Tag Archives: Berkeley pizza
Nosh on the town: Pizza Moda in Berkeley
Come along with Nosh as we explore East Bay restaurants in photographs. This week we focus on Pizza Moda, at 1401 University Ave. in Berkeley. (Click to see the menu.) Ingredients are said to be local, organic and sustainable, and gluten-free pizzas are available for $2 extra. Every Wednesday, every bottle of wine costs $15. If you’ve tried the spots we feature, please let us know about your experience in the comments below. If you’d like to submit your own photo gallery for consideration from a meal you enjoyed, email nosh@berkeleyside.com for more information. You can also add photographs to our Flickr group. (Photos by Emilie Raguso.)
Sneak peek: Build, Berkeley’s ambitious new pizzeria
It’s called Build because you will build your own pizzas there. It was nearly called A90 because that’s the name of the freeway that encircles Italy’s capital, and Roman pizza is what’s on the menu. The ambitious new restaurant that will open next weekend on Shattuck Avenue on the corner of Bancroft Way, is, like Gather and Comal before it, taking a chance that downtown Berkeley has an appetite for a buzzy, big-city eatery.
And the restaurant is just the start. Later this year, Build’s owners, Lisa Holt and David Shapiro, whose background is in hotel development, are planning to transform the property’s 8,000 sq ft basement — formerly Shattuck Down Low – into a happening underground culture club serving up drinks and food along with the comedy and music acts. … Continue reading »
New Berkeley pizza spot has philanthropic goal
New Berkeley restaurant Sliver opened its doors today on Center Street, proving that pizza joints never go out of fashion — as long as they prove their mettle, of course. The new spot comes hot on the heels of Kensington pizzeria Benchmark, which opened last summer, and will be followed by the arrival of Jules Thin Crust pizzeria in Rockridge in March, and a new flagship restaurant now to be called Build, that will focus on Roman-style pizza slated to open on Shattuck this year.
Three former Cheese Board alums – Guillermo Willy Perez, Artemio Maldonado and Dwight Ferron — have put their hearts and souls into the new venture, and Sabá Ali is the general manager.
As tipped in Shop Talk, the restaurant takes over the space formerly occupied by Sportivo. The pizza of the day on opening day: wild mushrooms, onions and French goat cheese, with garlic, olives and fresh herbs. The salad was organic mixed greens with Romanitas, red bell peppers and red wine vinaigrette. … Continue reading »
New Berkeley pizza spot Sliver has philanthropic goal
New Berkeley restaurant Sliver opened its doors today on Center Street, proving that pizza joints never go out of fashion — as long as they prove their mettle, of course. The new spot comes hot on the heels of Kensington pizzeria Benchmark, which opened last summer, and will be followed by the arrival of Jules Thin Crust pizzeria in Rockridge in March, and a new flagship restaurant now to be called Build, that will focus on Roman-style pizza slated to open on Shattuck this year.
Three former Cheese Board alums – Guillermo Willy Perez, Artemio Maldonado and Dwight Ferron — have put their hearts and souls into the new venture, and Sabá Ali is the general manager.
As tipped in Shop Talk, the restaurant takes over the space formerly occupied by Sportivo. The pizza of the day on opening day: wild mushrooms, onions and French goat cheese, with garlic, olives and fresh herbs. The salad was organic mixed greens with Romanitas, red bell peppers and red wine vinaigrette. … Continue reading »
The food lines of Berkeley: Nosh worth waiting for
Berkeley is famous for its gourmet food, and sometimes the easiest way to track it down is to follow the crowds.
You only have to see the lines that form almost as soon as food truck fest Off the Grid opens at 5:00 pm on Wednesdays in north Berkeley to understand that some of us are prepared to be patient to secure a favorite snack. (And Telegraph Avenue’s new Off the Grid market will likely prove as popular.)
But there are three brick-and-mortar eateries in Berkeley – Ici Ice Cream, Wat Mongkolratanaram (also known as the Thai Temple), and The Cheese Board Collective – that have attracted long lines of customers, sometimes snaking down half a block or more, for as long as we can remember. Berkeleyside decided to ask some of the people who take their places in those lines just why they are prepared to wait so long. … Continue reading »
Top food stories from Berkeley in 2011
As the year draws to a close, it’s time to look back to see what food stories created a buzz around town and on Berkeleyside in 2011.
Granted, there’s an arbitrary nature to such end-of-year lists. But it’s an opportunity to take stock of the city’s culinary culture.
For the purposes of this post we’ve focused on food news stories, which doesn’t take into account the dozens of interviews with foragers, farmers, artisans, advocates, chefs, cooking teachers, preservers, pasta makers, cheese purveyors, pop-up restaurateurs, and farmers’ market vendors we’ve published during 2011.
This year also saw controversial coverage of corner stores, reporting on detractors of school food, an insider’s take on speed dating with a veg-friendly focus, and a widely criticized first-person piece on disappointing camp chow.
Readers may differ on what food stories caught their attention. Feel free to add your own highlights (or low points) in the comments section.
In alphabetical order: … Continue reading »
The best pizza in Berkeley? Our readers have decided
Wow. Who knew Berkeley residents were so passionate about pizza? It’s right up there with free speech, free love, and free-range eggs — or so it seemed based on readers’ record responses to our request last week for their choice of the best pizza places in town.
Before we announce the winners of our, let’s face it, less-than scientific survey, a few caveats up front. Stunned by the sheer number of votes (over 220 comments including input on Facebook) we realized, after the fact, that we should have employed a poll counter. Next time. And, we’ll be sure to include a category for “other,” so you can weigh in with a pick not mentioned in the post.
Because it turned out, that despite writing in the story and later in the comment thread (several times) that the dozen pizza purveyors listed represented a sample of savory pies on offer here, many of our readers — including one rather irate pizzeria owner — read it as this site’s “best of” picks.
Privately, folks pointed out, too, that businesses left off that list may have been unfairly handicapped, a not unreasonable assumption, and it is duly noted.
So, we didn’t make it easy on you. And you didn’t make it easy on us. Some voted for more than one place. Some voted on Facebook or Twitter but not here. The crack accounting team at Berkeleyside opted to err on the side of generosity in tabulating results, including all favorable mentions in the count.
Many mentioned that a top pizza pick might vary depending on factors such as deep dish versus thin crust, East vs. West style, delivery, location, and omnivore/vegetarian/vegan options. Some argued that the pie produced at Cheese Board isn’t even pizza. (Where is the sauce? Potatoes and kale topping?) As one self-described pizza snob wrote: “While Cheeseboard is undeniably delicious, it’s not pizza.” … Continue reading »
Where do you get the best pizza in Berkeley? You tell us
Today this space is all about cheese. And crust. And toppings.
Got opinions about who turns out the best pizza in town? We know you do. So here’s your chance to share your pie picks with fellow readers.
That’s right folks, today, the Friday food column takes a break from regularly scheduled programming to poll readers about their pizza preferences. (The first in an occasional series where residents weigh in on their favorite foods found close to home.)
We know that for every die-hard devotee of Cheese Board pizza there’s an equally loyal Gioia fan to be found.
There’s pizza for all palates and pocketbooks here, whether you favor California-style, wood-fired pies pioneered by the Chez Panisse crew (foraged greens and artisan goat cheese, anyone?), Brooklyn-inspired bites with trademark thin crusts and judicious use of ingredients, or the sloppy cheese slices popular among the campus crowd. … Continue reading »
