Quarter Sheets (Los Angeles, CA)
Quarter Sheets Pizza Club
1305 Portia St, Los Angeles, CA 90026
310-916-9293
www.quartersheetspizza.com
Sun 04/26/2026, 07:30p-09:30p
If we're considering pizza in the Southland, the most talked about spot of the past few years has probably got to be Quarter Sheets. Angelenos have been singing its praises ever since the pandemic shutdowns of 2020, when the business was started by the husband-and-wife team of Aaron Lindell and Hannah Ziskin out of their Glendale home. The former is known for his charred-edge pan-style pies, while the latter is known for her top-tier cakes, and together, the two have carved out quite a niche for themselves in the LA dining scene.
About the Chefs: Aaron Charles Lindell was born in December 1980 and hails from a small city in Michigan. He attended Corunna High School, where he excelled in track and field, and after graduating in 1999, continued to pursue cross country running at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He stayed in the area through the late 2000s, but found himself in San Francisco by the start of the next decade. Lindell eventually secured employment at Michael Tusk's Italian eatery Cotogna (open November 2010), where he served as sous and really honed his pizza-making skills. Perhaps more importantly, it was at Cotogna where he met his future partner in both business and life.
A native Californian, Hannah Leigh Ziskin was born in January 1988 and grew up on the Westside, where she took on an interest in baking at an early age. After graduating from Alexander Hamilton High School in 2006, she enrolled at UC Berkeley, majoring in English literature. In 2010, her final year at Cal, she interned at the iconic Chez Panisse under Mia Ponce, and the experience essentially served as her culinary school. Following, Ziskin began working in pastry production at Cotogna (as well as its sister restaurant Quince, located next door), and would start a romantic relationship with Lindell in 2012 (they apparently started working there two weeks apart).
Lindell later left Cotogna and launched a plant-based pop-up by the name of Gold Brick Burgers with Tim Ferron (Bernal Cutlery, Avedano's). The duo held their first event on July 15th, 2017 at El Rio, and their last on June 9th, 2018, at El Rio. During this period, Lindell also started a pizza pop-up called Pizza Anatoliana along with an associated venture by the name of Freya, which Ziskin was also involved with. Speaking of Ziskin, she transitioned over to Bar Tartine in 2014, and the following year, took on her first proper Pastry Chef role at Nopa, where she earned "30 Under 30" honors from Zagat.
In late summer 2018, she relocated to Southern California (along with Lindell), and was a bit burnt out from the industry. After trying her hand at various other pursuits, she linked up with Melissa Perello and helped open M. Georgina, which bowed at the Row DTLA development in November 2019 (she also helped with the pastry program for Perello's Octavia up in SF). Lindell, meanwhile, took on work as a private chef and also started the Gee Gee Burgers pop-up in April 2019. Said pop-up only made it a couple months into the pandemic, which was longer than Ziskin's job at M. Georgina lasted.
She thus started baking bread using ingredients brought home from the shuttered restaurant, but soon pivoted to crafting pies and cakes under the banner House of Gluten. Similarly, Lindell began making Detroit-style-ish pizzas and named his concept Quarter Sheets, after the quarter sheet pans he used. The two quickly began making a name for themselves, but soon realized that they needed a proper space to work out of, and therefore, after utilizing the shuttered M. Georgina space for a stint, signed a lease on an Echo Park storefront in the fall of 2021. Quarter Sheets would open on January 6th, 2022 for takeout service only, with dine-in beginning in August that year.
Not long after, the accolades began rolling in. The LA Times placed Quarter Sheets at #44 on its "101 Best Restaurants" list in 2022. This was improved to #13 on the 2023 and 2024 rankings, while 2025 had the spot at #15. Also in its debut year, the eatery was named one of Bon Appétit's "50 Best New Restaurants." In September 2023, Food & Wine judged Ziskin a "Best New Chef," and the NY Times called Quarter Sheets both one of "America's 50 Best Restaurants" and one of the "25 Best Restaurants in LA." If that wasn't enough, Michelin awarded Bib Gourmand status in August 2024 (three months after the pair got married), and Ziskin was also a James Beard "Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker" semifinalist for 2026.
