Best Pizzas in San Francisco

My favorite pizza in the San Francisco Bay Area is made by the winner of over 100 "best pizza" awards, Zachary's Chicago Pizza Inc. in Berkeley. They also have a location in Oakland, but I usually head to the Berkeley location near the top of Solano Avenue and order a deep-dish pizza full of pepperoni, mushrooms, and marinated artichoke hearts swimming in their chunky homemade tomato sauce. If you don't like to wait, call ahead. They also offer pizzas half-baked so you can pick them up early, take them home, and finish cooking them in your own oven. The pies are enormous and the leftovers are delicious for breakfast, too, hot or cold. Oh man, now I've gone and made myself hungry.

Moving on, CBS San Francisco recently did a survey of pizza joints in the city, so here is a summary and links. I haven't tried all of these myself, but plan to. Good pizza is always worth stopping for.

According to food blogger Joanne Boston, who compiled the list and descriptions below, "Pies in San Francisco are creative. Most places rely on local farms and purveyors for their toppings resulting in tasty and unique combinations. Let’s take a look at some of the City’s prime spots for premium pizza pies."

Flour + Water

2401 Harrison St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 826-7000
Flour + Water
Food so good there wasn’t room for even Steve Jobs to have a seat. Perfectly blistered crust from their Italian 900 degree Valoriani oven is a perfect platform for their choice toppings such as mozzerrella de bufala, eggplant, and even heirloom tomatoes. Who said pizza can’t be classy? Good enough for a million-dollar man, most definitely.

Gialina

2842 Diamond St.
San Francisco, CA 94131
(415) 239-8500
Gialina
The “Atomica” Neapolitan-style pizza covered with tomato sauce, mushrooms, mozzarella, red onions and chilies will keep you coming back for more. To ease the heat from the spice on the pizza, order the chocolate hazelnut dessert pizza topped with cool mascarpone cheese. Since no reservations are accepted, come early – it is still well worth the wait.

Little Star

400 Valencia St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 551-7827
Little Star Pizza
Big appetite? Little Star’s Chicago-style deep dish pizzas are a cure for your hunger. Go for the “Brass Monkey” which is a secret menu item – spinach, ricotta and feta cheeses, mushrooms, onions, garlic, and sausage layered on a buttery crust. Best believe you‘ll be reaching for more than one slice. I must add a slice of news, here. Little Star has a newly opened location on lower Solano Avenue in Albany. That's near Berkeley in the east bay. Rumor has it that they give Zachary's a run for their money, so you know I'll have to check it out soon! --Cicely

Pauline’s Pizza

260 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 552-2050
Pauline’s Pizza Pie
A friendly neighborhood joint that welcomes people of all walks of life from kids to hipsters to health-conscious folks. If you want a true “California” pizza, this is the place to go. Dive into their signature pesto pizza with verdant basil, garlic, and pine nuts.

Pizzeria Delfina

2406 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 440-11893611
18th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 437-6800
Pizzaria Delfina
The “Salsiccia” with homemade fennel sausage is what got many San Franciscan’s loving thin-crust pizza. A more casual joint compared to its sister Delfina Restaurant next door, Pizzeria Delfina is the perfect spot to people watch, drink a glass of wine, and mange on their delicious pies, of course. Both locations, one in the Mission and one in Pacific Heights, are neighborhood gems.

Tommaso’s

1042 Kearny Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 398-9696
Tommaso’s
This is the epitome of old school North Beach flavor since it is the home of San Francisco’s oldest wood-fired pizza oven. The oven gives each pizza pie a crispy crust and smoky tone. Try all of their pizzas, they are all delicious! Okay, if we had to choose, go for the Italian pepperoni – classic with that addicting spice.

A Roman Holiday, Part One

The Roman Forum

"All roads indeed lead to Rome, but theirs also is a more mystical destination, some bourne of which no traveller knows the name, some city, they all seem to hint, even more eternal." --Richard Le Gallienne

After passing through numerous security checks with our shoes off in San Francisco, my travel partner and I were somewhat surprised at the ease of entering Italy. An immigration officer stamped our passports without looking up from his desk, and then the customs official waved us through without even pausing in her languid conversation with a porter.

