The Garagiste 2009 Pizza Review (long, bound to be controversial)

[ybarselah]

i agree that pizza can be very personal, etc., but anyone that puts Co (NYC) above Una Pizza Napolitana (NYC) is totally nuts. The former is a very good pie, but completely lacking in soul or craft while UPN was true art and pristinely perfect. Motorino is now in that space and is doing a good job, but UPN was singular.

I envy San Francisco when he opens there.

Lombardi’s is indeed overrated. It’s not bad – in fact it’s quite good for a neighborhood NY-style pie – but there’s nothing really special about it.

[M.Kaplan]

@P. Davis

@Mark K

I live in a pizza wasteland.

So true! Why can’t anyone make a decent pie in LA???

Maybe for the same reason(s) no one makes a proper bagel out here

[Tony_V_e_l_e_b_i_l]

@Mark K

@P. Davis

@Mark K

I live in a pizza wasteland.

So true! Why can’t anyone make a decent pie in LA???

Maybe for the same reason(s) no one makes a proper bagel out here

I had high hopes for Pizzeria Mozza but found it pretty good and definitely not worth the hype.

[M.Kaplan]

@Tony V e l e b i l

I had high hopes for Pizzeria Mozza but found it pretty good and definitely not worth the hype.

Agreed.

[Jeff_Twersky]

I am not a fan of Veraci. They roll out the dough with a rolling pin, and the dough suffers as a result. I agree with Jon that Tutta Bella is overrated. I do like Via Tribunali. That said, the pizza in the Seattle area does not hold a candle to NY pizza, or to either Apizza Scholls or Ken’s in Portland.

[Larry_Stein]

Ran into Tony V. today at the ESJ/Eno/Broc Fete du Vin in Berkeley. Sandi and I touted him on Delarosa which just opened up on Chestnut St. in SF. My only quibble with the pizza was the center 1/3 crust of each slice was a bit too soggy. However, once you got past that, the crust was terrific. Great chew and we thought the toppings were applied in the correct amount.

We also had the meatballs in spicy marinara and eggplant caponatina with burrata as apps, and the homemade doughnuts with 3 dipping sauces (raspberry puree, chocolate, and Mascarpone) for dessert. Each of those was terrific.

The three of us agree on Delfina, however, Sandi and I have only eaten at the Upper Fillmore location.

Her daughter is a crack cook and eats out quite often in SF. She and her boyfriend were singularly underwhelmed by Flour+Water.

I’m psyched to try Gialina, but there’s something quite nice about being able to walk 5 min. from Sandi’s apartment to Delarosa. Also, we feel compelled to work our way through the menu!

[gary_hatley]

Pizza, I do love it. Always stop at the Cheeseboard in Berkeley for the pie of the day when driving up north and then back down south. I enjoy the Flatbread pizza in Los Alamos while drinking wine in the Santa Ynez area. In LA I’ve been buying pizza’s from Nicky Dee’s and Zelo (cornbread style crust…I know, I know).
Watching Dexter while downing a good pizza and gulping a big syrah is a favorite way to finish the week.

[Brian_G_r_a_f_s_t_r_o_m]

@Tony V e l e b i l

@Linda Baehr

@Tony V e l e b i l

Agreed. It’s not even in my top 5 in the bay area

So, what are your top 5?

1. Gialina - sf
2. Pizzerio pico - larkspur
3. Marzano - Oakland
   4 & 5. Flour + Water. Sf. And pizzaiolo in Oakland

anybody know what the old little pizza joint that’s right up the sreet from a strip joint in SF is called? it’s been there forever, and servers excellent pizza and excellent charcuterie plate. It’s small, cramped, and (all) seating is below-ground. just around the corner there’s decent bar. I seem to remember it being a place that does not take reservations … u just put your name in, and wait for one of the tables to open up. it was packed when I went there a couple years ago. hopefully somebody is on my wavelength here … i know i’ve offerred very little help.

[Larry_Stein]

Brian, it’s Tommaso’s. I think the pizza is quite good there!

[Brian_G_r_a_f_s_t_r_o_m]

ok … i figured it out … it was going to bug the hell outta me until i did … Tommaso’s is the name of the place. I can’t wait to go back.

EDIT: ah, thanks, Larry. You are correct!

[Thomas_Puricelli]

Always loved Tommaso’s, although it’s been years since I have been there. Of course, I’m more nostalgic for the memory of grabbing a slice at Golden Boy Pizza at around 1:00 AM after a night of boozing. The memories of being single and having no kids…

[Paul_L_i_n]

@gene keenan

I fell out of my chair laughing when I saw he placed Delfina as number 2.

Even more laughable is that fact that he mentioned take-out from this place, as if that is a good thing. Ordered a bunch of pies from this place a while ago and in the 5 minutes it took me to get back, the pizzas had totally steamed in the box and become dense and rubbery. Their pizzas are decent but not worth the hype IMO.

[Bob_Hughes]

I did like Motorino quite a bit - they had a spicy soppresata pie that was deelish. But anybody that can include Pizzeria Uno in a list purporting to be the best of anything is clueless.

[John_Webber]

we don’t have much to crow about in San Antonio, but I can say with cetainty our Dough is a hell of a lot better than NYC’s Keste.

[Guillaume_Deschamps]

@Paul L i n

Even more laughable is that fact that he mentioned take-out from this place, as if that is a good thing. Ordered a bunch of pies from this place a while ago and in the 5 minutes it took me to get back, the pizzas had totally steamed in the box and become dense and rubbery. Their pizzas are decent but not worth the hype IMO.

The take-out criterion reminds me of a “serious” list like this one where one of the criteria was “does it taste good the next day?” – immediately put things in perspective for me.