597045 Tue Feb 17 16:04:19 -0800 2009 81 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 4426461 Having been to Naples this past August, I was spoiled by having the best pizza I have ever had in my life. My goal is to find Bay area restaurants that come as close to authentic Neapolitan style pizza as possible. So far, I've only tried out A16, which was pretty darn good. I've also heard Pizzeria Delfina is comparable. Any other recommendations? I don't want anything fancy - just good buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. Basically, an excellent pizza margherita is all I ask for. As for geographic location, I would prefer recommendation either in the Palo Alto/Menlo Park/Mtn View area, or SF. But if it's really good, I'm willing to drive further... Tue Feb 17 16:04:19 -0800 2009 256526 hmruthi 1 4426581 A16 is the only VPN-certified place in the area. I don't think you're going to get any closer to the real thing. Delfina's worth a try but they use a gas deck oven and the crust is slightly thicker and crisper. Tue Feb 17 16:37:14 -0800 2009 4426461 11369 Robert Lauriston 2 4426850 As I recall, there was a pizzeria that opened somewhere in the East Bay (around Hayward?) a year or two ago by a guy who was certified as a pizza maker in Naples and won a pizza making contest there. I cannot recall the name of the place or its exact location. Tue Feb 17 17:50:11 -0800 2009 4426581 23776 DavidT 3 4426865 You're thinking of Pyzano's in Castro Valley, and, BTW, it's been there way-y-y longer than 2 years. Tony Gemigniani, master pizzaiolo and won awards in ITALY for his spinning and throwing techniques. Adam Tue Feb 17 17:53:31 -0800 2009 4426850 154787 adamshoe 4 4426876 Yes, that is the one I was thinking of. Thank you. Have you tried their pizza? Is it any good? Tue Feb 17 17:55:57 -0800 2009 4426865 23776 DavidT 5 4426950 VERY interesting news! Thanks. Tue Feb 17 18:21:35 -0800 2009 4426916 23776 DavidT 3 4428496 Gemignani won the Trofeo Citta di Napoli Championato Internazionale per Pizzaioli in 2007. Unfortunately, he can't make the pizza that won him the prize because Pyzano's doesn't have a wood oven. On at least one occasion he rented one and set up in the parking lot: http://pyzanospizzeria.com/news/archives/sf_gate_9_11_07.html Per tablehopper, he's opening a place called Tony’s Pizza Napoletana / International School of Pizza in the old La Felce / Avenue G / Lou's space in North Beach, so that may change. http://www.tablehopper.com/2009/02/chatterbox-february-3-2009.html http://www.internationalschoolofpizza.com Wed Feb 18 09:29:19 -0800 2009 4426850 11369 Robert Lauriston 2 4426853 Link: Tue Feb 17 17:50:31 -0800 2009 4426581 91425 virtualguthrie 2 4426991 A16 is decent. Wood and not coal. I feel like their margherita was bland in flavor and the sauce was a bit too bitter. I assume they are using san marzano tomatoes (maybe canned) and don't rinse them enough (I understand that slight bitterness is the norm). I agree with RL's opinion on Delfina's crust. Their margherita is even more bland than A16's IMO. Their panna with sausage is extremely tasty though so when you go to give that a try and don't even bother with the marg. Their tripe dish is also amazing. If you're ever in NY then check out Luzzo's and Lucali's. They easily make my two favorite pizzas. Both very traditional Neapolitan style. Tue Feb 17 18:34:44 -0800 2009 4426581 76488 EnderWiggin 3 4427042 i'm very partial to una pizza napoletana in manhattan. a16 will do in a pinch. just wish i could convince them to keep the pizza in the oven for an extra 30 seconds or so. Tue Feb 17 18:51:07 -0800 2009 4426991 10627 steve h. 4 4427275 una pizza napoletana is very good as well...but I don't think I like to cut my own pizza haha Why do you think A16 should keep it in for an extra 30 seconds? I'm just wondering. My favorite pizza places mostly keep the timing at around 2 minutes (oven at around 750 degrees) and I think A16 hovers around 3 minutes. Maybe their oven wasn't as hot as it usually is the last time I timed it. Tue Feb 17 20:13:47 -0800 2009 4427042 76488 EnderWiggin 5 4428538 i like a little char on my crust. not too much, just enough to influence the overall taste of the pie. upn is a hoot. i always sit up front