Candace Nelson, the founder of the Sprinkles Cupcakes chain, has been focusing on a new venture after finding great success in the cupcake world. Having overseen over 20 Sprinkles locations since the initial Beverly Hills bakery in 2005, Nelson has shifted to the pizza world.
"I like to joke that if it's a carb, I'm into it," says Nelson. "If there's one theme running through all my businesses, it's that they're carb-laden."
The new Neapolitan pizza restaurant located in Brentwood is called Pizzana. It's a joint venture along with her husband, Charles Nelson, in partnership with NCIS: Los Angeles star Chris O'Donnell and his wife, Caroline.
The dough at Pizzana is made by hand in the Neapolitan tradition and then fermented and proofed for 48 hours. This makes for a center that holds up well. "This pizza, you can pick up, and the slice holds," Nelson says.
The pizza menu includes classic margherita, pesto and funghi (shiitake and oyster mushroom with italian crema, fontina, and caramelized onion), as well as pepperoni, "Hawaiana" (topped with prosciutto cotto and spicy pickled pineapple) and "Messicana" (topped with chorizo, cilantro lime sauce, pickled sweet chile, jalapeno, and queso fresco).