It's charming -- Mediterranean and rustic -- it's the hottest ticket in L.A., but as my daughter said, it's basically just a pizza joint.

But what pizza. Hot out of the brick oven, it comes with a fabulous crust, puffy, thin and crisp. Toppings like my fennel sausage, cream and thinly sliced red onion are to die for. And prices aren't bad. (Mine was $14.)

Unlike a normal pizza joint, there are practically two wait staff for every table, so the service is good in spite of the crowds.

The food isn't perfect. A beautiful salad made with red Belgian endive and mixed greens had too much lemony dressing. And the fact that there was a dessert with an Oreo crust in such a meticulously authentic Mediterranean restaurant, even though we didn't order it, was a downer.

But all in all, well worth it.

Celebrity sighting: director Robert Rodriguez, of Grindhouse fame (and Spy Kids). Are you telling me he can't get a table later than 5 p.m. on a Monday? Take a look at his photo and you'll see why I recognized him. He was wearing his bandana in the restaurant.