Ové Pizzeria Switches from Big Mama’s & Papa’s in Studio City

A longtime branch of the local Big Mama’s & Papa’s Pizzeria chain is now home to Ové Pizzeria. The neighborhood restaurant serves pretty standard pizza but is one of the only places to find the boat-shaped Georgian flatbread called khachapuri along the Boulevard—and it’s definitely worth trying.

Ové Pizzeria’s base khachapuri features crimped, crispy edges that cradle a molten blend of mozzarella and feta cheeses, butter, black pepper and a pair of fresh-cracked eggs that cook on top. Yes, they use the same dough for pizza, but somehow this new construction is greater than the sum of its parts.

Khachapuri versions are available with pastrami, ham and bacon, pastrami or vegetables (mushrooms, green peppers and tomatoes). What the menu doesn’t say is that any one of the two dozen toppings normally meant for pizza are in play for khachapuri. Customers can order their flatbread with toppings as mismatched as anchovy, pineapple and turkey—not that I’d recommend it. I ordered one with spinach and shaved red onions for sanity’s sake.

The simple space is best suited for to-go orders. The only notable feature is the wall of signed customer photos from the previous incarnation—some famous, including Rod Stewart, William Shatner and James Gandolfini. If more people discover Ové Pizzeria’s khachapuri, recommendations are only bound to increase.

12616 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, 818-985-8464