at one point, i couldn't quite understand the analogy between pizza and sex, but finally understood the parallel as a guy's simple, straightforward logic - yes, of course you'll take some if it's there, and like sex, pizza can never really be bad.
for the gals, like me, the analogy is, of course, much more complicated, and works in a slightly different way. sometimes i want the sauce to be sweet, sometimes i want it hot and spicy, and many times none at all; tonight i want a thick, hard crust, but tomorrow i want it thin and soft; i might try something different, exotic toppings like wild boar, and even though i'm accustomed to everything on top, i could be turned on to a stuffed pizza. every detail matters, and i shouldn't have to tell you what i want and when, because you should just know. and no, pizza is never really horrible, but it's very very very rare that the whole thing absolutely blows me away.
there was the usual back and forth of "what do you want?" "i don't know, what do you feel like?" and somewhere along the way, we decided on pizza. perhaps it was the giddiness because we're going to try a new pizza place, abbot's pizza company. perhaps the drive all the way down to venice seems long when there are so many options within walking distance of home. maybe it was the multiple trips up and down abbot kinney trying to find first, the very small, unadorned storefront that almost blends into the block, and second to find a parking spot. whatever it was, by the time we finally stepped up to the counter, pointed at the slices of on the racks flanking the register, paid the $3/slice and sat down at one of the steel bars along each wall, i had been worked into a famished frenzy.
and this one was...yes! a veritable pizza-gasm.
abbot's pizza bianca - mozzarella! ricotta!
pizza bianca has no tomato sauce. had i carefully read their menuboard, i would have seen that abbot's makes their bianca with garlic pesto sauce and would not have ordered it. but thankfully, my animalistic hunger took over and i rushed right into it, simply pointing like a chimpanzee to order. what an excellent uninformed choice. it wasn't a sauce that overwhelmed the whole crust as much as it was just another fragrantly garlic, faintly pesto topping in perfect balance with red onions, fresh tomatoes, julienned basil, and mozzarella and ricotta cheeses.
poppyseed bagel crust
many times i've scorched the roof of my mouth, so my first bite of the bianca was careful. the crust was thin and crisp. the pizza wasn't hot, just very warm, so i devoured it, only pausing for the first heavy dot of ricotta. it added a subtly sweet creaminess to several fleeting moments. bite after bite, and my last bite of the poppyseed crust alone was like a perfectly toasted, proper poppyseed bagel. it's crunchy first on the outside, then thick and chewy on the inside. this, the bagel crust, is what make abbot's pizza company famous - onion, garlic, sesame, poppy, a mix of all four called "the blend," and just plain "hot-crust." thick and thin, crisp and chewy; abbot's has the best of four crusty worlds.
i force myself to slow down for the popeye's chicken pizza. spinach, mushroom, onions, and mozzarella cheese, on the same garlic pesto sauce, along with a tequila lime chicken which i pluck pluck pluck right off. the chicken's marinade wasn't bad, just too much flavor stimulation with the garlic pesto already.
olive pesto sauce underscores the symphony of mushrooms and cheeses on the wild mushroom pizza. portobello, oyster, button and shiitake mushrooms in perfect rhythm with parmesan, romano, and mozzarella cheeses. ohmigod. it's so good. this is the one. this is my favorite. i mmm-ed with every bite, and i'm pretty sure my head was slightly tilted back with eyes closed through at least half of it. i wanted more, but i can't. three slices and we're done.
so yes, pizza is like sex, and abbot's most certainly does it for me. they let you have the best of every world. plain crust or something on it. thin and crisp or thick and chewy. you can have a single slice or a whole pizza. eat in or take out, or even have it delivered. gourmet specials or pick-your-own new york style. traditional tomato, alfredo, or one of the pesto sauces. this or that, it's no wonder that it was so orgasmic.
now just get up, toss paper plates and napkins in the trash, and head outside to have a cigarette.
abbot's pizza company
1407 abbot kinney (@ california ave.)
venice, ca 90291
310.396.7334
BBQ Junkie says
love, is all i have for abbot's pizza. glad someone finally flogged em. my favorite slice is the five onion with the wild mushroom a close second.
btw, they have a second location on pico.
hermz says
Excellent entry. Now I feel the urge to go get me a piece. ha!
FoodZealot says
The Abbot Kinney location is substantially better than Pico, imho.