We hailed a cab (or the cab driver hailed us) and sped off to our hotel: the charming little Cosmopolita. Our driver careened through traffic with no distinct lanes in his big manual transmission Mercedes cab. Most of the time he was twisted around in the driver’s seat to face us, pointing out various sites and explaining bits of Italian history while steering with one hand. Next time, I'll take the Metro (subway) from the airport.

We arrived hours before check-in time and in the rain, but the Cosmopolita Hotel staff took it in stride. They stored our bags and gave us a map of the area, pointing out that the ancient Roman Forum, Coliseum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Capitol Building and Metro station were all within easy walking distance. I asked if there was a shop nearby where we could buy an umbrella, which was the one thing I had forgotten to pack. Alesandro (the unofficial King of Front Desk) happily said, “Yes, you’ve found it,” and handed us a giant golf umbrella . Tucked under our new umbrella and operating on pure adrenaline, we struck out in the direction of the Roman forum.

The forum turned out to be an easy five-minute stroll from the hotel, as promised. Stone steps lead down to the excavated forum, which is several stories below the surrounding buildings, and by the time we reached the last step the rain had stopped and the clouds were beginning to break up. What a sight the Roman forum was with the clouds peeling apart and brilliant shafts of sunlight striking the ancient stones.

To Be Continued...

A Roman Holiday, Overview

"Everyone soon or late comes round by Rome." --Robert Browning

Roman Holiday is one of my favorite Audrey Hepburn films and Rome is one my favorite cities for a week of dining and strolling. Long lunches, gelato, and pizza in the seat of one of history's great empires-- what's not to love?

Favorite Guidebook:

Rick Steves' Rome 2011 is like having a personal tour guide in your pocket or purse. It's also a book that opens doors, literally. Many restaurants and shops have special offers and freebies only for people carrying the unmistakable blue books penned by Rick. Skip down to "Favorite Restaurant" below for details.

Favorite Time of Year:

My last visit to the city of Rome was in the late Spring, but it's hard to beat the cooler temperatures of the fall. That's why October is many peoples' favorite time to hang out in Rome. Avoid the peak of summer if you can because of the heat. Italy essentially shuts down in August.

Favorite Attraction:

The jury is still out on that one! There are so many to love. And I'm not just talking about gelaterias...honestly!

Favorite Restaurant:

Cafe dello Studente is my standout favorite place for a long lunch in Rome. The sidewalk tables have a view of the Roman Colosseum and the lasagna is divine. Don't miss it. Rick writes that travelers holding one of his guidebooks can expect to receive a royal welcome from Simona and her husband, but that is an understatement. We walked in and she yelled “Rrrick Steves’!” with the rolled “r” sound and eagerly showed us to a table. As usual, all of the tables were placed on the sidewalk. We read in the book that most cafes have two prices: one for purchasing food to go, and a higher charge for sitting at a table. Real estate isn’t cheap. However, with the book, we got the table for the to-go price, some free appetizers, free drinks, and a baseball cap.

Favorite Travel Tip:

As always, I advocate traveling with carry-on bags, only. One thing I’ve learned over the years is the value of traveling without any checked baggage whenever possible. It never fails to save tons of time and hassle. If the thought of not being able to pack more clothes than you need for your trip sounds like too much to bear, try imagining the joy and freedom of walking straight through customs and immigration and beginning your holiday while your fellow travelers jockey for position around groaning and lurching baggage carousels. The fun of strolling past that mess is definitely worth occasionally needing to wash a pair of socks in a hotel bathroom sink. Most people don't return from a trip abroad saying, "Next time I'm going to bring MORE luggage!" Luggage is called luggage because it's not fun to lug around.

More to Come:

Stay tuned for journal entries from the trip! I'll type them up as soon as I have time. Meanwhile, if you'll excuse me, there is a pizza with my name on it.