Steve Samson Is Opening a New Pizza Shop Called Superfine in Downtown LA

Steve Samson, who founded Sotto and serves some of LA’s best Neapolitan-style pizza there, is opening a by-the-slice and large format thin-crust pizza just steps from his restaurant Rossoblu in Downtown LA.

Located in a former Fashion District restaurant, Superfine pizza will serve 18 inch pizzas whole and by-the-slice once it opens within a few weeks (or earlier, depending on final health permits). The tiny pizza spot, designed to eventually expand to multiple locations if it becomes popular, will serve seasonally-driven, vegetable-heavy pizzas for around $4 a slice and starting at $20 for a whole pie before toppings. It’ll also have some sausage and pepperoni too, in case anyone’s pining for meat on their pizzas.

Samson said he’d been mulling over a slice spot for a while now, incorporating New York-style pizza elements and adjusting the crust to have some of that patented Big Apple crisp, but with a bit more Neapolitan chew. The result is a bit of a hybrid pizza style that Samson will bake in electric pizza ovens. Because the oven gets so hot, it’s possible for these pizza crusts to cook quickly and efficiently. At Sotto, Samson’s preparing traditional wood-fired pizzas, but at Superfine he’ll bake pies at around 620 degrees.

Samson found inspiration for the name Superfine from some vintage, handpainted signage from the City Market South’s (the project that houses Rossoblu) past as a wholesale produce warehouse. Looking through some old signs with his designer, he saw one that said “Superfine Produce,” and thought it was a catchy name for his casual pizza joint. Don’t worry, he filed a trademark for Superfine pizza, in case any of those old companies might have a bone to pick with the name.

Ideally, Superfine will be open late, serving spill out crowds from Dama, which is opening across the courtyard from Rossoblu. In order to make it safer operation, Superfine will only take credit card for payment, preventing the need to hold large amounts of cash on site.

• Steve Samson Talks Legacy, Personality, and His Massive Downtown LA Project [ELA]
• All Rossoblu Coverage [ELA]