Cosa Buona

LA isn’t lacking in high-end pizza (Pizzeria Mozza, Pizzana…), but Cosa Buona is the casual red sauce joint we desperately needed. At his follow up restaurant to Alimento, Zack Pollack turns out soul-satisfying Italian-American dishes that wouldn’t feel out of place in New Jersey. The smoky mozzarella sticks might be the best we’ve ever had. Arriving at the table piping hot, extremely crispy, and appropriately gooey, they’ll keep everyone from the kids to the grandparents happy. Chicken wings, smothered in a red hot sauce and served with a gorgonzola dip, are a far cry from what you typically get delivered on lazy nights. Luckily for you, Cosa Buona is available through Caviar, so your Monday night football just got a whole lot better. Salads are a must when in LA and the chopped version, piled high with top grade salami and provolone, is enough to convert even the most ardent meat and potato diners. It would be a mistake to leave without trying a pizza and our pick is the Hawaiian. Everything from its leopard spotted crust to the pineapple and candied bacon is perfect. To round out the meal, we like the thick wedge of cookies and cream semifreddo pie. It’s got the right amount of mint flavor and the cookies crumbled on top are just the finishing touch we need. Drinks are limited to beer and wine, but we didn’t feel like we were missing much. One typically doesn’t need a margarita when digging into an eggplant parm…

Style: Italian

Address: 2100 W Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026 (Echo Park)

Hours: Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 11:30AM-2:30PM and 5:30-10:30PM, Friday 11:30AM-2:30PM and 5:30-11:30PM, Saturday 5:30-11:30PM, Sunday 5:30-10:30PM

Menu: cosabuona.com