so i can watch mangieri work. Wed Feb 18 09:38:12 -0800 2009 4427275 10627 steve h. 4 4427334 Just ask for it well done. I do that at Pizzeria Delfina, because I don't think they keep it in the oven long enough. A16 is perfect for me, though. Tue Feb 17 20:36:16 -0800 2009 4427042 10157 farmersdaughter 5 4428744 i will. thanks. Wed Feb 18 10:26:10 -0800 2009 4427334 10627 steve h. 3 4428822 A16 uses wood because that's the rule for Neapolitan pizzas, not coal. I suspect they'd lose their certification (not to mention run afoul of air quality laws) if they used coal. Wed Feb 18 10:48:33 -0800 2009 4426991 18466 a_and_w 4 4429000 coal is a new york city thing. i think that may have been ew's frame of reference. Wed Feb 18 11:33:17 -0800 2009 4428822 10627 steve h. 5 4429942 Yes it was a frame of reference. I'm familiar with the guidelines so I just mentioned san marzano tomatoes and wood not coal just to help describe the pizza. Wed Feb 18 15:32:29 -0800 2009 4429000 76488 EnderWiggin 6 4430087 I see. Then we agree that A16 is a more accurate representation of traditional Neapolitan style than, say, Luzzo's, which uses coal? Wed Feb 18 16:16:47 -0800 2009 4429942 18466 a_and_w 7 4430155 Yeah I'll agree to that Wed Feb 18 16:39:24 -0800 2009 4430087 76488 EnderWiggin 4 4898908 Coal ovens aren't allowed in Cali. Tue Jul 28 19:58:30 -0700 2009 4428822 15114 epop 2 4525158 So we finally made it to Pizzeria Delfina last night (the Pac Heights location). We waited for about 40 minutes, which was surprising for a Friday night. My husband ordered the pizza margherita with buffalo mozzarella and pepperoni and I got the same sans pepperoni plus arugula. He didn't care for the pepperoni, but we both really enjoyed our pizzas. There is certainly much thicker, but we got a side of tomato sauce to dip it in, which was the perfect accompaniment. Also, perhaps due to the lack of wood-burning oven, the crust had minimal amounts of charring, which I didn't mind. While I must admit that Pizzeria Delfina is NOT authentic neopolitan style pizza, in the fashion of A16, it is still pretty amazing. I've decided that if you want a taste of Naples, A16 is your best bet, but if you want good pizza and are not picky about its region of origin, then Pizzeria Delfina is most definitely worth going to. Sat Mar 21 09:40:03 -0700 2009 4426581 256526 hmruthi 1 4426873 Gialina claims to make a "Neapolitan-Style" pizza on their website. I had their food and liked it a lot, although I'm not sure how authentic it is compared to Italy. It's a good place to try if you're looking to compare the different pizza offerings around here. www.gialina.com Tue Feb 17 17:55:18 -0800 2009 4426461 130031 Shane Greenwood 2 4428528 I don't believe Gialina has a wood oven. Wed Feb 18 09:36:33 -0800 2009 4426873 11369 Robert Lauriston 2 4430335 Gialina's pizza is delicious and I'm a fan. But it's really their own individual style: a rather looser interpretation of "Neapolitan style" than what you'll find at A16. Nothing wrong with that - both these places make very delicious pizza. As you may have gathered from the lack of recommendations, there's nothing close to A16 that I know of in the Palo Alto / Mountain View / Menlo Park area. The closest I've found in the South Bay area so far would be Pizza Antica in Santana Row in San Jose. On a good day is very reminiscent of pizzas I've had in northern Italy. I've heard good things about La Pizzeria in downtown Campbell but haven't tried it yet. I haven't been to Naples yet, but someday... Michael Wed Feb 18 17:38:22 -0800 2009 4426873 10707 mdg 3 4525177 I'd love to hear a report on La Pizzeria in Campbell. Also has anyone had the pizza at La Strada in Palo Alto lately? It's been a few years since my last visit, but it is wood-fired with a minimalist approach. Sat Mar 21 09:51:05 -0700 2009 4430335 10039 Melanie Wong 4 4525496 I've had the pizza margherita at La Strada. It's sub par in comparison to the rest of these places (A16, Pizzaiolo, Delfina), and not worth the money, at least in my book. Sat Mar 21 12:34:28 -0700 2009 4525177 256526 hmruthi 4 4608168 The pizzas at La Pizzeria look like the pizzas we had in northern Italy, but taste-wise they do not match up. Both the crust and the tomato sauce were too