Little Doms

2128 Hillhurst Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027
T: 323-661-0055
F: 323-661-0066
www.littledoms.com

Hours:
Breakfast, Lunch all day, 8am - 3pm
Sunday-Thursday 6pm - 11pm
Friday and Saturday 6pm - 12am

I'm a total sucker for going to restaurants that show up on the Travel Channel and The Food Network. So when I saw this place on the Food Network's "The Best Food I Ever Ate" and realized it was in my neck of the woods, I knew that it was only a matter of time. I love breakfast and I love pizza, and I didn't know what "speck" was so last Sunday I called in my order and then headed over for pickup.

I got to the restaurant and it was almost empty. That worried me because come on, it was a Sunday morning. The restaurant is a cute little place with a little bar and booth area and an upper level with more seating. I instantly fell in love. At that point it wasn't a matter if I was going to stay to have breakfast (even though it meant being late for work), but whether I was going to sit in a booth or outside on the curb on a beautiful sunny day. I picked inside and as soon as I sat down they put my breakfast pizza in front of me. Note to self: from now on call your order in for takeout, then quickly change your mind- that way your food is ready when you arrive.



Sad to say, I was a little disappointed at the pizza. Apparently "speck" is just pancetta. It's served on a crispy flatbread with the lightest layer of pizza sauce that I'm tempted to say it only counts as a hint of tomato sauce. Of course there's the requisite mozzarella cheese which was nothing special and it's topped with your choice of one egg or two. They bring it out to you on a wooden cutting board with a cut out paper grocery bag as the liner. I liked this rustic way of serving the food, but I didn't like that I wasn't given a plate. This would have been messy had I not been eating alone.

I was also disappointed at the service. The staff was really nice and laid back, but there were little slip ups. My knife looked like it hadn't been washed, so I avoided using it altogether. The coffee was served in a little 3 cup teapot, which was nice so I could give myself refills a la IHOP, but when I poured out the coffee, a bell pepper seed dropped into my cup. Whoa! Plus there was a smear of red pizza sauce on the saucer, so strike three. Then to top it all off, the busboy accidentally poured coffee on my booth seat and didn't say anything. Had I not seen the coffee sitting there after 10 minutes, I would have walked out with coffee butt.

Surprisingly, in spite of the carelessness of service, I still plan to return. I'm going back not just to try the wild boar bacon (which in retrospect I should have ordered on my pizza instead of the speck) but I just love the restaurant. It's just sedate and has that old timey restaurant feel, much like I imagine Musso and Frank's would have been like in its day. It has gorgeous white, red, and brown tones, big picture windows so you can get a lot of sun, and is just a nice place for brunch. Even though I tend to be a stickler about good service and hygienic environments, atmosphere trumps that in my book. How do I know I liked the place in spite of the mildly annoying breach in service? I tipped them well. That's how I know I'll return anywhere- when I feel I have to lay the groundwork for them not to spit into my next meal.

Although it was lovely, it wasn't great. For someone to think that this was the best pizza they'd ever had, that tells me that they haven't had enough pizza. For a breakfast pizza that will knock your socks off, try the one at Pizzetta 211 in San Francisco. The place is all the way out in the Richmond, which to me counts as being in another country, but it's worth getting a passport if that's the case. I'll be home in a San Francisco in day or two and that place is definitely on the list.