Howie’s Artisan Pizza Restaurant Review, Palo Alto

Reviewer: Foodnut.com Howie's Artisan Pizza 855 El Camino Real Palo Alto, CA 94301 650-327-4992 Howie's Artisan Pizza Website

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.

Howie’s Decor, Vibe – Busy at dinner time and loud. Families, couples, the young set, some older folks were dining. You can leave a cell number and come back later. Place your order while waiting. Lots to go orders.
Counter and dining room areas, Odd shaped lamps, exposed wood ceilings, brown and olive colors, TV in bar, simple chairs and tables. Nice Patio seating outside for warm summer nights.

Howie’s Artisan Pizza Menu (Click to zoom into any picture)

Howie’s Artisan Pizza Menu has appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and several varieties of pizza. You can order half half on your pizza.

Website Howie’s Artisan Pizza Menu

Picks:

 

Chinese Chicken Salad ($10) – Napa cabbage, romaine lettuce, peanuts, cilantro, cucumber, crispy won ton, hot mustard vinaigrette was a large salad with finely chopped ingredients bathed in a light dressing.

 

Pancetta, red onion, red chili ($15) house made pancetta, spicy red Fresno chili, red onion, mozzarella cheese, and tomato sauce was not too spicy, had lots toppings, was chewy not crispy. Stiff hard pancetta and a greasy pizza. In 2011, we found that they discontinued this pizza because the house-made pancetta was too time consuming.

Zucchini pesto ($15) basil pesto, zucchini, mozzarella cheese, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese was nice, crispy with a nice pesto layer and thin layer of zucchini.

Baked potato pizza ($18) scallop potatoes, Swiss cheese, crisp bacon, Rosemary, and chives had a crispy crust, and several thin potato layers, making for a nice thick pizza. In 2011, they started to chop up the bacon, making it look nicer but diluting the bacon effect. Expensive pizza.

the works ($19) Hobbs pepperoni, fennel sausage, salami, red onion, sweet peppers, olives, mozzarella cheese, and tomato sauce. Good size, lots toppings, strong olives, crispy edge only, nice balls of sausage, one greasy pizza.

Soft serve ice cream ($5) with hot fudge, and almonds was a large desert with high-quality ingredients. Enough for several people.

OK:
None

Pans:
Hummus and Tahini ($8)- green onion, radish, house-made flatbread was a good appetizer possessing high quality hummus and freshly made, and warm house made flatbread. (Seemed more like pizza dough)

Howie’s Artisan Pizza takes 20 minutes to make their pizzas. Complimentary filtered water. Servers were patrolling, asked how stuff was and accommodated a botch by redoing a pizza without questions. Howie’s Artisan Pizza serves up solid thin crust pizza on the San Francisco Peninsula.

Foodies, be sure to try San Francisco’s Gialina or Oakland’s Pizzaiolo for the ultimate in thin crust pizza.
Low cost wine with glasses from $5, bottles from $16 and several selections.

Restaurant Map: