It’s surprising no one thought of it sooner—a pizza parlor near Los Angeles Valley College in Sherman Oaks.  Luckily, Daniel Farrands, who has lived in the Valley for more than 20 years, has remedied the college-campus pizza drought. 

In December, Padrino’s Pizza quietly opened its doors, serving pastas and pies based on Farrands’ family recipes.  The result?  East Coast styled pies (Farrands is from Providence, Rhode Island) built with homemade dough and sauce, finished with cornmeal crust. 

There are the East Coast pizza parlor classics, such as the “Spinach Pie”—a calzone stuffed with ricotta, spinach, garlic, onions, and black olives—alongside meatball and chicken parmesan sandwiches. 

The salad pizza features a crust stuffed with onions and cheese, and is layered in cheese, sliced avocado, lettuce, and cilantro, then doused in homemade Italian dressing.

Padrino’s delivery is free, within a one mile radius, and they also offer catering and take-out. 

Currently the parlor is promoting slices of cheese pizza for a mere dollar.  The last we checked you couldn’t even buy a pack of gum for a dollar.  Padrino’s may be perfectly primed to feed the flocks of hungry college students, but we’re inclined to swing by for a Rhode Island spinach pie, too.

Padrino’s Pizza, 13328 Burbank Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 582-3222.