I haven't ordered a whole pie and ate it there (have had them delivered), but the slices are actually better than just baked due to that second crisping of the crust, again imho.
T says
i can see from the photo what you mean! ive been wanting to try this place for ages and now you've given me a reason :-)
pizza bianca here i come! (seriously my mouth is watering...its good to find another la blogger!)
naughtytink says
Wow. I found this blog, and then tried ABC! Being from NY, I have been in long pursuit of a great pie. I found it. We ordered the Mushroom which was amazing! The pesto IS so perfectly balanced. But then the BIANCA... I believe that after the ecstacy waned, I started reeling from Garlic Poisoning.
Beware!
(I love your blog:)
Adam says
Mmmmm. How did I miss this when you originally posted back in April? A slice of absolutely stimulating pizza writing.
Anonymous says
pizza here is ok, crust is good. but c'mon, other than the large size of the pie, it ain't nothing like nyc (or italy). red sauce waaay too spicy and thick, tastes like pasta sauce. toppings are good too and interesting and the location on AK is sweet. bottom line is pizza in LA is generally average, this is tops of the bunch but that ain't saying much with such little competition.
sarah says
i agree about abbot's being nothing like ny, but we don't necessairly always have to compare. as a standalone, it is still pretty damn good. :)
there really is no excellent NY-style pizza in LA. only in NY. same with chicago-style. only in chicago (except, zachary's in berkeley is pretty good, too). same with true neapolitan style.
the thing is that LA doesn't have its own brand of pizza except - *ew* CPK or maybe wolfgang puck, and we can't really call that pizza anyway. that's flat bread with creative california crapon top.
ok. done rambling. LOL!
sam says
there is a new york style pizza place on beverly drive in beverly hills,.... what's that place called again? dammit can't recall the name!!!
have you been? do you know which place i speak of?
sarah says
mulberry street pizzeria!
omy, i used to go there all the time when a couple of friends of mine lived within walking distance of it...
:)
amanda says
i don't know if i've ever wanted a piece of pizza in my life as much as i do right now. great description and it is SOOO like sex ;-) do they have a location in San Diego for me to try out???
amanda says
i don't know if i've ever wanted a piece of pizza in my life as much as i do right now. great description and it is SOOO like sex ;-) do they have a location in San Diego for me to try out???
Anonymous says
This is the worst pizza I've ever had. The Bianca was inedible and the BBQ Chicken Pizza tasted like they bought BBQ sauce at Ralph's. We believed all the hype. What a disappointment.
Thai News says
It wets my appetite ;-)
Anonymous says
Abbots is pretty good "CA" pizza - San Diego has Bronx Pizza and Flippin Pizza and KO Pizza all really good for CA but NOT LIKE the best of NY. Although most of these guys are from NY. OC has La Rocco's in San Clemente they are all equally the same above average for CA - Mulberry St Pizza is too thin not any flavor - I prefer MR Pizza Domiano's on Fairfax for a drunken Slice if you can find parking also Village Pizza on Larchmont is fair enough - Joe's Pizza just opened in Santa Monica on Ocean they are known to have one of the top 5 slices in Lower Manhattan - Look Out for Big John's Famous NY Pizza coming to LA soon! This guy makes an amazing pie - I guess you can say he's a sex Dr. LOL
are elongated toilet seats universal says
Howdy! Quick question that's entirely off topic. Do you know how to make your site mobile friendly? My blog looks weird when browsing from my iphone4. I'm trying to find a theme or plugin that might be able to correct this issue. If you have any suggestions, please share. Appreciate it!
Tambra Heidrick says
you're truly a good webmaster. The site loading pace is amazing. It sort of feels that you're doing any unique trick. Also, The contents are masterpiece. you have done a magnificent task in this topic!
Joan Bozeman says
Good – I should certainly pronounce, impressed with your web site. I had no trouble navigating through all the tabs and related information ended up being truly simple to do to access. I recently found what I hoped for before you know it in the least. Reasonably unusual. Is likely to appreciate it for those who add forums or something, website theme . a tones way for your customer to communicate. Excellent task..
immigration las vegas says
The following time I learn a weblog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as much as this one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read, but I actually thought youd have something attention-grabbing to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you may fix in case you werent too busy on the lookout for attention.
car accident lawyer says
Helpful info. Lucky me I discovered your website accidentally, and I am stunned why this coincidence didn't took place earlier! I bookmarked it.
car accident lawyer says
Great – I should certainly pronounce, impressed with your web site. I had no trouble navigating through all the tabs and related information ended up being truly simple to do to access. I recently found what I hoped for before you know it in the least. Quite unusual. Is likely to appreciate it for those who add forums or something, web site theme . a tones way for your customer to communicate. Excellent task..
