Dining Out

When Italian immigrants came to the United States and settled in New

York they brought a gift -- the recipe for pizza -- one with a

cracker-thin crust like you’ll find at Brooklyn Pizza in the Ralph’s

Meadowlark Center.

Owner Lou Scotto learned the business from his uncle who owned 64 New

York pizza places. Opened two and a half years, Brooklyn Pizza looks like

a fast food place but it serves an extensive menu of restaurant-quality

Italian specialties -- beginning with some unusual starters like spinach

rolls (small, $7; large, $11) with fresh sauteed spinach rolled in dough

like a cinnamon bun, toasted and served with dipping sauce.

The calzone, (small, $8; large, $13) which could have been a good

lunch selection was disappointing -- the folded crust, thick and heavy,

held slices of salami and cappicola (rather like sandwich ham slices)

with onions and peppers. Though it looked appetizing, the whole thing was

more crust than filling.

All the baked dishes and pastas begin with soup or salad. The salad is

really big -- “I made it with love,” our server/manager Cindy Lee says as

she brings a serving bowl loaded with greens, sliced onions, black olives

and slivered mozzarella that could have been a light lunch in itself.

Lasagna ($9), hot from the oven with the marinara sauce still sizzling

around the wide, flat pasta, is layered with ricotta cheese and meat

topped with melted mozzarella but was lacking in zest usually found in

Italian sauces. It comes with a basket filled with toasted Italian bread

that is just right.

Handmade ravioli ($9), a dozen meat-stuffed pasta pockets, is the

choice for dinner with the thick tomato marinara. Especially good is the

firm, slightly chewy pasta embellished with plenty of the zesty sauce and

herbs.

Pizza here is “East Coast style,” hand tossed with a thin crust (mini,

$7; Sicilian, $15). There is a choice of 20 toppings -- everything from

the usual sausage and peppers to specials ($2 extra) like artichoke,

spinach and sun dried tomatoes.

There are also low-priced specials ($6) with a salad, a slice from a

large pizza and a drink that are good balanced selections.

There are no desserts at Brooklyn Pizza -- it’s strictly pizza and

pasta with all its variations -- great to eat in (there’s also an outside

patio) or take home to share while watching TV.

* MARY FURR is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have comments

or suggestions, call (562) 493-5062 or e-mail o7 hbindy@latimes.com.f7

FYI

Brooklyn Pizza

WHERE: 5205 Warner Ave, at Bolsa Chica Street

HOURS: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 9 a.m. to noon

Sunday

PHONE: (714) 377-8855