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Key Takeaways
Filmmaker Pete Ferriero recruited 90210 stars Tori Spelling and Brian Austin Green for his pizza documentary
Ferriero was inspired to make the film after hearing a claim that Los Angeles lacks good pizza
The documentary features prominent chefs like Nancy Silverton and highlights L.A.’s diverse pizza styles
When filmmaker Pete Ferriero set out to make a documentary about Los Angeles pizza joints, he tapped some of the stars of his favorite TV show.
Ferriero, who began hosting a podcast about Beverly Hills, 90210 in 2020, recruited Tori Spelling and Brian Austin Green to appear in The Best Pizza Is in LA, in which he visits more than a dozen local restaurants.
Kathleen Robertson, who played his favorite character, Clare Arnold, served as a producer on the film, which also features 90210 actress Lindsay Price (who’s married to chef Curtis Stone).
Ferriero, a New Jersey native who moved to L.A. six years ago, tells PEOPLE he “always viewed L.A. through Beverly Hills, 90210” growing up on the East Coast.
Brian Austin Green and Peter FerrieroCredit: Pete Ferriero
“Getting to spend time with Donna Martin, a.k.a. Tori Spelling, and David Silver, Brian Austin Green, while eating pizza and hearing about their lives was incredible,” he says, referring to their characters. “It was like a dream-come-true experience.”
Of Spelling, he adds, “She knows her food. She knows her pizza. And that was the most exciting part of the journey, to know that we’re not just talking about 90210. We’re talking about this girl’s love of pizza.”
Green tells PEOPLE participating in the project didn’t sway his view that New York pizza reigns supreme, but he agreed to be in it because of his admiration for Ferriero, whose previous food documentaries include Her Name Is Chef and Sorry, We’re Closed. The pair formed a friendship through Green’s visits to Ferriero’s podcast.
“I think he has a really cool eye for things and for these really fun concepts,” Green says. “And I thought the concept was really interesting. I mean, it’s gutsy because I honestly don’t even know how much of a debate it is between New York and Los Angeles Pizza.”
“I think it’s important to highlight that there are good things across the country and that we should just sit back and enjoy each other a little more and enjoy these fun takes,” Green adds.
Green, whose own L.A. favorites include D’Amores, Dtown and Numero Uno Tavern, reflected on why pizza makes a compelling documentary subject.
Brooke Williamson and Pete FerrieroCredit: Marilyn Espitia
“It’s very simple, a lot of it, but then people really take pride in the preparation of it and the life around it,” he says. “And it is something that can be shared and enjoyed and families have pizza night and there’s something really communal about pizza to me.”
Ferriero says the inspiration for the film came from a disparaging comment he heard about L.A. pies.
“Someone from New Jersey said, ‘The hardest thing probably for you is that you can’t get any good pizza in LA,’” he recalls. “And I got greatly offended by the statement, so I said, ‘No, not only can I get great pizza in LA, the best pizza is in LA.’”
Pete Ferriero and Stephanie IzardCredit: Pete Ferriero
“And then I thought about that and was like, ‘I think I want to set out to prove that the best pizza is in Los Angeles,’” he adds.
Ferriero also wants to highlight how diverse the L.A. culinary scene is, pointing out that he can find “any type of pizza” there, including New York, Detroit and New Haven styles.
Ferriero cast several prominent chefs and personalities from the food world, including Brooke Williamson, Stephanie Izard and Joe Sasto.
“I think she’s the greatest champion of all time,” he says of Williamson, who won season 14 of Top Chef and season 1 of Tournament of Champions. “And Joe Sasto is such a good character, and always down to do some fun stuff.”
Joe Sasto and Pete FerrieroCredit: Pete Ferriero
Nancy Silverton, the James Beard Award-Winning chef and co-owner of Pizzeria Mozza, also appears in the film.
“I’ve been obsessed with Nancy Silverton forever,” Ferriero says. “So when that dude said to me, ‘Oh, you can’t find good pizza in LA,’ I was like, ‘Well, my favorite pizza is in LA. It’s at Nancy Silverton’s.’”
“But then when I got to actually talk to Nancy Silverton and sit with her, which was as equal of a dream of talking to Donna Martin in different ways, that to me was amazing because you get to really understand a chef’s love of the craft,” he says.
“And that also, what I’m saying about LA having the best pizza, it’s not totally crazy because chefs are agreeing like, ‘No, this is really good. I like this one better than I like the one in New York,’ so it was very validated,” he adds.
The Best Pizza Is in LA is available starting July 28 on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube Movies and Cable On Demand.
Read the original article on People
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