The Pizza Press Prints Fast-Casual Pies in NoHo

The fast-casual pizza market has exploded in the past few years with the rise of brands like Blaze Pizza, 800 Degrees and MidiCi. Dara Maleki’s burgeoning fast-casual pizzeria company, The Pizza Press, is journalism-themed and just opened a branch near the NoHo Arts District, building on SoCal success in cities like Pasadena, West Hollywood and Costa Mesa. The Pizza Press first debuted near Disneyland in Anaheim in 2012. North Hollywood is a franchise located at the base of a glass-and-steel, mixed-use development.

Order at the counter from a cafeteria-style line. A hydraulic machine presses dough into a perfect disc. Signature pizzas sport named like The Tribune, The Herald and The Gazette. You can also “Publish Your Own,” constructing a custom pizza from an ingredient list, working with a “pizza editor” to produce the edition. Sauces include red sauce; spicy red sauce with garlic and peppers; white sauce, aka carbonara; and pink sauce, a blend of red and white sauces. After the pizza navigates the length of the conveyor belt, “finishers” include Sriracha, balsamic glaze, wild arugula and basil pesto.

The space features cushioned brown booths, newspaper print on columns, and black-and-white photos of newsboys, newsrooms and printing presses. Old-time music enhances the atmosphere. The Pizza arms more than 20 taps with beer, much of it craft, and sells house-baked chocolate chip cookies by the register.

5077 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, 818-308-6353