It's back-to-school time, which is welcome news to college-town pizza purveyors nationwide. The rumbling thunder of keg parties and the flash of rush-week hazing signal an end to the summerlong drought of business that typically plagues merchants used to the steady drizzle of crumpled student dollars.
It also means that at least a few back-to-school pie guides appear on the horizon, breaking down the options for freshmen not yet wise to the ways the local slice winds blow. They are the Farmer's Almanacs of the college pie world. One such guide recently came to our attention. It was compiled for Berkeley students. It is the Berkeley Pizza Guide, printed in the Berkeley Daily Planet. Some highlights:
Domino’s Pizza: I’m starting with Domino’s for one simple reason. It’s a chain, and as such, it sucks. If you have a particular attachment to their pizza, there are two in town, one on Adeline (652-8077) and one on University (849-9000). The only good thing about Domino’s is that they’re open fairly late—the stores are open until 1 a.m. and the last delivery is at 12:30 a.m. A large pizza (all large pizzas are 14 inches, unless noted otherwise) is $10.99. Minimum charge for delivery is $10.39 and there is a $1 delivery fee.
We like where this is going already.
La Val’s is in the basement of 2516 Durant. It’s pretty large for a pizza place, which is good, since it also features an arcade complete with DDR and a pay-to-play pool table. There are booths and long, family-style tables upon which to consume your pizza and beer. A large cheese is $12.95 and a pint is $3.50. If you’re looking for atmosphere with your pizza, this is the place for you. The crowd is mixed and there are always a few biker dudes hanging around.The Cheeseboard (549-3055), this is a venerable Berkeley institution. An offshoot of the neighboring Cheeseboard Collective, the pizza parlor has wonky hours (Tues.–Fri. 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m., 4:30 p.m.–8 p.m.; Sat. 12 p.m.–3 p.m., 4:30 p.m.–8 p.m.) and offers only one flavor of pizza each day. It’s cash only, not much seating, and the lines are usually long. But they move quickly and there’s often live music to entertain you while you wait. A pie is $18 (which is actually a pie plus two pieces) and a slice is $2.25. There’s no delivery, so you’ll just have to go down there. I can’t tell you what the plain pizza is like, because they don’t make plain pizza, but here’s the amazing part. I ate the pizza they gave me, with tomatoes, red peppers, onion, mozzarella, parmesan, basil and olive oil. I didn’t pick any of it off, and that’s the highest endorsement I can give to a pizza. This is the place in Berkeley for gourmet pizza.
Other pizzerias mentioned:
Fat Slice Pizza: 548-6479
Extreme Pizza: Shattuck Ave., 486-0770
Fiesta Pizza: 644-1222
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