Starting a new topic since so many places have closed (Buma’s, l’Osteria del Forno, Nizza la Bella, Pauline’s , Una Pizza Napoletana).
Old topic:
Perhaps mention some that have closed?
I heard from two sources that a Roman-style pizza place is going into the old Tacubaya place on Fourth Street. One had tasted some test pies and said it was the hand-shaped long style a la Antico Forno Roscioli and Forno Campo de’ Fiorii.
(The other styles of Roman pizza are individual round pies made to order, like BaoNecci in SF, and pizza a taglio aka pizza rustica, cooked in sheet pans and sold by weight, which you can get at PIQ in Berkeley. Pizza rustica is also the name of some other dishes.)
Lanesplitter hasn’t changed its menu in years, so I was excited to see this.
This is the 12" bar pie. Super-thin crust, nice and crisp. I’ve never had anything quite like it. Closest thing would be Pizzetta 211 in SF. It’s as minimalist as a classic Neapolitan Margherita, as thin as a Roman pie but crisp like New York coal-oven. It really shows off the flavor and texture of the dough. Basically just a more extreme version of their regular pie at its best. One of the best pizzas I’ve had in a long time.
Since it’s so thin and lightly topped, I think it’s about as much food as two regular slices. I got a regular slice after I polished this off.
Worth a detour. This was at the Berkeley location. I presume Emeryville also has it.
2 Likes
I guess they weren’t super-happy with the pizza a taglio they used to sell at Adesso.
Order at the counter, take a number, they bring it to your table.
Very nice selection, markup’s a bit steep.
8.8 oz Diavola @ $0.99/oz = $8.71
This was the corner that was left in the pan so I just ordered it all. Maybe 8" x 6"? They heated it for about three minutes in a sheet pan and cut it in three pieces before serving.
Citing Bonci as their inspiration isn’t just hot air. This was the best pizza a taglio I’ve had outside of Rome. Crust was light, crunchy, had great flavor—I’m guessing high hydration and long fermentation. Toppings just the right amount and balanced. This was actually quite spicy before I added pepper flakes.
Slits instead of holes, always a good sign.
This is my new go-to place for a slice. Looking forward to trying more of the menu.
2 Likes
Went back to Pollara for a late lunch the other day. The suppli carbonara didn’t make much sense to me: rice filled with pasta? The Classico was not the suppli al telefono I expected, didn’t have that much mozzarella.
Cabbage and guanciale special, good but I wouldn’t order it again. I talked with one of the owners: 85% hydration, fermented for three days.
Prosciutto, also good but I prefer the Diavola or a Margherita (basically the same thing minus the salame).
Farro and beet salad, very good.
Ceci salad, really more cabbage and cucumber than chickpeas. This was excellent, definitely ordering it again.
Viola Grillo. Great wine but $15 for what I think was 3.2 ounces is awfully steep.
2 Likes
Acme on San Pablo
I wouldn’t call it Roman since it’s not crisp, but it’s very good and a big piece for $5.
Photo doesn’t show scale. It was huge, maybe 6" x 10". Twice the size I expected.
love Roman style…2 excellent al taglio pizzerias opened in the last couple years here in LA…Triple Beam in Highland Park(from the Mozza folks) and Il Romanista near LAX
Pollara’s pizza is what I think of as Roman style. Il Romanista, not so much.
interesting…havent been in 8-9 months but it was a nice balance of crispy/chewy crust for me…I do like Triple Beam more
Proper roman pizza a taglio should be light, crisp, not too thick, and not doughy.
1 Like
What Ive had there couldn’t be called “doughy.”
maybe theres some inconsistency
Generally I wouldn’t go out of my way for Cheese Board pizza, but on the day before Thanksgiving they sell a wild mushroom and goat cheese pie that’s by far the best they make all year. Get a half-baked one ($22) from the cash register at the cheese store (shorter line than the pizza place), stick it in the oven for five minutes, and it’s a great easy meal while we’re cooking for the next day.
Off-topic but for cooking or reheating pizza we pre-heat the stone for 10 minute after it gets up to temp. We’ve found it makes a big difference.
GRAFFITI PIZZA Chef Matt Molina (this one, not this one), former head pizzaiolo at Tony Gemignani’s North Beach enclave Capo’s in San Francisco, has opened a friendly slice house in Old Oakland, in the former Cock-A-Doodle Café. Molina’s pizza slices are thin-crust, well topped and appealingly large, and the spot is open late, with a cozy back patio to boot. Seems Old Oakland has given Molina a warm welcome so far. Graffiti Pizza , 719 Washington St. (between 7th and 9th), Oakland
Damn it, I threw away the good photo and kept the blurry one. Arrgn.
Photos don’t really give a sense of how big their slices are. This was around twice the size I expected and the Old Skool has a ton of toppings, so it’s a lot of food. The cornicone was nice and crisp. A cheese or pepperoni slice might be crisp all the way through, I’ll find out soon. Graffiti is definitely a contender for best slice in the East Bay.
Correct shaker.
Full liquor license!
2 Likes
Bob was in SF without me the other day and had dinner at Baonecci. He had what they claimed was the chef’s fave. Anchovy, caper and arugula…and some kind of cheese 
He thought it was super. Thanks again, robert, for the original rec. No pics - he’s not me
2 Likes
Been there loved it