bland. It was decent, but nothing special. The good news I heard about this place was a couple years ago, so maybe it used to be better. The wine by the glass list is excellent, however - we had very tasty glasses of Nero d'Avola and Negroamaro Rosso, the latter the wine special of the week. A16 remains my favorite Bay Area destination for pizza, with Gialina close behind. In this area, Pizza Antica at Santana Row is a better bet. Michael Sat Apr 18 21:26:18 -0700 2009 4525177 10707 mdg 4 4713230 Note that La Strada's original chef has left to open his own place. It's a new ballgame. Mon May 25 12:19:25 -0700 2009 4525177 10039 Melanie Wong 1 4427067 We ate at A16 last year and were underwhelmed. We had arrugula topped pizza and an order of burrata [that was excellent]. The pizza was okay, but nothing special in our book. Crust was too thin and a bit more charcoaled than we like. We had the Salsiccia pizza at Delfina this past Sunday. It was excellent. It had just the right amount of sauce [very fresh and light tasting], mozzarella was creamy, the sausage had a nice flavor [not hot, but not mild either] and it also had juliened red peppers and onions. These transplanted NYer's thought Delfina surpassed A16! Deb Tue Feb 17 18:59:25 -0800 2009 4426461 42664 DebitNM 2 4428296 That makes sense since Delfina is a cross between NY style and Neapolitan, leaning more toward NY. I prefer Neapolitan style and think that A16 is right on the money. I like Delfina in a pinch if I can't get to the other side of town to go to A16 or Picco in Larkspur, but the lack of a wood burning oven seems like a total cop out for Delfina. Gialina and Beretta is a different story for me as I have had inedible pizzas there. In the Bay Area, A16, Picco, and Pizzaiolo are the only pizzerias that make a product that closely resembles true Neapolitan pizza (A16 is more like Da Michele, Picco is more like Trianon, and Pizzaiolo is a bit thicker and chewier like Gorizia in the Vomero). All the pizzas I had when I lived in Naples had very charcoaled bubbles on the edges and were thin and droopy with a soupy center that forced you to eat them with a fork and knife unlike NY pizza which can fold a slice and eat by hand. If anything I wish A16, Picco, and Pizzaiolo did not concede to American tastes and would make their pizzas even soupier and more supple, but then everyone who is not used to that style would complain that they are not crispy and are soggy, specially all the NY transplants. Wed Feb 18 08:36:41 -0800 2009 4427067 18271 Amy G 3 4428514 There's no room for a wood oven in Pizzeria Delfina's cramped space. They describe themselves as "Naples meets New York–inspired pizzeria," so it's not false advertising. Wed Feb 18 09:33:48 -0800 2009 4428296 11369 Robert Lauriston 3 4428536 Adding links. http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/lauriston/ Wed Feb 18 09:37:58 -0800 2009 4428296 11369 Robert Lauriston 3 4428828 American pizza does NOT need to be any soggier or soupier than it already is. PS: Full disclosure -- I'm a NY transplant LOL! Wed Feb 18 10:50:09 -0800 2009 4428296 18466 a_and_w 3 4431281 La Pizza Fresca Ristorante claims to be the first certified in NY and 93rd in the world, and their pizza is a little soupy like you described. The crust is on the chewy side. This probably isn't what most New Yorkers are looking for when they say they want to find Neapolitan in SF though. Thu Feb 19 03:02:50 -0800 2009 4428296 145096 sugartoof 2 4431284 "These transplanted NYer's thought Delfina surpassed A16" Doesn't shock me. Delfina is the all around closest to a NY pie. Thu Feb 19 03:06:31 -0800 2009 4427067 145096 sugartoof 1 4428791 It's not strictly traditional in that they use whatever ingredients they feel like, but I really like the pizza at Zuni. Appropriately sized, thin crusted, and blistered from the wood fired oven, with a nice limited but flavorful topping. The standby is just a sprinkling of ricotta salata, but they also have other pizzas once in a while. As for pizza in Naples, best pizza ever, really? I found the pizza in Naples to use inferior ingredients and great technique. The sum was certainly greater than the parts, but they were missing certain flavor dimensions due to the low-mid quality mozzarella