Pie Boy Pizzeria Just Tip of the Iceberg for 5th and Hill
Pamela Rouse
[Flickr]
Chef Brian Kiepler and V.P. of Operations Doug Rausenberger inside Pie Boy Pizzeria, which they just opened at 456 S. Hill.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Pie Boy Pizzeria soft-opened quietly at 5th and Hill last week, replacing a kosher pizzeria that had failed to generate much business traction. "People want pepperoni on their pizza," co-owner Doug Rausenberger explains. "Pepperoni just isn't Kosher."
While he's excited about the pizzeria, Rausenberger says that the casual eatery is just "a prelude of great things to come" in the Pershing Square Building, where a team that includes building owner Jeffrey Fish and Executive Chef Brian Kiepler is focused on a rooftop restaurant and bar that should be open by late summer.
Rausenberger, whose title is Vice President of Operations, and Kiepler both have impressive restaurant credentials, the former as Regional Manager of Border Grill restaurants and the latter as Executive Chef of Nick + Stef's Steakhouse.
A construction snag held up plans for the building's rooftop restaurant and lounge, which will occupy three levels on the top of the 1914 building. With time to kill, they turned their attention to revamping the pizzeria. The design is the work of Alexis Roworth of Flex Designs, whose offices are on an upper floor of the building.
Everything is done in-house and the dough is hand made. "Every bite is just phenomenal," Rausenberger says.
The menu includes pizzas with red, white, or green (pesto based) sauce and a variety of topping selections. The "Baked Birds and Wings" is a baked chicken with roasted garlic sauce or hot wings served w/ bleu cheese sauce. They also have pressed "Pie-Ninis" starting at $4.00. While you can eat inside, they do offer delivery within a five block radius.
Currently that delivery is only good until 8pm, the pizzeria's closing time, but Rausenberger says that will change. For now they are giving things a month or so to settle in and gauge traffic. They expect they may be open later Thursday through Saturday at some point.
The future restaurant, which has yet to be named, will be a blend of eclectic cuisines. "It's all farm to table," Kiepler says. Everything comes from local ranches. The menu will include small plate dishes varying in price point from around $6- $12. "We want people to share and try different kinds of food" he says.
Along with the rooftop, the building is also approved for a ground floor restaurant and a basement bar, which could potentially be a jazz club. Final plans have yet to be set.
For now, the attention stays on the pizzas.
Pie Boy Pizzeria / 456 S. Hill / Monday - Saturday, 11am - 8pm / 213.627.9990
Guest on April 14, 2010, at 09:22PM – #1
Great work Fish man. Can we get delvery at the summer concerts in the park?
Dixon on April 18, 2010, at 12:18AM – #2
Alas, they could have stayed kosher. Kosher pepperoni exists!
http://www.jewishfood-list.com/recipes/beef_veal/kosherpepperoni01.html
Dennis Smith on April 18, 2010, at 09:48AM – #3
Ciscustop,
Kosher pepperoni may exist but you couldn't put it on a pizza that is topped with cheese as kosher rules require the observant to not mix milk with meat.
Guest on April 19, 2010, at 05:19PM – #4
Really nice staff, but I'd have to disagree with the "Every bite is just phenomenal" self-review. The food (we tried a pizza and a roasted chicken) was underwhelming and a huge disappointment at best.
Guest on April 19, 2010, at 08:34PM – #5
I have been to Pie Boy twice and I think it is great, and will get better. My forcast is it will become a favorite in downtown. Great experience all the way around. Owners are the best. Diane
Guest on May 11, 2010, at 01:48AM – #6
Pitfire is the only decent pizza downtown so far.
The rest sucks. The new place at 7th and Main really super sucks.
Hoping this place is at least average. Hard to hope for great.
saquanda lewis (@sdot96) on September 16, 2010, at 06:40PM – #7
I called to place an order for delivery to work. The menu has a map of the delivery radius and my office is clearly within that radius (Between 110, 101, 10 freeways and Alameda) My job on the corner of Temple and Hill St, the next street south of the building is 1st st. Pie Boy is at 5th and Hill. So, I;m confused as to why they refused to deliver to us, stating it was out of the delivery area??????? Another reason given was that the delivery guide was on a bike. He can't ride 4-5 blocks?!?!? Too bad, my office is always looking for new lunch delivery places....