The Zesty Pizzas Set the Pace at the Lovely, Casual Pace

Remember Caioti, the funky Laurel Canyon Boulevard pizza cafe famous for that special salad rumored to induce labor in overdue pregnant women? Well, it’s closed (though still thriving in its Studio City location). A new Italian restaurant called Pace now occupies the cozy space beneath the canyon market. Without the accent, it’s the word for “peace,” in Italian; the owners added one over the “e” in an effort to coax customers into pronouncing it as two syllables, not one. Pace it is.

The casual restaurant is an extremely amiable place, now with a long stretch of bar (they expect the liquor license any day) and tables lined up along the brick walls. Waitresses rush about in Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm braids, lavishly praising the Italian food. Chef Sandy Gendel worked in Italy and last cooked at Dominick’s in West Hollywood, and before that, at a sweet little cafe and takeout called Porta Via in Beverly Hills.

I’m betting the pizzas are going to be the main attraction here. How could they not? The crust is billowy on the edges, dark and crunchy underneath, with well-developed flavor (it’s made from a starter begun the day before, they tell me). Toppings are interesting and varied, and one pizza is big enough to give six substantial slices. We tried the “mystic pie” with wild mushrooms, tomato sauce, herbs and bitter greens on fontina cheese. “Mamma G’s” pizza made with a good, coarse-textured homemade sausage, tomato sauce and carmelized (er, blackened) fennel disappeared just as fast. That night, in addition to the 10 pizzas with fanciful names on the printed menu, there was a special: house-smoked salmon with creme fraiche and mozzarella.

Other than the tempting lasagna al forno, an individual casserole layered with fresh pasta, molten mozzarella and a meat ragu, pasta dishes were more uneven. I was excited to see ribollita on the menu, but here it’s more a zuppa di fagioli, a bean puree garnished with a crust of bread, rather than the Tuscan countryside’s hearty vegetable soup “reboiled” with bread to thicken it. The secondi, or second courses, include a pretty good grilled rib eye with wilted spinach and baby artichoke mashed potatoes, and a gooey stack of chicken paillard with eggplant, cheese, marinara sauce and roasted potatoes.

For dessert, I bet you can guess what they’ve got: tiramisu, and it’s a classic.

BE THERE

Pace, 2100 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Los Angeles; (323) 654-8583; fax 654-7043 for takeout. Open for dinner daily, brunch starts this weekend. Appetizers $4.50 to $9; pizza $9 to $14; pasta $9.50 to $14.50; second courses $15.50 to $17.50. Takeout, delivery and catering available. Valet parking.