Mammoth Eats: Giovanni’s

As we entered town after the long drive from Los Angeles, we decided we needed to kill a little bit of time before we were able to get into the condo and unload all of our things. So we made our way up to Twin Lakes and saw the first snow falling, before the snow storm started to gain momentum. It was such a beautiful and breathtaking moment to see something that I normally see, but in such a different light. With all the cold browns and harshness of the trees’ leaves swept away by the storm’s cold icicles, the lake lay dormant with a layer of hard ice beginning to form at its surface.  As we threw snowballs at each other and took pictures in the windy cold, we definitely built up an appetite. This was the perfect time to head back into town and warm up.

In a shopping center alongside a Vons grocery store and a movie theater, is a small, tucked away pizza place called Giovanni’s. It serves delicious pizza pies and is home to the Mammoth-sized pizza (19-inches across). My family has enjoyed many fond memories here, all while growing up. When we entered Giovanni’s we were cordially greeted as people coming from skiing and snowboarding quickly filled the establishment. We sat down and decided on a pizza topped with Canadian bacon, sausage and roasted red peppers with thick crust and spicy tomato sauce. Delicious. The crust is crispy and chewy and the sauce has just the right amount of heat. After a couple bites of a small dinner salad, which I have to pair with pizza, and some pepperoncinis and parmesan cheese, we devoured most of the pizza with the premise of leaving a couple of slices for a midnight snack.   Our service was cordial and not overbearing, just like most things in Mammoth. Enjoying delicious pizza and an amazing view of Twin Lakes with my brother and sister-in-law, made for the perfect beginning to our Mammoth trip.