Ciccero’s Pizza

Philosophy, orating, consulting, and governing are just a few of the words that would describe the great Marcus Tullius Cicero. Had he been a pizza maker, who knows what wondrous pizza he would have crafted. Fortunately, one does not have to wonder what it would have tasted like, because Ciccero’s Pizza on 1536 South La Cienega, if the name is to be believed, answers that question with a big grin and a slice of pie.

Our experience with the pizza joint began earlier, during the school day. Calling in early to warn Ciccero about the danger his pizza was in, we were all astounded as Mia Orr, seemingly possessed by some cruel and unforgiving deity, laughed bitterly into the phone, scaring Ciccero to silence. After Roan Pennoyer wrestled the phone away from Orr with the might of Adonai, he cleverly and masterfully informed Ciccero’s Pizza about the whole situation, despite all the folly which had taken place.

When we later arrived at the Pizza place, and after the obligatory cheer, point and high five Pennoyer and I shared when we noticed the “A” rating the restaurant had achieved with the Los Angeles County’s Public Health Department, we began to order the food. We were met with a hearty grin and a fascinating menu, as if the good lord in heaven had blessed him with good cheer just minutes prior. As previously mentioned, the menu was beauteous and full of intrigue, with loads of deals which could turn the head of even the proudest retail warehouse worker owner. The deal which we went along with was known only as “Ciccero’s Treat,” which included two large pizzas with three toppings and three sodas. This little “Treat” cost a lean $26.50, and it was worth every penny.

After a pleasant conversation with the man managing the counter and the pizza pies themselves, and a few minutes of waiting, the first of two pizzas was ready for eating. The mushroom and olive pizza received was pleasant to the taste and with a classic texture, and would have been an altogether grand experience if it weren’t for the dilemma with the cheese which we had. Roan and I, eager to dig in, got into a bit of a scrap over who got the first slice. With a punch and a shove, the first slice was pulled off violently and rather cruelly, resulting in the cheese lying abandoned in the box.

The second pizza was a simple pepperoni pizza. This one was a great one. Oddly enough, it tasted extremely different to the first pie, but this change may have been one of the best decisions made since 2007. The first pizza was gracious and pleasant in its taste and overall demeanor, but the second was unequivocally better. When drawing another slice from the saucy circle the cheese remained vigilantly stuck on the pies in a way similar to how Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius stuck with the values of stoicism.

Final score: B as in Because I enjoyed it but had a few gripes.

*****

The Hot Shack

With no time to lose, we made our way to La Cienega Plaza in search of some good grub. To our dismay, the fried chicken restaurant Wings Chicks was closed and we were left to cluck up alternative lunch plans. Parked on 18th street, The Hot Shack had neither arousing pictures of Shaquille O’Neal nor a sweltering shed, but we took our business to the unassuming red food truck. 

The outside of the truck advertises burgers, chicken sandwiches and burritos, but we were greeted at the window swiftly by a man who preached tacos to us; birria, asada, chicken and carnitas. Swayed by his speech, we ordered three chicken and two birria tacos. As we took the plates out of the bag, there wasn’t a taco in sight, instead, enough limes to feed a family of four. Peeling back the foil, we discovered our food underneath the blanket of limes, some still sporting a barcode sticker. Now, the tacos were under the limelight and subject to our tenured scrutiny. 

The birria was juicy and flavorful, with a little more oil than I expected, but they compensated with taste. The chicken was tender and zesty, and accompanied perfectly by the handmade corn tortillas, which were perfectly salted and not soggy. Each order of tacos came with somewhere around five small tortilla chips, an interesting choice and an appreciated effort but a little out of the ordinary. However, the accompanying sauces could make any vessel taste divine. The hot habanero sauce with the tacos was a match made in heaven. The avocado salsa was pretty good too.

Final score: B as in it was Bussin a gut.