and sauce. We went to a number of the best ranked places, and pizzas were all less than 5 euros, which just doesn't pay for the best DOP mozzarella. It pays for bargain basement mozzarella. Wed Feb 18 10:40:58 -0800 2009 4426461 17221 SteveG 2 4428811 i've been meaning to try the pizza at zuni for lunch. maybe it's time to quit thinking about it and just do it. thanks for the tip. Wed Feb 18 10:44:48 -0800 2009 4428791 10627 steve h. 2 4429063 The first place we tried Naples had an option of buying cheaper pizza with fior de latte mozzarella or paying a few euros more and getting buffalo mozzarella. We ordered one with each and you could definitely tell the difference. It was pure buffalo mozzarella goodness from then on. Wed Feb 18 11:49:42 -0800 2009 4428791 256526 hmruthi 3 4429133 Wow...that would have made a huge difference. Thanks for the tip. Wed Feb 18 12:06:34 -0800 2009 4429063 17221 SteveG 1 4429201 Odd to have seen this after just adding a place record for the new Pizza Nostra opening on De Haro at the end of Feburary 2009. According to the Chronicle the chef is a veteran pizza maker from Naples who just moved here a month ago. Here's the place record. http://www.chow.com/places/46013 I didn't link since it isn't open and someone looking for info on the place after it opens would just get this long thread that does nothing but mention the place. Just click on the link if you need address info. Wed Feb 18 12:24:15 -0800 2009 4426461 10264 rworange 2 4431015 The fact that some place has AN Italian in charge of the pizza does not mean much. Tons of places have that, Italians make bad pizza, too, and even more so in the US. Kind of like the VPN certification, completely worthless, there are some bad pies coming out from these places. Good pizza is very rare, unfortunately. And SteveG, there is really good fiore di latte. Most mozz di buf in the US is bad, sour because it has an extremely short shelf life. And no, most people don't know the real taste because what you get in most of the stores is actually sour, though it just seems like that is the taste. You can use either version of mozz and have a great pie. Unfortunately, it is worse than a needle in a haystack for greatness. Maybe goodness but I don't even bother because improvement is so simple. Wed Feb 18 21:11:58 -0800 2009 4429201 239561 dietndesire 3 4431057 Well, yes ... like another poster ... most of the pizza I had in Naples wasn't much . HOWEVER ... the Chronicle makes it sound like this is more than someone off the boat from Naples http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/05/DD2415LPJ2.DTL&type=printable " Giovanni Aginolfi, a veteran Italian pizza chef, will man the stoves - and pizza oven - at Pizza Nostra, the new spot from Jocelyn Bulow (Chez Papa, Chez Maman, Chez Papa Resto). Pizza Nostra is scheduled to open later this month in the former Cafe Couleur (300 De Haro St.) at the foot of Potrero Hill, serving Neapolitan-style pizza and focaccia, along with pastas and small plates. Aginolfi, who is from Naples, arrived about a month ago from Europe where he worked most recently on the French Riviera." Wed Feb 18 21:32:45 -0800 2009 4431015 10264 rworange 4 4525285 Pizza Nostra finally opened and there is a positive report linked to this place record. http://www.chow.com/places/47519 The website is even working http://www.pizzanostrasf.com/pizza_menu.html They say they have weekend brunch, but at this point only a dozen menu items are on the website. From the website ... "Pizza chef Giovanni Aginolfi, with 18 years of experience, is one of Europe’s foremost pizza chefs and has worked most recently on the French Riviera. In the World Pizza Championship held annually in Italy, Aginolfi finished in 6th place in 2007 and in 5th place in 2008 Pizza Nostra includes a large variety of thin crust pizzas, three focaccia offerings (signature recipes from the Italian city of Recco), a dozen small plates, an antipasti bar and a plate de jour main course. The restaurant’s pizza oven utilizes gas heat with a wood scenting feature. Check out our gelato bar serving seven or eight flavors, all imported from Italy, and the 35 selections on the Pizza Nostra wine list which are also all Italian imports." I'm betting that gelato