Ok, firstly, as far as East Bay rags go, the Berkeley Daily Planet is not exactly a gold standard. This is the same paper that in 2002, following a random possible hate crime against a rabbi and his son, ran the headline "The Jews Are Attacked Near Campus." (And yes, I'm biased, I was an editor at the Daily Californian.)
The Telegraph joints (Blondie's, Fat Slice) are good given their proximity to campus, but not for much else. If you're near campus and you can't do anything else, this is acceptable, but if you can spare a ten-minute walk (less if you're on the westside of campus), then there's no reason you shouldn't go to Arinell's. Blondie's gets points for having cool décor and magazines taped up to the wall so you have something to read if you're going solo.
If you're willing to head up to Hopkins Street in North Berkeley, (which might as well be on the other side of the world for traditionally lazy Berkeley students), the place to go is Gioia. [Earlier Slice entry on Gioia.]
That said, the new hotness in town (ok, North Oakland, but all Berkeley students have free bus passes, so there's no excuse) is Pizzialo. I haven't been myself yet, but my sources say it's good.
Also the new kid on the block is Pie in the Sky (New Jersey–style pizza, apparently).
Thanks for that rundown, Cyrus. We know you know your pies, so readers would do well to take heed of this slice syllabus.
"I'll vouch for Zachary's, yes. The North Oakland (College Ave.) location is near my house. It's quite supreme Chicago-style deepdish. Loads of fresh veggies, and well worth the 40 minute wait to get in. Fortunately Berkeley/Oakland is a haven for great pies. (I was sticking to the NY-style plus some of the local delicacies, such as Cheese Board.)"
I totally agree with sfgal. Zachary's is the best pizza - EVER! I am sure everyone has a different taste in pizza, but I never really understood the thinness of a new york slice. I grew up on thick, chicago-style pizza from Berkeley's best, Zach's. Zachary's pizza tantalizes your taste buds and each bite leaves your craving for more. I feel cheated eating any other pizza because no pizza can match the gooey cheese, the basil satueed tomatoes, and generous toppings found in this piece of heaven. I now live in Los Angeles, uggh, the worst pizza city ever, but every time I go to berkeley or have friends come down, I bring home a Zachary's pizza. Try it for yourself.
Back in April, the SF Chronicle food section hosted New Yorker Ed Levine, author of "Pizza: A Slice of Heaven" (link to article: East vs. West). In the East Bay, they visited Zachary's, Gioia, Chez Panisse Cafe, Pizza Antica (Neapolitan style in Lafayette, Contra Costa County), and Arinell. Before the tasting tour Levine said "California is a lousy pizza state". But after the tour: "Pizza has never been better here than it is now...Young cooks and chefs are taking pizza seriously as a craft, a handmade food that demands really great ingredients and dedication to a good crust."
Nearby Berkeley, the Cheeseboard has three offspring called Arizmendi: 3265 Lakeshore Avenue, Oakland (east of Lake Merritt); 4301 San Pablo Avenue (@43rd), Emeryville; and 1331 9th Avenue, SF (sunset). They use the same basic formula as Cheeseboard: one variety per day, thin crust. And also have plenty of baked goods.
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PrintThe Telegraph joints (Blondie's, Fat Slice) are good given their proximity to campus, but not for much else. If you're near campus and you can't do anything else, this is acceptable, but if you can spare a ten-minute walk (less if you're on the westside of campus), then there's no reason you shouldn't go to Arinell's. Blondie's gets points for having cool décor and magazines taped up to the wall so you have something to read if you're going solo.
5 Comments:
what about THE best pizza in the Berkeley area? Zachary's!
Slice sfgal at 10:15AM on 09/02/05
In the previous post about Berkeley pizza, in the Comments section, our friend in SF, tech reporter Cyrus Farivar, says:
Adam Kuban at 10:56AM on 09/02/05
I totally agree with sfgal. Zachary's is the best pizza - EVER! I am sure everyone has a different taste in pizza, but I never really understood the thinness of a new york slice. I grew up on thick, chicago-style pizza from Berkeley's best, Zach's. Zachary's pizza tantalizes your taste buds and each bite leaves your craving for more. I feel cheated eating any other pizza because no pizza can match the gooey cheese, the basil satueed tomatoes, and generous toppings found in this piece of heaven. I now live in Los Angeles, uggh, the worst pizza city ever, but every time I go to berkeley or have friends come down, I bring home a Zachary's pizza. Try it for yourself.
Slice geekinthecorner at 1:25AM on 09/08/05
Back in April, the SF Chronicle food section hosted New Yorker Ed Levine, author of "Pizza: A Slice of Heaven" (link to article: East vs. West). In the East Bay, they visited Zachary's, Gioia, Chez Panisse Cafe, Pizza Antica (Neapolitan style in Lafayette, Contra Costa County), and Arinell. Before the tasting tour Levine said "California is a lousy pizza state". But after the tour: "Pizza has never been better here than it is now...Young cooks and chefs are taking pizza seriously as a craft, a handmade food that demands really great ingredients and dedication to a good crust."
Nearby Berkeley, the Cheeseboard has three offspring called Arizmendi: 3265 Lakeshore Avenue, Oakland (east of Lake Merritt); 4301 San Pablo Avenue (@43rd), Emeryville; and 1331 9th Avenue, SF (sunset). They use the same basic formula as Cheeseboard: one variety per day, thin crust. And also have plenty of baked goods.
Slice Marc at 1:23PM on 09/10/05
Hmm, is this the same guy who wrote THE ROAD TO 9-11 on ABC? If it is, I trust nothing he says.
Slice Scott Mercer at 12:08AM on 09/20/06