Paulines, Pizzetta 221, and ... ?

[Daniel Duane]

To whit: is there anywhere else to look, in our great town, for a seriously righteous pizza?

By way of perameters: I'm not a New York style purist. In fact, my all time favorite pizza is cheeseboard, in Berkeley. but I don't live in Berkeley.

[misti]

Delfina has cute boys and girls in the kitchen and yummy clam pie. their panna pizza is really yummy too. just had pizza for the first time at little Star and thought it was great. both have good wine lists and salads. my sis lives in chicago and i like little star better than giordanos and gino's east...

[bbulkow]

Mi god, not the zach's flame war again.

So what's the dope on Pauline's? It used to be all the recommendation-rage, yet I never got out there.

Still exists? Good? What?

-b

[Robert Lauriston]

Pauline's is the same as it has been for years. Worth trying if you're open-minded about pizza. Don't miss the tasso if they have it.

[farmersdaughter]

I alternate take out between Pauline's and Little Star's Chicago style. Both are excellent but if you don't like cornmeal in your pizza crust you may be disappointed. I used to get Zachary's from time to time when I was craving Chicago style, but since Little Star opened up on Divis (and now on Valencia - even better!), I haven't been back and doubt if I will. I like Little Star's crust better -- I have gotten uncookedin-the-middle crust at Zachary's once or twice but never at Little Star and the quality of the toppings at Little Star is first rate.

For eating at the restaurant, my top choice is A16, followed by Pizzetta 211 and Delfina Pizzeria, all in SF. I love Pizzaiolo but I live in the city so it's more of a hike for me, but if I lived closer I'd be there often.

I tend to have Arinell's for a "maintenance" slice on the run.

I've had pizza at La Ciccia twice. The first time it was great. The second time it was tough and inedible. I'll give the pizza one more try but they have a lot of other things on the menu more appealing to me than the pizza so who knows when that will be?

[Glencora]

I just tried Amici in San Rafael and liked the thin, blistered crust. The pizza was a bit greasy, but in a good way. My SO didn't care for it much because he prefers a more California style pizza with a thicker crust. Pizza is something people almost never can agree on, though neither of us likes Zachery's at all.

[poulet_roti]

I always request my pizza to be "extra thin" and "well done" for the same reasons. That said, the beginning of this post had more to do with what I would call "gourmet pizza" rather than just good pie. I occasionally order delivery from Pasquale's on Irving and they do a decent pie when in the mood for that kind of pizza. That said, it is not comparable to Pizzetta or Pizzeria Delfina which are simply higher end pizzas.

[rdean]

Zachary's in Berkeley and Albany is one of the greatest pizzas in our area. As a former New Yorker, deep dish pizza wasn't really my thing until I ate at Zachs. Their thin crust is quite good too (particularly the cornmeal crust) but the deep dish will rock your world. The tomato sauce is chunky and tangy and be sure to try the pesto. You can order ahead for pickup. They often have substantial waits in the restaurant and only take cash.

In San Francisco, try Marcello's on Castro (at Market) for outstanding, New York style pizza. Also, Haystack Pizza in Noe Valley (particularly the "New Yorker" -- AND you can order online) as well as Cybelle's which has several locations across the city. These pizzas have crispy, chewy and substantial end crusts (as opposed to rolled-out, super-thin crust pizza).

For all take-out pizza everywhere, my secret weapon is to never order anything bigger than a medium and ask them to cook it "well-done". The smaller size will mean that the pizza is less likely to be soggy or undercooked. The "well-done" request will ensure a crispier crust and at least some browning of the cheese (Don't worry, they won't send out a burnt pizza) and you will get much tastier and less soggy pizzas from wherever you get your take-out.

[Robert Lauriston]

Zachary's is the worst Chicago-style pizza in the area. Usually the crust is undercooked and gooey, and the top layer (it's stuffed-crust) always is.

If your favorite pizza is the Cheese Board's, you might like Zachary's thin-crust. It's similarly crackery. The chorizo special is a nice mix of toppings.

Little Star dominates:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/322995
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/46324

[rdean]

Little Star is good but not nearly as good overall as Zach's. I have never had an "undercooked and gooey" pizza at Zach's and I have been there many, many times.

[Robert Lauriston]

Opinions vary, there are lots more in the linked topics.

[Maya]

Have to agree, and so do most chicago-transplants I know (and I'm married to one) - Little Star blows Zachary's out of the water.

[Lori SF]

I just don't get the popularity of Zachary's pizza.

I recently tried both the deep dish and thin crust at Little Star, both hands down some of the best pizza in the city.

A16

[Robert Lauriston]

I think Zachary's became popular because until a few years ago it was the best Chicago-style pizza in the area.

[foodiegrl]

Arinell's for divey, honest NY-style pizza
La Ciccia for well-executed and unusual "artisanal" pizza

[Robert Lauriston]

Arizmendi's a spinoff of the Cheese Board.

http://www.arizmendibakery.org

Other great pizzas in SF:

A16
Little Star
Pizzeria Delfina
Tommaso's

Links / addresses: http://lauriston.com/pizza.html