Danny Boy’s famous original – new location in Westwood Village now open

Acclaimed chef Daniel Holzman brings New York-style pizza to Westwood

Daniel Holzman, celebrated chef and industry veteran, will open the second location of his acclaimed pizzeria, Danny Boy’s Famous Original, on July 17 at 10889 Lindbrook Drive in Westwood Village. This new location, the brand’s first standalone location, will offer New York-style pizza slices and pies, hot sandwiches, salads and classic appetizers. The restaurant will have 56 seats and offer options for dine-in, takeout, catering and delivery. In addition, the new location will offer beer and wine in the future, as well as an expanded appetizer and main menu.

“When we opened Danny Boy’s, we had a simple goal: create a great place to work and make the best NYC-style pizza we could,” said Holzman. “After over two years, we have an incredibly dedicated and passionate team, we take extreme pride in what we produce, and customer feedback has been incredibly positive. We couldn’t be more excited to join the Westwood community, make even more great pizza, and grow our family of guests and teammates.”

The menu will feature a variety of pizzas that Holzman and his team have perfected over the past two years, such as Cheese, Pepperoni and White Pie with ‘Shrooms. There will also be limited-time specials and collaborations, all made with dough that’s cold-fermented for three days. Customers can enjoy hot sandwiches like Meatball and Chicken Parm, salads like Caesar, Greek and Italian Combo, and classic entrees like Garlic Knots, Hot Wings and Meatballs. The Westwood location will eventually offer a more extensive menu than its Downtown LA counterpart, including cold sandwiches, Stromboli, Spaghetti and Meatballs and more. The beverage program, which will include beer and wine, will be led by certified sommelier Cameron Mahlstede, a former employee of Osteria Mozza and Jon & Vinny’s.

“Making a great pizza is easy. Making a consistently great pizza is a labor of love,” says Holzman of the evolution of the pizzas at Danny Boy’s. “We’ve worked incredibly hard to perfect our pizzas. Nothing we started with looks the same because we’re constantly learning and improving. And today, more than ever, the quality of the pizza speaks for itself.”

A fixture in celebrated kitchens on the East and West Coasts for 25 years, Holzman began his career at age 15 at Michelin-starred Le Bernardin in New York City. After working there for four years, he attended the Culinary Institute of America on the recommendation of chef Eric Ripert. Holzman went on to work at some of the country’s top restaurants, including Palladin (NYC), Jardinière (SF) and Axe (LA). In 2010, he co-opened The Meatball Shop in New York, which became an instant sensation and catapulted him to culinary fame. Since then, Holzman has authored two bestselling cookbooks, including “Food IQ: 100 Questions, Answers and Recipes to Boost Your Cooking Skills” (2022), and launched “On the Line,” a podcast with celebrity chef Amanda Freitag.

“After moving to LA and engaging in culinary self-reflection, I realized my heart was tied to the food I craved most, most nostalgically,” Holzman says of his adventure making pizza. “Danny Boy’s embodies the pizza joint of my childhood dreams. ‘Danny Boy’ is what my dad called me, and ‘Famous Original’ is an homage to Ray’s Famous Original, the shop he took me to as a kid. There was nothing fancy about it, just consistently delicious pizzas and a welcoming ‘how are you?’ behind the counter.”

The 210-square-foot pizzeria’s design, created by NCA Studio, features red, white and green tiled walls and light wood tables that accommodate both two-person booths and large groups. Customers have a view into the pizza production kitchen and the walls are decorated with photos of classic New York pizza shops.

Danny Boy’s Famous Originals new location is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with weekends and longer hours to follow throughout the summer. For more information and updates, visit www.dannyboysfamousoriginal.com. Follow @dannyboysfamousoriginal on Instagram.