The pizza parlor resides in a section of Echo Park sandwiched between Elysian Heights to the north and Angelino Heights to the south, across the street from A Tí. The storefront was previously home to Trencher sandwich shop, and was occupied by Gloria's Kitchen and Phnom Penh before that. Inside, the same basic layout from the Trencher days remains, though the room has been gussied up and now sports a fun, festive sort of atmosphere. Total capacity should be around 33 guests.
Here we see Quarter Sheets' menu, which is of course centered on sundry pizzas, but also features a handful of starters and a selection of Ziskin's desserts. To drink, you'll find a brief wine list focused mostly on the Old World, a smattering of beer, and various non-alcoholic beverages. The corkage fee is $35. Click for larger versions.
Zuckerman Asparagus [$21.00] | Preserved Meyer Lemon Dressing, Shio Koji, Bianco Sardo, Crispy Wild Rice
Dinner got off to a promising start with this first appetizer. The vegetal bittersweetness of asparagus was superbly conveyed, well-accented by citrus and mint, with the cheese adding an enveloping weight to the dish. My favorite thing, though, was the use of that crisped rice, its savory crunch acting as the perfect finishing touch.
Twentieth anniversary wine duties tonight were handled by the 2006 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, which comes to us from a celebrated Washington-based producer founded in 1978. This particular vintage was a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot from the Champoux, Klipsun, and Tapteil vineyards in the Columbia Valley, aged in new French oak for 22 months.
Meatballs [$21.00] | Red Sauce, Pecorino, Garlic Bread
Meatballs were cozy and classic, with plenty of tangy tomato to pair with the potency of the mince. The accompanying well-crusted garlic toast could've been more aggressive with the actual garlic, but still served its purpose.
House Salad [$22.00] | Little Gems, Basil, Chives, Amazake Co. Chickpea Miso, Banyuls
A prosaically-named salad was met with no complaints. I was a fan of the sheer brightness and crunch of the lettuce and how that coalesced with herby hits of basil, all while an unabashedly piquant, very familiar-tasting dressing tied it all together.
Braised Gigante Beans [$20.00] | English Peas, Tomato, Chili, Toasted Sourdough, 24 Month Parmesan
Braised beans arrived hearty and hefty, well-matched by the punchiness of tomato and chili while peas lightened the mood. Nice crunch from all those toasty bits, too.
Red Top [$6.00] | Mozzarella, Red Sauce, Grana, Basil
It was now time to get into the pizza portion of the meal, and I began with the most basic unit of consumption. Texturally, the crisp-charred-cheesy edges of the pie were to my liking, as was its tender interior, while flavors featured the tried-and-true relationship between tart tomato, mozz, and the aromatics of basil.
Pepperoni [$6.50] | Mozzarella, Red Sauce, Grana
This next slice did a good job highlighting the pepperoni's in-your-face porkiness, set against just enough tomato sauce.
Turning Leaf [$7.00] | Green Chili, Mozz, Chorizo, Zuckerman Potatoes, Garlic Cream, Fiscalini Cheddar
We now come to my favorite pizza of the bunch. The back-and-forth between chili and cheese was spot-on, with further oomph provided by that chorizo, while potatoes worked to even out everything going on.
Sicilian Corner [$8.00] | Vodka Sauce, Castelvetrano Olives, Pepperoncini, Red Onion, Oregano, Pecorino, Sesame Crust
I found this to be the most interesting slice, and liked the generous amount of sesame utilized and how those zesty onions played with the kick of peppers and olive. My minor gripe was that the vodka sauce could've been more assertive.
Tomato Slice [$5.50] | Red Sauce, Garlic, Basil, Olive Oil
The not-quite-pizza tomato pie possessed its own charms, and was more bread-like overall, with a softer, fluffier crumb.
Bar Pie [$28.00] | Zuckerman Asparagus, Ricotta, Guanciale, Red Onion, Lemon, Pecorino
The bar pizza made for an altogether different eating experience thanks to its super-thin crust. Here, the key was the juxtaposition of asparagus and cheese, perked up by onion, citrus, and, most importantly, salty dices of cured pork.
