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Pizza

Pizza

Vesta, Redwood City

Vesta, Redwood City

Why did we dine here? – Top Italian on the Peninsula! Vesta is a California Italian restaurant in downtown Redwood City. They tried to support local and organic suppliers. It has an extremely high 4.5 stars on Yelp and was mentioned in San Francisco magazine as having great pizza. These two facts were enough to pique our interest. We finally got a chance to try them at the end of 2013, been back several times with latest visit in summer 2023.

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Square Pie Guys, San Francisco

Greasy, Cheesy and satisfying! Square Pie Guys serves great Detroit Style Pizza. “A crispy, crackly caramelized cheese crust that comes from baking in rectangular blue steel pans originally used to ferry auto parts around Detroit automotive factories.” We’ve seen a lot written about them, so we finally gave it a try. Definitely have been back too. Great stuff. No dine in or outdoor dining, all take out.

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Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, San Francisco

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, San Francisco

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana is a popular San Francisco North Beach restaurant from Tony Gemignani, 9 time Champion Pizza Tosser, certified pizziaolo. It first opened in 2009. He also runs a the International School of Pizza next door. He is well qualified to make a great authentic pizza! Also part of his empire, the “to go” oriented Tony’s Coal Fired Pizza and Slice House next door, Slice house at Oracle Park, and Italian Restaurant Capo.

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Napoletana Pizzeria, Mountain View

Napoletana pizzeria Mountain View exterior decor

Napoletana Pizzeria is a new Naples style pizzeria in Mountain View. This unlikely strip mall location (Next to Cost Plus World Market), houses a low key, authentic thin crust Neapolitan pizza place. We first learned about this place from a thread on Chowhound. As the waitress put it, these authentic pizzas cook for about 90 seconds in their 900° wood burning oven. Our last visit was Summer 2019.

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Little Star Pizza – Blue Line Pizza, San Francisco

Little Star Pizza is a popular pizza place with 2 locations in San Francisco and 1 in Albany. We visited the Divisadero location and ordered deep dish pizza. It took about 30 minutes to get our pizza. They have gone on to open several locations in the Bay Area.

Blue Line Pizza is their name for sister locations from Burlingame southwards. We have tried their Burlingame location in the Summer of 2020. The menu is very similar.

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Montesacro Pinseria-Enoteca, San Francisco

Montesacro Pinseria San Francisco Exterior decor

Why did we dine here? – Montesacro is a hidden Italian gem, located in an alley right off a hardcore scary block of 6th Street in downtown San Francisco. The name comes from a neighborhood in Roma. We were tipped off about this place from a friend. Gianluca Legrottaglie, who runs nearby 54 Mint, opened this stylish restaurant, that transports you back to Rome, in 2015.

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Pizzeria Delfina, San Francisco – Burlingame

Delicious Italian around the Bay. Pizzeria Delfina is the lower cost more casual eatery next to top rated Delfina. They do not take reservations and focus on ‘Neapolitan inspired’, thin crust pizzas and Antipasti. Delfina does not serve pizza. They use local, seasonal ingredients and have a lots of wines by the glass.  There are 2 location in San Francisco – Mission and Pacific Heights. In 2018 we dined several times at the Burlingame location.

Pizzeria Delfina San Francisco Interior

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Zachary’s Chicago Pizza, Oakland – Berkeley

Zacharys Pizza Oakland 2

Zachary’s Chicago Pizza is a popular pizza restaurant in the San Francisco East Bay that serves Chicago style pizza. They have been packing them in for over thirty years. They serve select individual slices (Sausage, Pepperoni, Vegetarian) and whole pizzas, both thin and stuffed (thick) crust. The thick crust has filling between the layers. They also have half-baked pies and gluten free pies for sale. Our last visit was in Fall 2018.

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Howie’s Artisan Pizza Restaurant Review, Palo Alto

Howies Artisan pizza Palo Alto exterior decor

Howie’s Artisan Pizza was opened by Howard Bulka in late 2009 into Town & Country Village shopping Center of Palo Alto. He had worked at various restaurants including Marche. Inspired by the New Haven school of East Coast pizza-making and the renaissance of artisanal products including organic, natural, and local ingredients. Our last visit was in the beginning of 2015 when we noticed that pizza prices went up again.

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California Pizza Kitchen Restaurant Review

California Pizza Kitchen Exterior Decor

California Pizza Kitchen started back in 1985 in Beverly Hills by two attorneys. It is now International and publicly traded. Their BBQ Chicken pizza is their signature dish. We were passing by the San Mateo location and decided to refresh our memories. Fate has lead us to eat here, more than we would like to admit..

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2012 Rome Restaurant Reviews

Coliseum Rome Italy

We recently finished up our culinary tour of Rome in the Summer of 2012. It was interesting to see how authentic Italian food and restaurants in Rome compare to the ones we have in the San Francisco Bay Area. Below are several Roman restaurants we dined at.

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2012 Sorrento, Italy Restaurant Reviews

We recently finished up our culinary tour of Sorrento in the Summer of 2012. This is a very touristy area, one of those classic challenges for foodies. Avoiding a tourist trap is very difficult. Below are several restaurants in and around Sorrento that we dined at.

RE Foods

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A16 Restaurant Review, San Francisco

A16 San Francisco Exterior Decor

Opened in 2004, A16 has since been present on many top Italian restaurant lists. It is a very popular restaurant in the Marina district, with prime time reservations needing to be booked a week or two in advance. This restaurant is serious about wine and pairing. Our last visit was in the summer of 2012.