from Italy is Bindi which Danilo also sells. Sat Mar 21 10:38:21 -0700 2009 4431057 10264 rworange 5 4525312 "Wood scenting feature"? That's a new one. Sat Mar 21 10:49:46 -0700 2009 4525285 11369 Robert Lauriston 6 4525318 Yeah, that made me giggle. The appetizers currently on the site look good Eggplant Involtini, Goat Cheese, Pesto, Tomato Concasse 7 Burrata and Fava Bean Salad 10 Grilled Octopus with Chick Peas, Celery and Lemon 9 Rock Shrimp and White Bean Salad with Mint and Fennel 9 Steamed Littleneck Clams, Roasted Tomato Broth, Oregano, White Wine and Aioli 13 Fritto Misto with Lemon, Aioli and Fresh Herbs 9 Eli's Meatballs Al Forno with Marinara and Parmigiano Reggiano 9 Oven Roasted Bone Marrow with Gremolata and Garlic Crostini 12 Garlic Country Bread (3 Slices) They have a weird website. You have to scroll to the right a lot to get the full menu. Sat Mar 21 10:52:30 -0700 2009 4525312 10264 rworange 1 4441494 Just went back to A16 last night with my husband. We ate at the bar, and we had the pizza margherita with arugula and the mushroom pizza. With a couple of glasses of wine, the meal was fantastic. We have a new mission to try out all the good pizza places in SF, inlcuding Pizzeria Delfina and Pizzaiolo. We'll keep you all posted on our progress... Sun Feb 22 10:59:51 -0800 2009 4426461 256526 hmruthi 1 4443707 Try Poggio if you are in Sausalito...its very authentic Napoletana. Mon Feb 23 09:01:15 -0800 2009 4426461 119334 SFguy 2 4443931 Would you recommend Poggio over Picco Pizzeria in Larkspur? Mon Feb 23 09:52:36 -0800 2009 4443707 256526 hmruthi 3 4444381 In my opinion, Picco is far superior if judging from a Neapolitan pizza standpoint. Poggio is more like wood fired pizza you would find in Tuscany. Thinner, crisper and not like anything I had in Naples. I like Poggio, it is a solid central Italian inspired restaurant, but pizza is their weak point. I think many posters here confuse all forms of Italian pizza and bulk them together not understanding that pizza in Naples has a very particular characteristic which is different from the thinner and crisper pizzas found throughout the rest of Italy. As mentioned, there are only three places that are true to the Neapolitan style: Picco, Pizzaiolo, and A16. Look for places that have wood burning ovens and that use either imported (Picco and A16) or locally milled (Pizzaiolo) double zero flour. Then look at the time the pizza spends in the oven. If it is more than 2 minutes, they are going for a lower temp oven and a crisper style. Mon Feb 23 11:35:15 -0800 2009 4443931 18271 Amy G 4 4444635 When did Pizzaiolo switch to local flour? They used to have a pallet or two of Caputo in the back. http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/lauriston/ Mon Feb 23 12:36:11 -0800 2009 4444381 11369 Robert Lauriston 5 4444677 When I was there 6 months ago or so I saw sacks of Giusto's double zero. Maybe they were just experimenting, but either way they are using double zero. Mon Feb 23 12:45:45 -0800 2009 4444635 18271 Amy G 4 4450613 Does Picco not have indoor seating on the weekends, or am I missing something? I was thinking of going with a group of people next Saturday night and from the website, it seems like we cannot sit inside... Wed Feb 25 08:13:39 -0800 2009 4444381 256526 hmruthi 5 4450859 It is a very small place so not good for groups. They have a small counter where you can sit. It is perfect for lunch after hiking on a weekend for two people. Pizzaiolo is better for a larger table, but I would not do larger than 8 as I am not sure if they could handle a very large group. Wed Feb 25 09:29:01 -0800 2009 4450613 18271 Amy G 6 4451868 I'm not sure what Pizzaiolo's limit is, but they can definitely handle groups larger than 8. Wed Feb 25 14:35:18 -0800 2009 4450859 11369 Robert Lauriston 7 4457569 Got reservations for a group of 7 pretty easily. We're going next Saturday... Fri Feb 27 09:11:44 -0800 2009 4451868 256526 hmruthi 8 4497894 So, I finally made it to Pizzaiolo last Saturday and I have to say that I was pretty disappointed. First off, when we got there, I had to wait around for the hostess to figure out if I had a reservation or not. This was particularly annoying because I had confirmed the reservation twice (once