Pitfire Artisan Pizza has opened its newest location in Culver City, another boon to the ever-growing dining and nightlife scene in that neighborhood. The casual restaurant offers wood-fired pizzas and an accessible beer and wine list. Pitfire's slow food movement-inspired founders Paul Hibler and David Sanfield began working together when they collaborated to create Deluxe Motion Picture Catering, which they have run for two decades.
The restaurant is available for buyout and the total capacity is 120 inside, or 350 with the parking lot tented. A 30-seat patio has an olive grove and an edible garden with tomatoes and herbs.
For the look of the new space, Hibler and Sanfield collaborated with architect Barbara Bestor, who transformed what used to be an old Shakey's Pizza by stripping the materials and adding elements like a custom red Mugnaini wood-burning oven and a massive glass door that connects the indoor and outdoor spaces. There are unfinished wooden tables, a marble counter, and a wall of beer kegs and draught lines encased in glass. Industrial loading dock lights hang above two communal tables, banquettes, and an elevated area lined with booths.
The menu of farmer’s market-driven, seasonal fare overseen by executive chef Michael Ainslie includes pizzas like organic pumpkin, or "Green, Egg & Ham" (braised chard, farm egg, and smoked proscuitto), plus salads, pastas, and paninis.
