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A Square Pie Surprise Hides in the Heart of the Arts District

To find the new De La Nonna, look for the patio string lights or follow the smell of sizzling cheese.

by Farley Elliott
A side angle shot of a square pizza side on an orange plate with white background.
Pizza from De La Nonna.
Wonho Frank Lee

Powerful pizza pop-up De La Nonna has gone legit in the Arts District. The personal-sized pan pizza specialists have been working pop-ups at places like Melody on Virgil, Little Prince in Santa Monica, and Employees Only in West Hollywood since the weary days of 2020, and now they’re ready to fire pies for the Downtown crowd.

Owners Patrick Costa, Jose Cordon, and Lee Zaremba aren’t just some fly-by-night trio, though; the project — like so many others — was born in part out of a sudden pandemic necessity. Costa has experience cooking as executive chef of the Hart and the Hunter; Zaremba was previously the bar director for Chicago’s Boka Group (known locally for a different Arts District restaurant, the new-ish Girl & the Goat); and Cordon spent three years running the bar at Venice’s Felix. Together, the group is finding inspiration from their grandmothers’ tables, whether that’s with vintage plateware, doilies served under cocktails, the bright flavors on the table and in the glass, or the kind of satisfying comfort food that is so often associated with great home cooking.

On the menu, De La Nonna offers a more robust experience than its previous pop-ups led on, with room for a raw bar (think yellowtail crudo and oysters by the half-dozen), salads, and starters like crispy trout dip. The pizzas are still the star of the show, priced individually in the $19 range and rotating with the market; drinks and dessert are available as well. The opening menu is below.

As for the space, the team takes over the former In Sheep’s Clothing at 710 E. 4th Place, with room for indoor and outdoor dining. The service model means simply queueing up to order at the bar before snagging a table either out under the string lights or inside the colorful restaurant with its retro red and white floor tiles, full bar, and leafy touches — all redesigned by Heather Tierney (The Butcher’s Daughter, Wanderlust Design). The secondary space that used to hold a HiFi bar is still under construction as a separate project and will likely open in the first half of next year.

De La Nonna is open as of Tuesday, November 16, keeping hours from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. to start, Tuesday through Saturday. Reservations can be made via Resy.

A plate of dip, crispy chips, and fresh veggies on a new restaurant table.
Smoked trout dip.
A vintage white plate with eggplants and fresh vegetables under lights at a restaurant.
Tuna tartare.
A close up shot of a leaf lettuce salad on an orange plate at a restaurant.
Fresh salads on the menu.
A tan plate with rectangle crispy tall bubble pizza at a restaurant.
Sicilian pizza with olives, red onion, capers, and pine nuts.
A side square shot of pizza with white sauce and mushrooms.
Roasted mushroom pizza.
A pile of fried dough balls on a pink plate resting on paper bag with side of chocolate in a cup.
Zeppole with chocolate and hazelnut ganache.
A dark machine turns out a boozy slushy at night in a restaurant.
Frozen Aperol spritz.
A creamy frozen spritz with a wedge of orange on a wooden table with doily beneath.
An overhead shot of a round table filled with different plates of food including pizza and drinks.
A corner look of a tiled room with green plants in the corner and leafy patterned seats at night.
Inside seating.
A long look down a new pizza restaurant with red and white tiles and candles.
Cozy evening seating.
A corner look at a wooden bar with leafy plants hanging from above and wooden stools beneath.
Patterned cushioned seating and red and white tiles at a new restaurant at night.
A round leafy booth with a fiddle leaf fig hanging above at a restaurant.
An evening look at a restaurant with wooden tables and green plants surrounding.
Brick-lined outdoor seating with string lights.
A long wooden table with green plants and string lights at night.
Evening seating around a planted tree with string lights at a new restaurant.
A look at the front register, coffee machine, and dim interior of a new restaurant.
A tilted sign painted on the brick side of a restaurant, at night.
A wide patio behind a tall wall, with glowing lights and tables.

De La Nonna

710 East 4th Place, , CA 90013 (213) 221-1268 Visit Website
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