was bland flavorless dough.  If you're looking for deep dish Chicago pizza in LA, go to Masa of Echo Park or Union Pizza; or in Orange County Rance's Chicago Pizza.  Sadly, Hollywood Pies has closed.

Maxwell Street Polish, $5.55, with mustard and caramelized onions on a poppy seed bun.  I knew from ordering the Chicago hot dog on my first visit, not to expect much.  Well my expectations were met!  The bun came straight out of the bag, not steamed, not toasted nothing.  The onions were pretty good, well caramelized and flavorful.  While the sausage is made by Vienna Beef, they either don't steamed it correctly or something.  It just tastes off.  Maybe it's not Vienna Beef, maybe it's been around too long.  Or maybe Taste Chicago just has too many items on their menu.  From hot dogs and polish sausages to pasta, to Italian beef and other kinds of sandwiches, two kinds of pizza; deep dish and Silician, salads, and even ribs! 

Service was overall good.  The server was nice and helpful when I placed my order.  He was nice to give a reusable bag to commorate the 10th anniversary of Taste Chicago.  But, when I asked him about why their website is down, he couldn't help at all.  He said it's been out for a long time.  Well, why don't you tell the owners?  Or at least tell the customers you will tell the owner and hopefully it will be taken care of.

I know Taste Chicago is owned by an actor from Chicago, but I could care less.  I don't think the food is any good here and the prices are very high; too high for the quality of the food.  No reason for me to go back!

Rance's Chicago Pizza

Rance's Chicago Pizza
1420 Baker St
Costa Mesa
714-708-2143

Rance's Chicago Pizza is across Harbor Blvd. from Moscow Deli and Empanada's Place. I heard about Rance's and wanted to see how they compared to Tony’s Little Italy Pizza, which still has a very good deep dish or stuffed Chicago pizza, but the service there now sucks.

Rance's is located in the very busy Target shopping center towards the southwest part of the center.  Rance's has a row of tables and booths, along with bar area.  They have been open for about three months and the word has gotten out there in the Costa Mesa area, if you want Chicago pizza go to Rance's.

Medium stuffed House Special, $23.69, sausage, green peppers, onions and mushrooms. The crust on this pizza was great! Maybe the best crust of any deep dish pizza I've had in LA.  Very light, flakey, and buttery.  It was almost like eating a biscuit or apple turnover.  Though this was not cornmeal crust, like some people from Chicago prefer. 

The sauce was on the sweet side.  But lots of good quality tomatoes, I'm guessing they are canned, but don't know for sure.

The cheese is thick and piled on and they use a good quality cheese.

The veggie toppings were cut too small and just blended into the cheese an sauce.  They should cut them bigger.

Another thing that should be bigger is the amount of sausage on the pizza.  I'm guessing the pizza is 12in., well the sausage-which is a flat piece of sausage only covered about about 8in. of the pizza! When I cut a slice of pizza from the center it was filled with sausage, but towards the crust, there was only green peppers, mushrooms, and onions.  But, the sausage had a mild flavor.  They use a good quality sausage.

Despite the small amount of sausage, this was a very good pizza, better than Tony's but maybe not as good as Hollywood Pies or Masa.  The flavors all work well together.

Service was nice and friendly.  But, they need to either hire a host/hostess or find a better way to let first time customers know if they are a side down restaurant or counter service when they first walk in.  When I walked in, I went straight to the counter and ordered my pizza.  I didn't realize if you wanted to dine in, you could have sit down and ordered.  The other compliant I have is that they need to inform customers how long stuffed or deep dish pizza takes to bake.  Since I've been to a ton of Chicago pizza places I know the time and was expecting to wait 45 minutes.  But, if people haven't been to a Chicago pizza place, they may not know and then complain.

Even with the smaller amount of sausage on the pizza, I would gladly go back to Rance's for their stuffed pizza.  They also have a good selection of beer on tap!

Union Pizza Company

Union Pizza Company
1570 Rosecrans Ave
Manhattan Beach
310-536-9888

I'm always on the hunt for a good deep dish Chicago style pizza. My last experience at Selma's Chicago Pizzeria, left me wondering why I don't just stick with Hollywood Pies or Masa of Echo Park. Sadly, the quality and service of an old favorite, Tony’s Little Italy Pizza has gone downhill and I won't return. I found Union Pizza Company while looking for another restaurant in Manhattan Beach. I'm always skeptical of pizza places that try to do both thin crust and deep dish pizza. I'm guessing that's how they came up with the name Union Pizza Company. Located in a shopping center right next to Bristol Farms, Union Pizza Company has a small indoor dining room, but right outside is a huge covered outdoor eating space. A great thing about Union Pizza is free corkage!!

I ordered a large chicken sausage and mushroom deep dish pizza, $23.98.   The first thing I noticed about the pizza was the golden crust!!  If it tastes half as good as it looked, I know I'm going to like this place!  Well, the crust was light, buttery and a wonder texture!  This coming from somebody who won't eat the crust on deep dish pizza-so I can save room for the good stuff.  But, I ate every single crust!!

The sauce was good, nice fresh ingredients and seasoning.  The mushrooms were canned, but plentiful.  I'm not a fan of canned mushrooms and prefer fresh mushrooms.

Now, there were limited amounts of the chicken sausage, I would guess maybe 3 or 4 pieces per slice.  The sausage was good quality sausage that would be great on a hot dog bun.  I just would have liked to see more sausage in the pizza.

Service was overall good until the end.  The young lady greeted me when I walked in.  She was attentive and helpful.  She even told me the pizza takes 25 minutes to bake.  Some deep dish places do not tell you that!  When I asked her to turn the TV to the football game, she was more than willing to do so.  She was nice when she delivered the pizza to my table, though she could have brought more than one napkin.  But when I asked for a box she coped an attitude!!  I mean does she think I'm going to eat a whole damn deep dish pizza by myself in one sitting?  Is she being cheap and nickel and diming customers?  I mean come on just bring me a box and stop the attitude.  Not sure what brought that on.  I didn't say anything to her.  I was nice to her- thanking her for turning the channel and for delivering the pizza.  I didn't say anything about the one napkin, I just got up and got some napkins from the counter.

Anyways, overall I was impressed with the deep dish pizza at Union Pizza Company and I would go back.