Deloise Brehm says
linkedin profile|linkedin profile, Facebook page or twitter feed|Facebook page, twitter feed, or linkedin profile}?
hamburger near Woodbury Park in Livonia, MI says
I'm really loving the theme/design of your site. Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility issues? A few of my blog readers have complained about my website not working correctly in Explorer but looks great in Chrome. Do you have any recommendations to help fix this issue?
corned beef sandwich in Wayne County, MI says
Hello.This article was really fascinating, particularly because I was investigating for thoughts on this issue last Thursday.
loaded fries near Allen Park South in Allen Park, MI says
Pretty section of content. I just stumbled upon your site and in accession capital to assert that I acquire in fact enjoyed account your blog posts. Any way I will be subscribing to your feeds and even I achievement you access consistently quickly.
chicken cheesesteak in Wayne County, MI says
My brother suggested I might like this website. He was totally right. This post actually made my day. You can not imagine simply how much time I had spent for this information! Thanks!
steak sandwich in Livonia, MI says
you are really a good webmaster. The website loading speed is incredible. It seems that you are doing any unique trick. Furthermore, The contents are masterpiece. you've done a great job on this topic!
Alden Carine says
Incredible is the one stop purchase whatever performance.
Lucas Mcgeorge says
Amazingness is the only efficiency tool you require to be much more efficient and also get even more performed in your life.
Mark Walford says
Incredible is the ultimate social productivity application.
wahoos bowl says
Great write-up, I’m normal visitor of one’s site, maintain up the nice operate, and It is going to be a regular visitor for a lengthy time.
Mesothelioma lawyer says
Thank you for some other fantastic post. The place else could anyone get that type of information in such a perfect method of writing? I have a presentation subsequent week, and I am on the search for such information.
Hvac installation company says
My husband and i were very lucky when Ervin could deal with his analysis using the precious recommendations he gained through your web page. It is now and again perplexing just to be handing out methods which often the others might have been making money from. We acknowledge we've got you to give thanks to because of that. These illustrations you have made, the simple website menu, the relationships your site aid to promote - it's mostly astounding, and it's really leading our son and us do think the subject matter is awesome, which is highly essential. Thank you for all the pieces!
car accident lawyers says
Thanks for another informative web site. Where else could I get that kind of info written in such an ideal way? I have a project that I am just now working on, and I have been on the look out for such information.
probate attorneys in las vegas says
I wish to show thanks to the writer for rescuing me from this type of incident. Right after researching throughout the world-wide-web and getting concepts which are not helpful, I assumed my entire life was over. Existing devoid of the approaches to the problems you've sorted out through this site is a crucial case, and ones which could have in a wrong way damaged my entire career if I hadn't come across your blog post. Your main ability and kindness in taking care of every item was excellent. I am not sure what I would have done if I had not come upon such a subject like this. I am able to now look ahead to my future. Thanks for your time very much for the skilled and results-oriented guide. I will not be reluctant to suggest the blog to anyone who will need direction on this topic.
healthy aging and hormone therapy in Colts Neck, NJ says
What i don't understood is actually how you are not really much more well-liked than you might be right now. You're very intelligent. You realize thus considerably relating to this subject, produced me personally consider it from a lot of varied angles. Its like women and men aren't fascinated unless it is one thing to accomplish with Lady gaga! Your own stuffs great. Always maintain it up!
Marble rock says
Great goods from you, man. I've understand your stuff previous to and you're just too magnificent. I really like what you have acquired here, certainly like what you are saying and the way in which you say it. You make it entertaining and you still take care of to keep it wise. I cant wait to read far more from you. This is actually a great site.
Anonymous says
This actually answered my drawback, thank you!
visitors office chairs says
wonderful issues altogether, you just won a brand new reader. What would you recommend in regards to your publish that you just made some days in the past? Any positive?
oversized executive chairs says
Fantastic web site. A lot of helpful information here. I am sending it to several buddies ans additionally sharing in delicious. And of course, thank you to your effort!
high end l shaped desks says
You made some clear points there. I did a search on the subject and found most individuals will agree with your blog.