Princess Cake [$15.00] | Olive Oil Chiffon, Mascarpone, Raspberry Preserves, Almond Marzipan
I ended up ordering all of the available dessert options, and of course I had to start with the restaurant's signature princess cake: a satisfying amalgam of airy chiffon, jammy berry, and creamy mascarpone, all encased in a sugary layer of marzipan.
Rhubarb Sundae [$15.00] | Rhubarb Ice Cream, Rhubarb-Raspberry Ripple, Crunchy Meringue, Whipped Cream
The tart-sweetness of rhubarb was effectively displayed, offset by a large dollop of whipped cream, with those meringues doing a great job mixing things up texturally.
Berry Pie à la Mode [$16.00] | Tamai Blueberries & Blackberries, Fior di Latte Gelato, Brown Sugar Crumble, Flaky Pastry
Berries and milky ice cream certainly made sense together, especially when moderated by that homey pastry base.
Meyer Lemon Italian Ice [$7.00] | Candied Kumquats, Olive Oil
The Italian ice made for an appropriate closer, serving as a bit of a palate cleanser due to its almost bracing tartness, kept in check by both sugary kumquat and grassy olive oil.
It seems like quite a few people have deemed Quarter Sheets the best pizza spot in Los Angeles. That may be a bit hyperbolic, and I'm not ready to make the determination myself, but I can say that what I ate tonight was generally on point, delivering what I was looking for from the restaurant. Lindell's pies do have a particular allure, and his cooking appears to pay homage to both "red sauce" Italian and Cal cuisine, while Ziskin's desserts certainly met the mark as well. I can sort of understand why this place is so popular.
1305 Portia St, Los Angeles, CA 90026
310-916-9293
www.quartersheetspizza.com
Sun 04/26/2026, 07:30p-09:30p
If we're considering pizza in the Southland, the most talked about spot of the past few years has probably got to be Quarter Sheets. Angelenos have been singing its praises ever since the pandemic shutdowns of 2020, when the business was started by the husband-and-wife team of Aaron Lindell and Hannah Ziskin out of their Glendale home. The former is known for his charred-edge pan-style pies, while the latter is known for her top-tier cakes, and together, the two have carved out quite a niche for themselves in the LA dining scene.
About the Chefs: Aaron Charles Lindell was born in December 1980 and hails from a small city in Michigan. He attended Corunna High School, where he excelled in track and field, and after graduating in 1999, continued to pursue cross country running at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He stayed in the area through the late 2000s, but found himself in San Francisco by the start of the next decade. Lindell eventually secured employment at Michael Tusk's Italian eatery Cotogna (open November 2010), where he served as sous and really honed his pizza-making skills. Perhaps more importantly, it was at Cotogna where he met his future partner in both business and life.
A native Californian, Hannah Leigh Ziskin was born in January 1988 and grew up on the Westside, where she took on an interest in baking at an early age. After graduating from Alexander Hamilton High School in 2006, she enrolled at UC Berkeley, majoring in English literature. In 2010, her final year at Cal, she interned at the iconic Chez Panisse under Mia Ponce, and the experience essentially served as her culinary school. Following, Ziskin began working in pastry production at Cotogna (as well as its sister restaurant Quince, located next door), and would start a romantic relationship with Lindell in 2012 (they apparently started working there two weeks apart).
Lindell later left Cotogna and launched a plant-based pop-up by the name of Gold Brick Burgers with Tim Ferron (Bernal Cutlery, Avedano's). The duo held their first event on July 15th, 2017 at El Rio, and their last on June 9th, 2018, at El Rio. During this period, Lindell also started a pizza pop-up called Pizza Anatoliana along with an associated venture by the name of Freya, which Ziskin was also involved with. Speaking of Ziskin, she transitioned over to Bar Tartine in 2014, and the following year, took on her first proper Pastry Chef role at Nopa, where she earned "30 Under 30" honors from Zagat.
