Eat Out. Pitfire North Hollywood.

It's been almost a year since I wrote about Pitfire Pizza, so I say it's high time for round two.

This past weekend I went to the North Hollywood arts district location, before seeing a movie at the ArcLight. There's a nice outdoor patio complete orange chairs and a large fire pit. It was quite crowded on Saturday night, which made for a pleasantly lively alfresco experience. Inside the bustling would have been just annoying, really.

Although the "rustic fire singed pizzas" and baked white macaroni and cheese looked delicious, I stuck with my favorite, the Grilled Steak Salad. And I actually also ate 1/2 a Pepperoni Pizza.

The salad is so good that I couldn't stop thinking about it, and made the journey back for a take-away order of it for my dinner tonight (Monday)!

Do yourself a favor and try Pitfire if you haven't already.

Locations: Downtown, North Hollywood, Culver City, and West L.A. Info: pitfirepizza.com

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: LA Wad / flickr

Eat Out. Free Mixt Greens salad on Earth Day.

It's Earth Day, so take some time out to appreciate the planet. Your reward? If you're one of the first 150 people at Mixt Greens today, you'll receive a free tote bag with a salad, packets of herb seeds and MG chef Andrew Swallow's upcoming cookbook "Mixt Salads."

I'm not sure what the free salad inside the tote bag means, but it's probably some sort of voucher. In that case, this promotion is completely worth it on that alone--Mixt Greens salads are kind of pricey ($8-$12) but notoriously HUGE, and full of fresh ingredients and fantastic flavor. The people behind the counter definitely know what they're doing as they create your salad, with just the right amount of ingredients and dressing, and you'll have a delicious salad to last you for days (really, they're huge). I'd recommend the Cowboy, which has romaine hearts, herb marinated grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, black beans, sharp cheddar, red onion and blue cheese dressing with a chipotle honey drizzle. And I don't even like black beans! But I ate every last bite of it.

Mixt Greens is located at 350 S. Grand Ave. in downtown or 5757 Wilshire Blvd. on Miracle Mile. Both locations open at 10:30am.

Happy Earth Day! Let us know of any other Earth Day promotions you might hear of by dropping us a comment below or tweeting at us.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Mixt Greens

Eat Out. Pitfire Pizza Company.

Pitfire Pizza has become a reliably delicious lunch spot in downtown L.A. Affectionately known to us as "Pitfire", we're especially fond of their soups, salads, and more recently, a new addition to the menu--the House Mac & Cheese (crispy baked pasta, five cheeses, buttery bread crumbs).

A long line is the norm during the lunching hours, but calling in an order is an option and that saves some time. They also deliver (a $15 minimum order and $3 delivery fee) which can be nice if you're feeling lazy, or don't want to get drenched (this week). Honestly, even if Pitfire wasn't excellent, I'd probably patronize it occasionally anyway (note the Los Angeles Times building in the background of the photo) because it's convenient, but the quality of the food makes it a real treat. Their Grilled Steak Salad can really turn a day around. With its fresh lettuce (romaine and arugula), cherry tomatoes, Maytag blue cheese, grilled red onion, and candied walnuts it's a delightful salad experience. Vegetarian option--a Lauren Williams special--replace the grilled steak with avocado.

It's been a while since I've had a pizza from Pitfire, but they are just as good as everything else on the menu. Next time I go, if I can talk myself out of the Grilled Steak Salad, I'm going to try the Burrata Pie (Burrata cheese, tomato sauce, wild arugula, caramelized onions, hazelnut, pesto drizzle). The brick oven cooking lets the edges of the crust get a little burnt, in the best possible way. The Pitfire Sausage Pizza with sweet fennel sausage is memorable.

Speaking of sweet, they stock Auntie Em's Cupcakes. The Red Velvet is always tempting.

Pitfire currently has three locations (Downtown, North Hollywood, and West L.A.), and a new one opening ... tomorrow! Check out the Culver City Pitfire Pizza Co. news on laist.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.letsgola.com