It's October, which means it's National Pizza Month – as deemed by Congress back in 1987. So in honor of the pie, I bring you Rocco's Italian Kitchen with pizza made from Rocco's Staten Island recipe circa 1970. They have two different locations, Miracle Mile & Studio City, and sell their pizza at the famous USC "Nine O" 901 Bar & Grill 2 blocks from campus.
I visited the Miracle Mile location to simultaneously watch my two most important games of last Saturday – USC Football & NY Yankees Playoffs – and mangia on the following:
The Grubdown:
- string cheesy, light on the sauce, thin crust that's not too crispy or chewy Deluxe 10" Pizza with 5 Toppings ($8.95)
- lightly breaded, coulda used a little more crumb than fry, incredible chunky marinara Homemade Zucchini Sticks ($6.45)
If you're a Yankees fan, you'll definitely feel at home walking into Rocco's. The guy at the register dons a NY Yankees cap, the tables are dressed in red & white checkered cloths, the TVs are showing the latest ball game, and the owners come from Staten Island.
The Pizza tastes like NY too. The Crust is thin and airy. The Cheese is stringy, the Peppers are crisp, the Pepperoni is spicy but limp, and the Sauce is incredible – so much so, I had to ask for more on the side. It's chunky, tangy, a little sweet, and I wanted to drink it up. The Pizza as a whole is not heavy in the least, so you might have that Garfield-Lasagna urge to keep on shoving it in.
The Homemade Zucchini Sticks (forgot to snap a picture) are lightly breaded and dusted with Parmesan. They're a little too crisp on the outside and limp on the inside, but the chunky Marinara Sauce definitely makes up for it.
Beers on Tap include Peroni, Miller Lite, Blue Moon, Sam Adams, Sam Adams Seasonal, and Sierra Nevada all for $4.50. For a lighter beer that's crisply carbonated and flavorful go for the Peroni at 5.1% ABV.
Other items on the menu include Fried Shrimp Basket ($8.45), Rocco's Famous Wings ($4.95-$7.95), Tuna Salad Hero ($6.95), Vodka Pizza Pie ($18.95), Fettucini Alfredo ($8.95), and Eggplant or Chicken Parmesan ($10.45-11.95). They also have a "Kids Corner" Menu with Mozzarella Wedges ($5.95), "Italian Mac & Cheese" aka Baked Ziti ($5.95), and Spinach or Cheese Ravioli ($5.95).
Whether you wanna watch the game, cater your party, or just get delivery, Rocco's is your next friendly, neighborhood pizza place – unless you're a Red Sox fan.
Follow @RoccosTavern for game announcements and specials.
6335 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA. (323) 655-0058.
That pizza looks amazing! You wouldnt find one that nice, or that cheap in the UK!
Posted by: Hampers | 10/22/2010 at 06:49 AM