Brooklyn Ave. Pizza Company

The pies at Brooklyn Ave. Pizza Co. in Boyle Heights are probably closest to Neapolitan-style, with blistered, perfectly chewy crusts, and while you can certainly get a traditional margherita, chef Mario Christerna (a Boyle Heights native himself) has added items to reflect and honor the surrounding neighborhood. Think fries topped with beef chorizo and queso fresco, elote Old Fashioneds (they have a full list of to-go cocktails, beer, and wine), and a mole pizza we’ve eaten twice this week. If good pizza and booze isn’t enough of a selling point for you, Brooklyn Ave. also does extensive charity work, working closely with the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory and C-Cap a nonprofit that empowers underserved youth through the culinary arts.