Livin' Life by the Slice
If you want to grab a quick bite and be on your way, nothing beats a good slice of 'za. I was reminded of this a couple of days ago when I exited my tax guy's office and decided to nosh before grabbing the bus home.
My visit to my accountant ended in that tweener hour before dinner — a perfect time for a quick slice instead of a full meal. Hello, Village Pizzeria, just a block away, on Van Ness.
I ordered a slice of pepperoni. The thin crust stood up the whole way to the inside edge, offered good crunch and nice taste. Appropriate amounts of cheese and sauce were applied, lending a nice balance that was not too cheesy, not too saucy, just right. The pepperoni was great, a touch salty, a touch spicy. The pie was greasy. I used two napkins to bring the oil under control. But that notwithstanding, the slice was excellent. So excellent that immediately upon finishing it, I ordered another.
My only grump was that the fountain Coke was flat. Sounds trivial but this was a big deal to me.
There's nothing that satisfies quite like an ice cold Coca-Cola. But, I believe that soda consumption is very harmful to one's health and severely limit my intake. So, when I have a soda, it had better be on the mark because I'm not having another one for at least a week. VP's Coke left me wanting.
Speaking of 'za, a post on Vin Divine jogged my memory about Za Pizza. When Mackie and I lived on Russian Hill, Za was one of our fave pizza joints and not simply because it was a block-and-a-half away from our house.
Za is another place with great slices — my description of Village Pizzeria's pepperoni applies equally to Za's, except that Za's is not so greasy. They also serve a good pesto slice and a tasty, generous Cesear salad. Additionally, Za bakes a number of specialty pies, e.g., Potesto (roasted red potatoes, roasted garlic and fresh pesto), Vincent Van Dough (Roma tomatoes, fresh basil and fresh garlic) and Salvador Dali (roasted chicken, sundried tomatoes, fresh pesto and tomato sauce), some of which are available on a slice basis. The specialty pizzas are not my thing but are very popular with Za denizens. Word of warning — these slices are HUGE. I left VP after two slices feeling sated but not stuffed. Two Za slices fill me to the brim. Second word of warning — if you go to Za, don't even THINK about parking. If you can't walk, take the cable car. Za is on the Hyde Street line.
In the comments on Michael Bauer's latest Pizza Friday, a number of readers expressed their love for Arinell Pizza. IMO, Arinell's is good if you're in the Mission and need a quick fix but not of the class of the Village Pizzeria or Za. Arinell's crust isn't as crisp and it droops in the middle. For a full pie in the Mish, I'd hit Little Star before Arinell's but Little Star doesn't offer slices. So, for Missions slices, Arinell's is your best bet.
Village Pizzeria
1243 Van Ness Avenue
near Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-673-7771
Map
Web site
Food inspection score: 96
Symbol of Excellence: Yes
-Friendly: N/A
Za Pizza
1919 Hyde Street
between Union Street and Green Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 771-3100
Map
No web site
Food inspection score: 90
Symbol of Excellence: Yes
-Friendly: Kid
Arinell Pizza
509 Valencia Street
near 16th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-255-1303
Map
No web site
Food inspection score: 92
Symbol of Excellence: Yes
-Friendly: N/A
VIllage Pizzeria? Really? I'll have to rethink that one now.
I haven't set foot in there since I vomited up a slice of their pizza oh around the corner from their establishment, like, 12 years ago. To be fair, I had been drinking a few martinis at Martuni's, so I am never certain who to blame.
Oh, yes. Myself. I suppose I should blame myself.
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