Urbano Pizza Bar (Los Angeles, CA)

Urbano Pizza Bar
630 W 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Dining date: 11/14/11

There aren’t many good options for pizza downtown. Bottega Louie serves a good, though somewhat inconsistent, pie. Drago Centro can make one, but it’s definitely not a focal point. And chains like Pitfire and California Pizza Kitchen are around. So, whenever a new pizza place opens up, it has the potential to fill a sizable void.

Urbano Pizza Bar opened in June from the same owners of the next-door Library Bar, CoffeeBar and Spring Street Bar. Given that it’s close to the office, I’ve been a few times for lunch.

Looking for a last-minute dinner choice with 7 co-workers, someone mentioned Urbano. Given there was recently a BlackboardEats promotion, this was perfect timing.

The menu is made up of a large number small plates (almost all under $10)  and about 10 pizza options ($12-18).  A small list of wines and craft beers are also available.

BEEF MEATBALLS with warm pizza bread

This was the lone appetizer ordered in a sea of pizzas and it was a good one. The meatball was good; dense, with a meaty and herbal flavor…as expected. What separated this dish was the warm pizza bread. Fresh out of the oven, it was soft, slightly chewy and was the perfect bread for a meatball sandwich. I foresee a lunch based on this dish in the near future.

FUNGHI wild mushrooms, burrata, red onion, tomato, thyme

We had a vegan at the table, so the one pictured had no cheese. I’ve had this pizza (with cheese) at a previous lunch; the mushrooms added an in-your-face, strong earthy flavor to the pie. Definitely good for the mushroom-lover.

QUATTRO FORMAGGI mozzarella, fontina, gorgonzola, parmigiano, castelvatrano olives

Of the pizzas we ordered, this one sounded like the most boring and it didn’t prove to me otherwise. It was fine but I didn’t think it had much depth.

SOPRESSATA mozzarella, fresno chili, tomato, scallions

In previous visits, this has been my favorite. The sopressata and chili are balanced very well, lending both meaty and spicy flavor profiles. Some scallions provided a fresh bite.

SALSICCIA fennel sausage, caramelized onions, tomato, mozzarella

Good sausage. For some reason, I thought the caramelized onions were a little bit too sweet though.

SCIMMIETTA smoked bacon, pumpkin, goat cheese

This may have been my favorite of the pizzas served that night. Perfect for the season, the sweet, creamy pumpkin worked well in tandem with the smoky bacon. The goat cheese was not too pungent, adding an extra richness and creaminess to the pie. Very good.

I don’t think Urbano will make any “best-of-LA” pizza lists, but it’s a very viable option downtown. Is the pizza better than Bottega Louie? Hmm…maybe. I’m not sure, but they’re close. The pizzas at Urbano are a little more creative, topping-wise; but I think some were better balanced, flavor-wise, than others. The crust has been crispy yet chewy, and pretty consistent across visits and pies.