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When it comes to comfort food, it’s hard to beat the pizza and pasta staples of southern Italian cooking. And since 1968, Folliero’s Pizza and Italian Food has been a beacon for all those in need of those simple comforts. More than just a good pizza place, this salt-of-the-earth restaurant offers a solid red sauce-based menu with a good range of lunch and dinner options for both meat-eaters and vegetarians.

As the restaurant’s name implies, pizza is their claim to fame. A few months ago, the L.A. Times included Folliero’s on a short list of best places to find New York-style pizza, pizza that has neither the phone-book thickness of the pies baked in Chicago nor the cracker dough that’s so prevalent in Philadelphia. Folliero’s gets it right. Their pies are as close to those produced by Brooklyn pizzerias as any to be found in L.A

On their non-pizza menu, they offer two red sauces: a marinara that’s pleasantly heavy on the garlic and a standard tomato that’s thick and sweet and just a little light on spices. Their pasta is almost “al dente:” the rigatoni in a great dish, “Rigatoni Rene,’ is a little bit soft but the plate makes for a delicious and hearty meal with garlic-studded eggplant, a healthy portion of mozzarella topping, all flavorfully complemented by the marinara. Other pasta offerings include a “spaghetti cecco” with chunks of tomato and such standbys as linguini in clam sauce, all under $9.00, all generously portioned.

Salads include a caprese, priced at $5.25, which arrives as eight discs of whole milk mozzarella sitting atop beds of fresh basil and good tomatoes. The antipasto ($8.95), is really more of an “antipasto salad,” with chopped ham, mortadella, provolone, salami and tomatoes. Both were satisfyingly full meals. And for those who want something extra, side orders of almost everything else are available at very low prices, including mozzarella ($1) anchovies (four for $1) sausages ($3) meatballs ($2).

Sandwiches are particularly good deals: meatball, sausage, eggplant parmigiana are all available at $4.50 and arrive on warm, fresh, crusty bread. And in a concession to one of the great Los Angeles eastside cultural quirks, they even offer a pastrami sandwich: an Italian restaurant serving a Mexican version of a Jewish traditional dish. Perfect.
Other menu items include all the standards: chicken cacciatore, veal patty or eggplant parmigiana. There are only two desserts on the menu: a crème caramel that’s really basic flan, tasting light and fluffy with a sweet caramel sauce. And there’s a homemade tiramisu featuring layers of sponge cake, cream and chocolate. Both work well to satisfy any sweet tooth.

This is not a fancy menu, but it’s reliably good food and the prices make it one of the best deals in town.

And yes, you should also try their pizza.
Cash only.
Folliero's is located at 5566 No. Figueroa Street
Telephone: 323-254-0505
Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
Sat.-Sun. noon-9:30 p.m.