the day before, and once a few hours before dinner). Once we actually got seated, they never brought out bread (although I requested), and told one of the members of my party that they had run out of coke (or whichever similar coke-like beverage they serve). All of these little things would not have made a difference if the pizza itself had been good, but to be perfectly honest, it wasn't anything spectacular, especially after 45 minutes of driving to get there. Neither my husband and I are fans over overly burnt crusts, and both of our pizzas (margheritas) seemed like they had been in the oven too long. End conclusion: I would definitely pick A16 over Pizzaiolo any day of the week. Thu Mar 12 09:53:22 -0700 2009 4457569 256526 hmruthi 9 4500140 burnt crust? no bread?? no coke??? i'm all over this place. a16 is a "goto" but pizzaiolo sounds pretty good. Thu Mar 12 20:46:47 -0700 2009 4497894 10627 steve h. 6 4589213 We finally made it out to Pizzeria Picco after a 6 mile hike in Muir Woods. We got to eat our pizza at the bar, and we had great service. I ordered the pizzeria margherita with the addition of imported Italian buffalo mozzarella and arugula. I asked the arugula without oil or salt, but they somehow ended up getting the order wrong by adding those two ingredients onto the arugula, which made the entire pizza quite oily. My husband got the mushroom pizza (called "Seven") and his was definitely better, and much less oily. So far, his rank for Neopolitan pizza places in the bay area are Picco, A16, and Pizzaiolo, with Delfina in its own category. I would rank A16 higher than Picco, mainly because I like the A16 crust better, but otherwise my list would be the same. Also, the soft-serve ice cream was a huge plus at Picco. I got the chocolate soft serve with strawberry compote and my husband got the vanillla with hot fudge. We both would recommend the latter over the former. Sun Apr 12 09:24:08 -0700 2009 4450859 256526 hmruthi 1 4443749 If you find yourself wandering in the wilds of the East Bay, try Pizza Antica in Lafayette. Very simple is very good there, and the more complex also very good. Pizza in Italy always seems mythic, but we can make do. Mon Feb 23 09:15:02 -0800 2009 4426461 265182 BartSFCA 1 4445349 You might want to try La Ciccia in Noe Valley. Really good pizza (try the Sardo) although they generally only have a couple on the menu. Mon Feb 23 15:57:35 -0800 2009 4426461 163640 twenex 2 4445383 La Ciccia's pizza is not at all Neapolitan style. I wouldn't order it again, didn't seem to me to be in the same league with the exquisite Sardinian pastas, fish, and meat dishes. Mon Feb 23 16:09:34 -0800 2009 4445349 11369 Robert Lauriston 3 4445562 Robert where does Nizza la Bella fall in the pizza category? I know that the chef/owner has a certificate from Italy, but I don't remember which style. Mon Feb 23 17:03:22 -0800 2009 4445383 13011 Missmoo 4 4445582 As it says on the menu, "New York City, circa 1905." http://www.nizzalabella.com/dinnermenu.html Profile of the owner: http://www.pmq.com/mag/2006january-february/slomonprofile.php Mon Feb 23 17:09:34 -0800 2009 4445562 11369 Robert Lauriston 5 4447541 Thanks! See I don't know my pizza styles! Tue Feb 24 09:33:39 -0800 2009 4445582 13011 Missmoo 1 4457759 Has anyone tried the pizza at Gitane? I know they have a wood burning oven but not sure what style of pizza they are serving. Fri Feb 27 09:58:48 -0800 2009 4426461 10157 farmersdaughter 1 4498431 GIALINA's (in Glen Park) for sure! their crust is amazing....a little sweet and little salty. perfectly cooked and paper thin. i was in Italy earlier this year and it's the only pizza that comes close. Thu Mar 12 12:10:08 -0700 2009 4426461 154784 pumakat 2 4709669 For a more Roman style pizza (thinner and crunchier crust), try out Beretta at 23rd and Valencia. It's very scene-y and busy, but their kitchen is open until 1AM, so if you go on the later side you can avoid the crowds. Sat May 23 17:10:55 -0700 2009 4498431 30470 catwood10 3 4711246 I must say I enjoy Beretta more than Delfina, but not as much as A16. I also prefer Beretta's Roman style pizza to Delfina's cross of NYC/Napoli. Also no one mentioned Pizzetta 211. I forget if it is wood-fired or not, but none the less worth the trip