I was starving when I strolled into KBella Pizza on a brisk Monday late afternoon. I’d had no breakfast, no lunch, just vibes.
I’d looked over the menu and scoured Yelp and had a game plan going in, but nothing could have prepared me for how good this food was.
Obviously their big ticket item is pizza, and they serve it in teglia, a Roman-style pie with thickish, square cut slices. I say thickish because I’m from Chicago and nothing is as thick as deep dish, aka BBL pizza.
My Margherita pizza was fresh as the day is long, an airy, demure bite that belies its hearty portion. I’ve never had a pizza slice that felt like an amuse-bouche, a fluffy and flavorful lead-up to even heartier dishes.
Courtesy of KBELLA IG
The Arancini Di Riso was a trinity of delicious rice balls that were as crispy as they were savory with a side of house made pomodoro that served as the Robin to its Batman.
I have to highlight here just how fresh everything tastes. Sara Lofton, the Milanese braintrust behind Sara the Wine Bar, imports high-quality ingredients from Italy and her cooks make pizzas on an Italian-imported stove.
Authenticity is paramount here, and she’s paired with Chef Andy Barbato, whose roots trace back to the prestigious Gambero Rosso school in Italy. You can taste the love in every bite.
My lamb ragu panini was a real highlight, a comfort dish that’s both hearty and delicate vis-a-vis the once-again light and airy homemade Foccacia bread. This is the food I’d make at home if only the Rosso school would let me in.
Photo by Mikey Hart
I finished the dinner portion with a Neapolitan style pizza with burrata, mortadella, basil pesto, and pistachio. I was so happy I’d saved room for all this food, because I could’ve eaten two of these whole.
Every ingredient worked in harmony here, with the succulent mortadella and the rich, garlicky basil pesto prominently hitting my palate. I could eat this everyday, which I probably told Sara three or four times.
You can feel her passion for food and family above all else. While I was there, both her daughter and mother stopped by for a bite. Three generations of talent and tenacity in one restaurant with palpable love between them.
Photo by The Knockturnal
I finished my fantastic flight with a Bombolini Con Crema desert that I enthusiastically housed. The extra fluffy donut dough, rolled in sugar and filled with vanilla bean cream, was the perfect way to end a beautiful meal.
Can’t stress enough how buoyant I felt after so much food, which I attribute to the imported flour used in all the pizza and bread doughs. One slice of Dominos leaves me comatose, yet here I was ready to take a long, luxurious walk through Culver City after. The espresso she gave me on the way out didn’t hurt either.
Make your way to this truly unique concept in LA’s food scene. Get in before the lines stretch from Culver City to Rome.