What to Know
- Danny Boy's Famous Original opened on Aug. 5; the eatery is open Mondays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to start
- Find it inside Halo at 330 S. Hope Street
- Cheese, pepperoni, meatball, and other pizzas are available by the slice; vegan and gluten-free options are available, too
Fondly reminiscing about a trip to New York City might include that last-minute ticket you snagged to the matinee of the hot-hot Broadway musical, a leafy autumn walk through Central Park, and roaming through the Medieval Art collection at The Met.
And the recollection of the sizable slice you devoured holding a ripple-edged paper plate outside a pizzeria boasting quick counter service?
That is appetizingly enshrined in your Food Memories Hall of Fame forever, as it should be.
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If you've been craving a counter service-style slice for some time, a hankering known to basically every maven of a well-sauced, beautifully topped, ultra-cheesy pie, here's some good news: Danny Boy's Famous Original, a shop rife with "New York nostalgia," just opened in DTLA.
Helmed by Chef Daniel Holzman, a pizza-knowing pro who got his culinary start at Le Bernardin (yep, the Michelin-starred NYC gem) when he was just 15, Danny Boy's Famous Original boasts a plethora of pies that can be enjoyed whole or by the slice.
Pizza types include a classic cheese, a pepperoni (naturally), meatball, Greek salad, and a Sicilian slice that is gluten-free. You can construct your own pie, if that's your pleasure, or go with a traditional, cheese-gooey sandwich like a Meatball Parm.
Garlic knots, Caesar salad, and Italian ices are also on the pizza-complementing line-up.
"As a classically trained chef, I approach pizza with reverence. Pizza isn't fast food; it's one of America's most important dishes. And to understand how to make it great, I deconstructed everything about it," says Holzman, who also co-founded The Meatball Shop in New York City, in addition to working in acclaimed eateries on both coasts.
"I searched out masters across the country, learned the history, and sampled thousands of pies. I interrogated oven makers, traveled to tomato farms, tried grains from countless flour mills, and experimented with the perfect cheese blend. And after hundreds of different recipes served to friends and family... I finally arrived at some damn good pizza."
"LA is home to some of the greatest pizza in the world. I'm proud to join the community, striving daily to make the best pie I can."
That pizza will be served in a shop that takes its unfussy inspiration and authentic vibe from a shop Chef Holzman used to visit with his dad when he was a kid, adding another layer of love to the new venture.
Do keep in mind that Danny Boy's is only open Mondays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for now, but hours and days will bubble and expand, much like a pizza growing hot in an oven.
Your best bet while you're busy daydreaming about sinking your teeth into a sensational slice?
Watch the Instagram for Danny Boy's Famous Original for updates, information, and lots of perfect pizza pictures, too.