In late summer 2018, she relocated to Southern California (along with Lindell), and was a bit burnt out from the industry. After trying her hand at various other pursuits, she linked up with Melissa Perello and helped open M. Georgina, which bowed at the Row DTLA development in November 2019 (she also helped with the pastry program for Perello's Octavia up in SF). Lindell, meanwhile, took on work as a private chef and also started the Gee Gee Burgers pop-up in April 2019. Said pop-up only made it a couple months into the pandemic, which was longer than Ziskin's job at M. Georgina lasted.
She thus started baking bread using ingredients brought home from the shuttered restaurant, but soon pivoted to crafting pies and cakes under the banner House of Gluten. Similarly, Lindell began making Detroit-style-ish pizzas and named his concept Quarter Sheets, after the quarter sheet pans he used. The two quickly began making a name for themselves, but soon realized that they needed a proper space to work out of, and therefore, after utilizing the shuttered M. Georgina space for a stint, signed a lease on an Echo Park storefront in the fall of 2021. Quarter Sheets would open on January 6th, 2022 for takeout service only, with dine-in beginning in August that year.
Not long after, the accolades began rolling in. The LA Times placed Quarter Sheets at #44 on its "101 Best Restaurants" list in 2022. This was improved to #13 on the 2023 and 2024 rankings, while 2025 had the spot at #15. Also in its debut year, the eatery was named one of Bon Appétit's "50 Best New Restaurants." In September 2023, Food & Wine judged Ziskin a "Best New Chef," and the NY Times called Quarter Sheets both one of "America's 50 Best Restaurants" and one of the "25 Best Restaurants in LA." If that wasn't enough, Michelin awarded Bib Gourmand status in August 2024 (three months after the pair got married), and Ziskin was also a James Beard "Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker" semifinalist for 2026.
The pizza parlor resides in a section of Echo Park sandwiched between Elysian Heights to the north and Angelino Heights to the south, across the street from A Tí. The storefront was previously home to Trencher sandwich shop, and was occupied by Gloria's Kitchen and Phnom Penh before that. Inside, the same basic layout from the Trencher days remains, though the room has been gussied up and now sports a fun, festive sort of atmosphere. Total capacity should be around 33 guests.
Here we see Quarter Sheets' menu, which is of course centered on sundry pizzas, but also features a handful of starters and a selection of Ziskin's desserts. To drink, you'll find a brief wine list focused mostly on the Old World, a smattering of beer, and various non-alcoholic beverages. The corkage fee is $35. Click for larger versions.
Zuckerman Asparagus [$21.00] | Preserved Meyer Lemon Dressing, Shio Koji, Bianco Sardo, Crispy Wild Rice
Dinner got off to a promising start with this first appetizer. The vegetal bittersweetness of asparagus was superbly conveyed, well-accented by citrus and mint, with the cheese adding an enveloping weight to the dish. My favorite thing, though, was the use of that crisped rice, its savory crunch acting as the perfect finishing touch.
Twentieth anniversary wine duties tonight were handled by the 2006 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, which comes to us from a celebrated Washington-based producer founded in 1978. This particular vintage was a blend of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot from the Champoux, Klipsun, and Tapteil vineyards in the Columbia Valley, aged in new French oak for 22 months.
- Initial Impressions: Bouquet of inky black fruit and woodsy spices leading to grape gummies. On the palate, think zippy tannins, touches of saline and mineral, and more of that powerful dark fruit.
- After 30 Minutes: Aromas at this point were noticeably earthier, with still plenty of purple fruit. In the mouth, more of those berry and cassis notes alongside a more pronounced heat and softer tannins--a bit reminiscent of grape cough syrup, but not in a bad way.
- After 60 Minutes: The nose was much, much jammier, yet even earthier at the same time, with nuances of grape candies and a trace of suānméi. Not much movement in terms of taste.
Meatballs [$21.00] | Red Sauce, Pecorino, Garlic Bread
Meatballs were cozy and classic, with plenty of tangy tomato to pair with the potency of the mince. The accompanying well-crusted garlic toast could've been more aggressive with the actual garlic, but still served its purpose.
