From Naples, with love: Locale 90 features Neapolitan pizza and rare traditional fare [Restaurant Review]
Locale 90’s Enrique Amador with a Neapolitan pizza from the special, high-heat oven used to make Neapolitan pizzas. Photos
The restaurant scene in Los Angeles often resembles the Keystone Cops of silent movie fame, who had a running gag of many people trying to go through a door at the same time. Another way to get to the same place might be nearby, but that was ignored until the person they are chasing carelessly wanders out of it.
LA restaurateurs are chasing trendy foods, and as a result fad ingredients or items are suddenly offered almost everywhere. There are problems with this; when everybody has the same things on the menu, the ones that actually do something great with it get lost in the crowd. The best will hopefully survive the inevitable shakeout that will happen when trend-seekers jump to the next fad.
The pizza magherita at Locale 90.
Neapolitan pizza has been in the spotlight lately but restaurants serving it have little to fear from bandwagon-jumpers because it requires a special oven that is expensive and takes hours to heat to temperature. As soon as you see the one in the corner at Locale 90 in Hermosa you know they have the tools to do the job, and since they’re an offshoot of a successful location in Redondo you know they have the skill.
This branch feels different from the original, a bit more like a bistro thanks to stylish lighting and cozy mezzanine seating. The menu has evolved since I reviewed the original back in 2014 and now includes some fairly arcane items, though not, alas, an explanation of what they are. One of these is the piadina, which is basically a lump of pizza dough that is baked to order into a mini-loaf and then split to be made into a sandwich or crumbled for croutons. We tried a sandwich stuffed with prosciutto, tomato and pepper spread, and arugula and found it to be a fine light meal — the warm crusty bread with a dusting of herbs was delightful and the flavors inside were simple, fresh, and natural.
On another visit, we ordered a starter called farinata, a chickpea flour pancake that topped with arugula, tomatoes, and shaved parmesan cheese. Variants of this item are popular all over Italy and in Provence but it isn’t often seen in American restaurants, and that’s unfortunate. It’s just garbanzo flour, herbs, oil, and water made into a fluffy pancake, but it has a warm wholesomeness and is healthy to boot – gluten free, high-protein, and nutritious. Cheers are due to Locale 90 for offering it, but they really should let their customers know what it is.
Another item needs a description for a different reason. The Caesar salad appears to be the usual, lettuce with dressing, herbs, anchovies, and croutons, but they use fresh marinated anchovies here and it makes a big difference. When you bite into one of the little filets, instead of a blast of fishy saltiness you get a much less intense and more interesting flavor. Some people may prefer the balance of a traditional Caesar, but to me, this is almost a different salad.
As for the pizzas that are the main event here, they go well outside the ordinary without compromising their Italian ideal. On one memorable day, they offered a special white pizza with Brussels sprouts and n’duja, a spicy spreadable type of Italian meat paste from Calabria. If you haven’t had that before, think of a very peppery salami made into a rich, fatty meat spread. It went remarkably well with the cabbagey sprouts, and we were delighted that we happened to be there when it was offered.
There are some adventurous items on the regular menu too, such as a pizza puttanesca and a white (tomato-less) pizza with thyme-roasted mushrooms, shaved padano cheese, and chives. White pizzas made of flatbread topped with mild cheese are probably much older than tomato based pizzas; the first mention of a pizza is said to date from the year 997, at least 500 years before tomatoes made it to Italy. The fact that they lack that tangy sweetness of tomato sauce means that they can be more subtle, even bland. That’s certainly not a problem with this one because the roasted mushrooms with chives had plenty of flavor, and I could have easily eaten a bowl of them as a side order. If you haven’t had a white pizza before, or tried one and didn’t enjoy it, this is a great introduction to a new experience.
It’s unclear whether puttanesca sauce got its name because it was invented by Sicilian prostitutes or was compared to them because it’s hot and spicy, but it’s usually used for pastas rather than pizza. The tomato with anchovies, capers, olives, oregano, and chili shows a great new use for a classic sauce and is a must-have for those who like big flavors.
One thing to know about the toppings here: don’t expect the lavish pile of meat and vegetables you get in a New York pie. Not only will the ultra-thin crust not support it, it’s not how people in Italy like it. These are lighter and more delicate, and if you order one pizza per person you’re likely to be pleasantly full and have no leftovers.
Locale 90 offers a selection of wines and local beers at reasonable prices, with almost everything below ten dollars a glass. The Santandi Vermentino was a noteworthy pairing with the spicy dishes, a white that blossoms in the presence of vinegar and peppers.
Desserts are offered including a pizza topped with nutella and powdered sugar that looked and smelled wonderful as it went by, but on my recent visits, we hadn’t left enough room for one. It looked rich enough to be a fine finish for at least four people, who would have to take a long walk on the beach afterward to burn off the calories.
Locale 90 is a specialist at what they do, and they deserve praise for sticking to their Italian roots while others chase trends. If you’re looking for a moderately priced but excellent lunch or dinner just steps from the beach, it’s worth a visit.
Locale 90 is at 1040 Hermosa Avenue in Hermosa. Open daily at 11:30 a.m. – open until 3 p.m. and then from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Su-Thu, open all day until 10 p.m. Fr-Sa. Street parking, wheelchair access OK. Beer and wine served, corkage $15, some vegetarian items. Menu at locale90.com, phone 310-372-9090.