Fred Eric is a man on a culinary mission: to create LA’s definitive take on the pizza – a goal that feels more urgent than ever as the city works to lure back visitors following January’s devastating wildfires.

“Chicago, Detroit, New York, they have their own,” says the 62-year-old chef, who has worked at restaurants around the world, including at the Michelin-starred Lucas Carton in Paris. “But LA does not.”