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Gioia Pizzeria Review, Berkeley and San Francisco

Gioia Pizzeria Berkeley Exterior

Gioia is a top rated Pizza place in North Berkeley.  It has been there since 2004. As they put it: “Gioia Pizzeria takes the best of pizza traditions from the old world and the new. Classic flavors and ingredients such as artisanally made sausage, fresh mozzarella cheese and arugula come together in inspired traditional ways, seasoned with the influence of Bay Area kitchens such as Zuni Café, Chez Panisse and Oliveto” Gioia is a small hole in the wall with minimal counter seating. The place specializes in thin crust pizza and is known for local, organic ingredients. It was rated as a top pizza place by Michael Bauer. Our last visit was in late 2011 and we noticed prices had gone up. Their San Francisco location opened in 2012, we dined here in May 2012. It is located right next door to burger heaven, Polkers.

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Gialina Pizzeria San Francisco Restaurant Review

Gialina San Francisco Exterior Decor

Gialina Pizzeria is a small pizzeria named after the chef-owner’s grandmother. It is opened in January 2007 and is located in San Francisco’s Glen Park neighborhood right near BART. Chef Sharon Ardiana has help positions at well respected places including Lime, Dine, Garibaldis, Slow Club, and Boulevard. Her next restaurant, Ragazza in the Metro Kathmandu space on Divisadero, is their sister restaurant.

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Tony’s Coal-Fired Pizza and Slice House Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Tonys Coal Fired Pizza and Slice House San Francisco exterior decor

Tony’s Coal-Fired Pizza and Slice House is a new San Francisco North Beach takeout place from Tony Gemignani, 9 time Champion Pizza Tosser, certified pizziaolo. He also runs Tony’s Pizza Napoletana next door. This location serves a wide range of food; New York-style pizza, Roman-style pizza, Chicago-style Italian Beef Sandwiches, and New York deli sandwiches. Our last visit was in September 2012.

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Cheeseboard Pizza Collective Review, Berkeley

Cheeseboard Berkeley exterior decor

Cheeseboard Pizza Collective is a worker owned collective of 12 people who served a different pizza each day. It is located in North Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto. They also serve a single type of salad. Cash or check only. There can be a line around the block at peak times. It is located next door to the Cheese Board Collective, which sells excellent cheese, bread, cookies, muffins, etc. Our last visit was at the end of 2010.

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toto’s Pizzeria Review

totos pizza exterior

Since 1932 Toto’s has been serving ‘authentic’ Neapolitan pizza. They have restaurant locations in San Bruno and Belmont. The Belmont location is an order and sit type restaurant with no table service. They have a to-go only facility in San Mateo that we also dined at. Toto’s uses Baker’s Pride pizza ovens.

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Ragazza Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Ragazza San Francisco Exterior

Ragazza (Italian for girl) is the second restaurant by chef/owner Sharon Ardiana and opened in September 2010. Ragazza’s sister restaurant, top rated and our favorite pizza restaurant Gialina, located in the Glen Park neighborhood, opened in January 2007. Ragazza is an informal neighborhood restaurant featuring Neapolitan-style thin crust pizzas, seasonal salads, antipasti served in a casual atmosphere.

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Zero Zero Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Zero Zero San Francisco Exterior Decor

Zero Zero is a new restaurant in San Francisco’s SOMA district by Bruce Hill. (Pizzeria Picco, Picco, Bix) The restaurant is named after “00” or doppio zero ultrafine milling flour, used in many pizzas. They feature ‘Calipolitan’ pizzas, pastas, Italian small plates, ‘two big time bars’, and organic soft serve. The focus is on farm driven ingredients and a party like atmosphere. Reservations for parties 5 or larger only, so by 6:45pm there was a wait.

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Emilia’s Pizzeria Restaurant, Berkeley

Emilias Pizzeria Berkeley Exterior Decor

Emilia’s Pizzeria is a new small pizza place in Berkeley, located about a block from Berkeley Bowl supermarket. Keith Freilich, the owner, has worked at Pizza Hut, Grimaldi’s Hoboken, Pizzaiolo, and Flour + Water in San Francisco and serves up ‘New York style’ pizza. Emilia’s sells pizza by the slice and pie. Regular and sausage and onion were the pizzas available today. They often sell out, so go early and check their Twitter feed. The place was recently on serious eats.
Decor, Vibe – Tiny pizzeria with two small tables run by one person. Most people got pizza to go. Pizza foodies and locals were the main ones eating.

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Arinell Pizza Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Arinell Pizza San Francisco Exterior

Since 1975, Arinell Pizza has been dishing up New York Style pizza in Berkeley to the student masses. In 1992 they expanded to San Francisco. They have Neopolitan thin crust and Sicilian Thick crust pizza with a variety of add on toppings. They have pre-made pizzas that they add toppings (0.50 or 0.75 each) onto, and heat up. They also sell pizza by the pie. They don’t use MSG or sugar on their pizzas.

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Tommasos Restaurant Review, San Francisco

Tommasos San Francisco Front

Tommasos, Open in 1935, this place is a North Beach institution that seems to have a line every day
from 530pm onwards. It is an old school Italian eatery that hasn’t changed much. Big communal table down the middle. A small basement eatery with old fashion decor and yellow lighting, this is a classic and full of tourists. Tommasos is well know for their wood-fired brick oven pizza.

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