Riva

I went to LAX last night to pick up my brother and of course we were going to get something to eat. It was the start of Chinese New Year so of course a seat at the counter of Chinois, a place we had been to a few years ago and a place I used to go to sit at the counter and steal ideas, watch techniques (Kazuto splitting the live lobster and then putting it in the wok), and of course eat great food. However, Gung Hay Fa Choy, the menu was a special tasting menu for $95.00 and while a few years ago we would have dived right in we have gotten a little too old to eat that much too late. So we got the car back from the valet and went to Joe's Restaurant in Venice. He is a dear friend for years and I see him at the Farmer's Market most every week and I had been wanting to go there for quite a while. We'll sit at the counter and eat some appetizers, maybe split an entree I told my brother, but alas by 8:15 on Sunday they could no longer take walk ins because they were running out of food and they wanted to make sure they had enough for their reservations. So what's next.
Riva, just reviewed in the L.A. Times and in a space I new well. Formerly owned by my former friend Bruce Beach. It used to be a dark and almost dirty space but Jason( an aquaintance from the farmer's market and owner and chef at Fraiche in Culver City) has turned it into an inviting place completely different from before ( I never did see it in its past incarnation as Scarbonis(?)) with space and windows.And most of all pizza.Great crust, not too expensive and a nice place to sit and eat and talk. Now a days its all about the crust and with the wood burning oven this crust is great( of course my crust turned out great on New Years day with the oven at my friend's house but I use cheese like I'm from New York not Italy).
So if you have a chance enjoy the pizza and remember that the Sage and Sage on the Coast Chinese New Years tasting menus are only $35.00 and they include a fortune cookie after dessert.