to get that pie! Zuni makes great pizza in their wood-fired oven, but I believe A16 is as close that you will get to Napoli on this coast. Though I wish we could transplan Lucali's from Brooklyn, or UPN. Sun May 24 14:36:10 -0700 2009 4709669 19467 bouffe 4 4713194 Pizzetta 211 has a gas deck oven. Their pizza's the thinnest I've encountered anywhere--thinner than in Rome. Mon May 25 12:03:16 -0700 2009 4711246 11369 Robert Lauriston 5 4713211 Yes now that I think about it, I probably would have noticed a wood fired oven in that small place. It is probably the thinnest I have ever had. Best kept secret in SF but it probably is not so secret anymore. Mon May 25 12:11:00 -0700 2009 4713194 19467 bouffe 1 4881901 Tony's Pizza Napoletana. on stockton st. prepare to pick up your wings when you are done... you will have died and gone to heaven. Get there early... and get the classic margherita - he only makes 73 a day! Wed Jul 22 14:31:50 -0700 2009 4426461 1095909 foodie317 2 4881983 Current thread on Tony's. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/637851 Wed Jul 22 14:55:03 -0700 2009 4881901 105235 wolfe 2 5096302 We went to Tony's on Saturday for lunch. We ordered the puttanesca pizza. I told the waitress we like our crust nicely charred, and all she said was she'd tell the chef. A little while later out comes a pizza with zero char and obviously not cooked in a wood oven. It was our first time there and would have expected the waitress to inform us that the pizza we were ordering would not be fired in the wood oven and would not have a charred crust. The pie was blah. Yet, as we sat trying to eat our mediocre pie, we saw some beautiful looking pies coming out of the wood oven. So we left Tony's very disappointed, leaving two slices on the tray and a smaller than usual tip. They should simply shut down the oven in the back as it turns out poor quality pales. Whereas in many NY pizza joints, you can also order different styles of pie, and all of them usually taste pretty good. Pizza in SF continues to be a real hit-or-miss proposition. Sun Oct 11 22:46:49 -0700 2009 4881901 17335 chilihead2006 3 5096325 Since the menu has which type of oven is used for what type of pizza, the server probably thought you read tthat. The type of pizza you orded was from the domed brick oven and not the wood-fired oven http://tonyspizzanapoletana.com/menu.php Sun Oct 11 23:16:06 -0700 2009 5096302 10264 rworange 1 4884877 So the SF Chronicle is saying Anthony Mangieri (of Manhattan's Una Pizza Napoletana and Chow's Obsessives fame) may be pulling up stakes and eventually setting up shop in SF. Let the pizza wars continue! Thu Jul 23 13:35:09 -0700 2009 4426461 63276 Spatlese 2 4884982 He has closed Una Pizza Napoletana and plans to open a place in California, but he's also considering Santa Cruz. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/22/dining/22pizza.html Thu Jul 23 14:12:09 -0700 2009 4884877 11369 Robert Lauriston 3 4884990 I ate at Una last month (as well as Motorino, talk about irony!) and really enjoyed the pizza. I love the fact that Mangieri makes every pie himself. Thu Jul 23 14:14:04 -0700 2009 4884982 17452 tvham 4 4888636 I enjoyed his pies as well...but was a bit bothered by the size and having to cut my own slices Fri Jul 24 18:08:04 -0700 2009 4884990 76488 EnderWiggin 5 4888929 Small, unsliced pies are part of the Neapolitan tradition. Fri Jul 24 20:49:29 -0700 2009 4888636 11369 Robert Lauriston 6 4894585 yeah, i'm just lazy Mon Jul 27 12:41:28 -0700 2009 4888929 76488 EnderWiggin 2 4885057 I really don't like his attitude -- for a long time UPN refused to serve tap water. I also thought his pizzas were overpriced. That said, the man makes an authentic Neapolitan pie. I will give him another try if he opens up in SF. I also think San Franciscans will greatly appreciate his craft. Thu Jul 23 14:37:50 -0700 2009 4884877 18466 a_and_w 1 5059263 Pizzaria Avellino on Lombard near the Presidio gate http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/646527 Don't miss the Ninth Annual Chowing with the Hounds Picnic! October 3rd, 2009, details and registration info http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/652687 Fri Sep 25 20:13:39 -0700 2009 4426461 10264 rworange