21020 Ventura Blvd
Woodland Hills
818-883-4136
Yes, I am a fan of deep dish Chicago pizza, and I will travel far and wide to find good examples of deep dish Chicago pizza in LA. But, I think the problem is people don't have a proper understanding of what deep dish Chicago pizza is. Many people think a pizza cooked in a pan or has a thicker crust, is deep dish Chicago pizza. Newsflash people; it is NOT. Deep dish Chicago pizza is about layers of chunky sauce, cheese and toppings.
I was told that Paoli's is a deep dish Chicago pizza. When I walked in, another person was picking up his order and opened the pizza box and I knew right then, Paili's is NOT a deep dish Chicago pizza, just a thick crust or pan pizza. Another thing I would soon find out, Paoli's has the been sausage pizza in LA.
I got a large sausage, $15.25. This may look like deep dish pizza but really it is a thick or pan crust. The crust is a bit doughy, not buttery, with no cornmeal on the bottom. But the toppings!! Just awesome. The chunky tomatoes sauce were mild, not tangy or overly sweet, just perfect. And the homemade sausage, wow, just WOW. Whoever supplies Paoli's their meat for their sausage is awesome. The sausage has a nice mild flavor, nothing overpowering but perfectly seasoned.
This was well worth the price.
Large sausage, pesto, white sauce, $20. They have a special name for this pizza, under the Specialty Pizzas, but I forget the name. But, this pizza was interesting. Instead of red sauce, this was an Alfredo sauce, which was ok, nothing great. But the pesto was a perfect mixture of basil, garlic, and olive oil. It wasn't overpowering and worked well with the pizza.
Service was a bit slow and inattentive. After we got seated, it took them awhile to come back and get our drink orders. Then it took forever to get our drinks. Then it took forever for our order to be taken. The place wasn't busy by any means, not sure why it took so long.
If you're expecting deep dish Chicago pizza from Paoli's, you will be disappointed, their pizza is not deep dish Chicago pizza. But, if you like pizza, you will love their sausage pizza. I feel it is the best sausage pizza in LA.