House Salad [$22.00] | Little Gems, Basil, Chives, Amazake Co. Chickpea Miso, Banyuls
A prosaically-named salad was met with no complaints. I was a fan of the sheer brightness and crunch of the lettuce and how that coalesced with herby hits of basil, all while an unabashedly piquant, very familiar-tasting dressing tied it all together.
Braised Gigante Beans [$20.00] | English Peas, Tomato, Chili, Toasted Sourdough, 24 Month Parmesan
Braised beans arrived hearty and hefty, well-matched by the punchiness of tomato and chili while peas lightened the mood. Nice crunch from all those toasty bits, too.
Red Top [$6.00] | Mozzarella, Red Sauce, Grana, Basil
It was now time to get into the pizza portion of the meal, and I began with the most basic unit of consumption. Texturally, the crisp-charred-cheesy edges of the pie were to my liking, as was its tender interior, while flavors featured the tried-and-true relationship between tart tomato, mozz, and the aromatics of basil.
Pepperoni [$6.50] | Mozzarella, Red Sauce, Grana
This next slice did a good job highlighting the pepperoni's in-your-face porkiness, set against just enough tomato sauce.
Turning Leaf [$7.00] | Green Chili, Mozz, Chorizo, Zuckerman Potatoes, Garlic Cream, Fiscalini Cheddar
We now come to my favorite pizza of the bunch. The back-and-forth between chili and cheese was spot-on, with further oomph provided by that chorizo, while potatoes worked to even out everything going on.
Sicilian Corner [$8.00] | Vodka Sauce, Castelvetrano Olives, Pepperoncini, Red Onion, Oregano, Pecorino, Sesame Crust
I found this to be the most interesting slice, and liked the generous amount of sesame utilized and how those zesty onions played with the kick of peppers and olive. My minor gripe was that the vodka sauce could've been more assertive.
Tomato Slice [$5.50] | Red Sauce, Garlic, Basil, Olive Oil
The not-quite-pizza tomato pie possessed its own charms, and was more bread-like overall, with a softer, fluffier crumb.
Bar Pie [$28.00] | Zuckerman Asparagus, Ricotta, Guanciale, Red Onion, Lemon, Pecorino
The bar pizza made for an altogether different eating experience thanks to its super-thin crust. Here, the key was the juxtaposition of asparagus and cheese, perked up by onion, citrus, and, most importantly, salty dices of cured pork.
Princess Cake [$15.00] | Olive Oil Chiffon, Mascarpone, Raspberry Preserves, Almond Marzipan
I ended up ordering all of the available dessert options, and of course I had to start with the restaurant's signature princess cake: a satisfying amalgam of airy chiffon, jammy berry, and creamy mascarpone, all encased in a sugary layer of marzipan.
Rhubarb Sundae [$15.00] | Rhubarb Ice Cream, Rhubarb-Raspberry Ripple, Crunchy Meringue, Whipped Cream
The tart-sweetness of rhubarb was effectively displayed, offset by a large dollop of whipped cream, with those meringues doing a great job mixing things up texturally.
Berry Pie à la Mode [$16.00] | Tamai Blueberries & Blackberries, Fior di Latte Gelato, Brown Sugar Crumble, Flaky Pastry
Berries and milky ice cream certainly made sense together, especially when moderated by that homey pastry base.
Meyer Lemon Italian Ice [$7.00] | Candied Kumquats, Olive Oil
The Italian ice made for an appropriate closer, serving as a bit of a palate cleanser due to its almost bracing tartness, kept in check by both sugary kumquat and grassy olive oil.
It seems like quite a few people have deemed Quarter Sheets the best pizza spot in Los Angeles. That may be a bit hyperbolic, and I'm not ready to make the determination myself, but I can say that what I ate tonight was generally on point, delivering what I was looking for from the restaurant. Lindell's pies do have a particular allure, and his cooking appears to pay homage to both "red sauce" Italian and Cal cuisine, while Ziskin's desserts certainly met the mark as well. I can sort of understand why this place is so popular.
posted by kevinEats at
7:30 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home