It’s a delightful dilemma – with all the delicious food in Culver City, sometimes it’s challenging to choose. And all the fantastic pizza, that’s a long category unto itself. La Rocco’s, Pitfire, Grey Block; all pretty wonderful. As the modern proverb says, there is really no such thing as bad pizza. But the difference between just pizza and really amazing pizza is the time that goes into it. Fresh ingredients, carefully prepared, served hot; all those things matter.
From the patio at Wildcraft Pizza, facing east, you can see that long line of Culver Boulevard to where it conjuncts with Washington. During the day, the pedestrians enjoying the sunshine. At night, the trees are lit with a sense of celebration. It’s a sweet spot to sit with a craft beer (the list is long) or a glass of wine (more than a few good choices) and just look at the city. Always better to sit outside, as it’s one of those places that unhappily feels the need to have several large television sets inside going at all times. The patio is the place to relax, and enjoy the company and the food.
If you are waiting for someone to join you, you can wait with some garlic knots or arancini, fried risotto balls filled with melted mozzarella and served with a slightly spicy marinara sauce. Garlic knots are great little bread twists loaded with garlic, and both dishes make a great appetizer with a cold drink.
Salads are cool (particularly when it’s more than 90 degrees at lunchtime) and all of them seem to be served with almost a cup of feathery, freshly grated parmesan cheese. Hearts of Romaine is a perfect little Caesar with the addition of artichokes. The Butcher’s Chopped Salad has a feast of fresh veggies, lovely salami and tangy provalone, but the beans, garbanzo and gigante, were sadly undercooked. The one thing in the salad that you don’t want to crunch is the beans. No fault could be found in Bloomsdale Spinach salad, with beets, chevre, and avocado dressed with a blissful balsmaic and walnut oil vinagrette.
But the pizza is the reason to come here; a fresh sourdough crust that is soft but chewy, crisp in all the best places. Wildcraft pies are pizza you can’t find anywhere else in town. Divided into red and white, the Bacon Fontina and the O. G. are textbook perfect but unique, both with oven cured tomatoes (instead of a red sauce) and cheeses that blend the toppings together with a subtle mellowness. Among the white, the ‘Cuatro Queso’ offers ricotta, mozzarella, fontina and parmesan with chopped chives for a bit of greenery. Another favorite is the Burrata – fried rosemary and pistachio topping some really relaxed burrata cheese, squash blossoms, and citrus oil. You won’t find that on anyone else’s menu.
The oils are a great note to notice, because it’s that kind of attention to detail that makes this place such a great choice. Come early enough to look around, and take your time deciding. You could have a delicious dilemma to resolve.
9725 Culver Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232
310.815.8100
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