best pizza in San Francisco and the East Bay

Hours, locations, and sometimes menus, discount coupons, and other useful information can be found on the URL'd Web sites.

Where I could not find a Web site or the Web site did not provide basic information, I have provided the phone number and address.

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best of breed:

• California: Pizzaiolo (Italian, wood oven; Oakland, Temescal)
• Chicago - deep dish: Little Star "classic" (San Francisco, two locations, Western Addition & Mission)
• Italian - Neapolitan: A16 (wood oven; San Francisco, Marina)
• Italian - Roman (at least, as close as it comes around here): Pizzetta 211 (San Francisco, Richmond District, 415-379-9880, 211 23rd Ave. @ California; uninformative Web site)
• New York - whole pie: Nizza la Bella "San Gennaro" or any pizza with the housemade sausage (wood oven; Albany, San Pablo)
• New York - slice: Pie in the Sky (Berkeley, downtown)
• West Coast: Tommaso's sausage & mushroom (wood oven; San Francisco, North Beach)

also worth trying:

• Bucci's (California; Emeryville)
• Cafe at Chez Panisse (California - wood oven; Berkeley, North Shattuck)
• Cheese Board Pizza (California slice; Berkeley, North Shattuck)
• Cugini (Italian - wood oven; 510-558-9000, 1556 Solano @ Peralta, Albany)
• Pizzeria Delfina ("Neapolitan-inspired" but no wood oven); San Francisco, Mission)
• Dopo (Italian; Oakland, 510-652-3676, 4293 Piedmont @ Echo)
• Lanesplitter (New York-ish; Berkeley and Oakland; great beer on tap)
• Little Chicago (deep-dish; Berkeley; out of business, owner started Little Star)
• L'Osteria del Forno porcini (Italian slice or pie; San Francisco, North Beach)
• Lo Coco's "La Puzzola" with morels, gorgonzola, and white truffle oil (American; Berkeley, North Shattuck)
• LoCoCo's fresh ricotta (American; 510-652-6222, 4270 Piedmont @ Echo, Oakland)
• Restaurant LuLu (Italian - wood oven; San Francisco, SOMA)
• Oliveto (Italian - wood oven; Oakland, Rockridge)
• Pazzia (Italian - Roman; San Francisco, SOMA)
• Pauline's (California; San Francisco, Mission)
• Rose Pistola (Italian, wood oven; San Francisco, North Beach)
• Zante (Indian slice or pie; San Francisco, Mission)
• Zuni Cafe (Italian, wood oven); pizza at lunch only; San Francisco, Civic Center)

have their fans but I haven't tried:

• Amici's (New York; small local chain, several locations)
• Patxi's (Chicago stuffed-crust; San Francisco & Palo Alto)
• Picco Pizzeria (Neapolitan, wood oven; Larkspur)
• Toto's (New York; San Bruno)

have their fans but not to my taste:

• Arinell (NY slice; Berkeley, downtown 510-841-4035, 2109 Shattuck @ Addison; San Francisco, Mission, 415-255-1303, 535 Valencia @ 16th)
• Gioia (NY slice or pie; Berkeley, 510-528-4692, 1586 Hopkins @ Monterey)
• Zachary's (Chicago stuffed-crust; Berkeley & Oakland; thin California pizzas are OK; slices at lunchtime)

(last updated 7/1/07)

©2008 Robert Lauriston. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without explicit written permission.