When I received notice of the national pizza convention, an annual extravaganza in Las Vegas, I learned that 50 percent of Americans buy their pizzas from "independents."
Despite the incredible promotion campaigns mounted by national pizza corporations, to say nothing of the daredevil drivers who careen around neighborhoods at all hours of the day and night, many of us still like our neighborhood favorites.One of the city's most popular local pizza places is Litza's, sharing the same corner (and management) as Hire's Drive Inn. While there isn't a rotund Luigi tossing and stretching the freshly made dough into thin crusts like the haunts of my youth, the youthful crew turns out a pizza that would match many of the pizzas from ethnic enclaves along the East Coast.
On our recent visit we sampled several pizzas as well as a calzone ($4.05), an oven-baked pizza turnover with cheese fillings that include ricotta. When blended with a choice of regular pizza toppings, the steaming inside is extra moist. The dinner salads and garlic bread are also nicely prepared. The salads ($1.95 for the small) are a cold mix of greens covered with pieces of red cabbage and aromatic white onion. The house Roquefort is flavorful but not overpowering.
Litza's offers the customer several choices of crust, including thin, regular or pan style (for which there is an extra charge). Our regular crusts were just right, with a slight bit of flour on the bottom, a nicely seasoned tomato sauce, just enough mozzarella and toppings.
Toppings choices run the gamut, from anchovies to pineapple. I am partial to the former, which protects my allocated pieces from pilfering by my children, who have yet to discover the robustness these salted minnows bring to pizza. (Of course they don't balk at spicy pepperoni.)
While the vegetable toppings are fresh, we were disappointed by the canned mushrooms and the finely ground sausage whose texture more than taste was flat. But when other essential ingredients like crust and sauce are in place, it is pretty hard to distract one from enjoying Litza's pizza.
Litza's also serves lasagna and spaghetti dinners ($5.85 and $4.85), which come with bread and salad. An a la carte chef salad along with other takeout orders like spaghetti sauce, garlic butter and a basket of garlic bread ($1.20 for four slices) are offered on the menu along with the reasonably priced pizzas. Prices range from $3.45 for an 8-inch plain cheese to $10.75 for a 15-inch special combination that comes with 5-meat and vegetable toppings. Spicy sausage and jalapeno peppers can also be added to any of the pizzas.
Since Litza's first opened in 1965 (named after founder Don Hale's daughter Lisa), it has offered fresh and consistent quality to its many loyal customers.
Rating: * * *
Litza's, 716 E. 400 South, 359-5352; also 2878 W. 4700 South, West Valley City, 965-1010. Open Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. until 11 p.m.; until 12:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday. Accepts check with guarantee card.