LAReview
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Cosa Buona
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LA’s pizza problem is not that we don’t have any. The problem is that most of our good pizza lives in either high-end restaurants where you’ll pay $75 a head, or hyper-popular places you can’t get into for another two weeks. It’s tough to find good, casual, walk-in neighborhood pizzerias in this town, but Cosa Buona is an excellent example of one.
By neighborhood pizzeria, we mean the kind of spot that, no matter what day of the week it is, you know you can roll in with a few friends, get a table, drink some beer, and eat pizza until you can’t see. And that’s what Cosa Buona is. Don’t be fooled by its pedigree (it’s run by the Alimento crew) - this tiny spot on a corner in Echo Park is very low-key. It feels like the kind of place 90’s sitcom characters congregate at the end of every episode to talk about their week. Unfortunately, we’ve yet to find Corey and Topanga huddled in a back booth, but you will find the rest of neighborhood here, enjoying a menu that goes far beyond just some solid pizza.
photo credit: Jakob Layman
You can go to Cosa Buona, order a sausage or margherita pie, and walk out pleased with your evening. However, some of the best things here are in the appetizer section, and ordering them is an absolute requirement. The meatballs, with toasted focaccia and a tennis ball-sized dollop of burrata, are fantastic. The spicy potatoes diavola are covered in Italian fire and are ideal for passing around the table. But the real crown jewel of the appetizers, and probably the whole menu, are the housemade mozzarella sticks - perfect, deep-fried mozzarella accompanied by a marinara sauce for aggressive dipping. You won’t have felt this alive since Kevin McCormick’s 7th grade sleepover.
There’s nothing wrong with good pizza in big, fancy restaurants. However, there is something wrong when there’s not enough bad pizza at the casual spots. Cosa Buona is here to change that with fantastic, affordable food, and a space you don’t have to sell your soul (or entire night) to get into. Corey and Topanga will be in after the final bell.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Mozzarella Sticks
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Meatballs
Spicy Potatoes Diavola
Chopped Salad
photo credit: Jakob Layman
Sausage Pizza
photo credit: Stan Lee