Pizza Animation Of The Week (#whatshouldwecallpizza)

WHEN SOMEONE ASKS ME WHAT THE
BEST PIZZA PLACE IS UPTOWN

This is part of a pizza animation series on I Dream Of Pizza based on the popular Tumblr #whatshouldwecallme, which illustrate some of life’s most relatable moments with moving bitmap images.

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL POSTINGS IN THIS SERIES.

One Pie At A Time At Berkeley's Cheese Board

One of the more talked about pizza places in the Bay Area is called Cheese Board Pizza (1512 Shattuck Ave) in Berkeley. What's so special about this place? Well, for starters -- they only make one pie a day. When I told this to a friend recently... her response: how big is this pie? What I should have said was one type of pie each day. You can visit their website or Twitter page to see what pie their upcoming schedule. All the pies are vegetarian and use local ingredients.

Berkeley locals have taken a liking to this concept, judging by the long lines outside. Everything moves quickly at Cheese Board because it's efficient to produce one type of pie. Grab a slice or two and follow the crowd to the median on Shattuck Avenue, where customers dine al fresco.

 

With lines like this, I had particularly high expectations for the pizza. I even went on a day where some of my favorite toppings were featured: crimini mushrooms, roasted onions, fresh asiago cheese, mozzarella, baby spinach, Italian parsley, olive oil, and garlic. Eight ingredients is a heck of a lot, but if you're only making one pie a day... as might as well pile 'em on!

 

Given all the type, I wasn't particularly impressed with my slices. With so many ingredients, it was difficult to pinpoint distinct flavors. In fact, in a blind taste test, I'm not sure I could tell you that there were mushrooms and onions on the slice. A sauce-less pie needs to have flavorful cheeses, and the asiago -- the most prominent flavor on the pie -- didn't do the trick. Slices are $2.50 each -- reasonable -- but you don't get a price break since pies will run you $20. You can also order a half pie for $10, but again... you can just order four slices and it'll come out to be the same price.

In order to stay in business -- and have lines down the block -- you need to be doing something right. Cheese Board is a cool concept: get your pie today because we won't be carrying it tomorrow! Since there is no meat on the pies, it's a good spot for vegetarians (a point not to be overlooked in the heart of Berkley). And the topping combinations are creative (another recent creation featured: Fresh corn, Chile pasilla, Onions, French feta cheese, Mozzarella, Mexican key limes, Cilantro, and Garlic olive oil). But it was the execution itself that fell behind in my mind.

There's nothing I'd recommend Cheese Board do differently. The pie I had simply didn't meet my expectations. But given the crowds the flock there, I'm in the minority on this one.

Beyond The Pie: Bus Stop Pizza

This post is part of an ongoing summer feature: Beyond The Pie. I'll be featuring photos of an architecturally unique or fascinating pizzerias in the Bay Area each week.

Today, I'm excited to present you with a photo of Bus Stop Pizza (256 Divisadero Street) in the Lower Haight neighborhood.

Pizza Animation Of The Week (#whatshouldwecallpizza)

WHEN MY FRIEND TELLS ME HE PREFERS 

DEEP DISH PIES OVER THIN CRUST

This is part of a pizza animation series on I Dream Of Pizza based on the popular Tumblr #whatshouldwecallme, which illustrate some of life’s most relatable moments with moving bitmap images.

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL POSTINGS IN THIS SERIES.

Ribalta: A Three Oven Affair

Ribalta (48 East 12th Street) is a new pizzeria that opened this spring in the former Piola space -- a few blocks from Union Square. The concept is similar to 900 Degrees -- which shuttered after only six months last year (due to management issues, not the quality of its food). At Ribalta, the pizza comes in three styles, each which is cooked in a different oven.

 

You can have a Classica (New York style-like pie), a Pizza In Pala (in which the dough is baked twice creating a crisp outside and soft inside), or a Napoletana (prepared in a brick oven and featuring a softer, thicker dough). This is all laid out clearly on the menu. There are currently 22 pies on the menu and the afternoon I was there, we were handed a sheet with eight specials.

After much deliberation, we decided on one pie from each category:

Classica

Porcina

Aged asiago cheese, porcini, fior di latte, 

and white truffle extra virgin olive oil

Pizza In Pala

Taleggio E Zucchine

Bianca - Taleggio, grilled zucchine,

marinated cherry tomatoes, fior di latte

Napoletana

Bufala

San Marzano tomatoes, bufala mozzarella, basil

The best pie was the Bufala, although like each of them a bit overpriced. The personal pie will run you $15 which seems cheap compared with the $21 Porcina and $28 Taleggio E Zucchine (which technically feeds two people, but can be downed by one hungry individual). The Bufala was not a mess once it was sliced (it was served uncut), but rather held together well. Sauce overshadowed the cheese to combine for a delicious mix. I didn't have high expectations for this pie, but it was done well.

The Porcini was tasty and featured a strong hit of truffle from the olive oil which paired nicely with the mushrooms and cheese. The Pizza In Pala was my least favorite -- the crunchy crust may have been slightly undercooked and the combination of ingredients felt like they were thrown on the pie without being cooked fully.

With more than two dozen pies, there are bound to be some hits and some duds. Ribalta should knock a couple of the less popular pies of its menu and focus on the ones it does best.

A few items that should not change are on the dessert menu. The tiramisu is what you'd expect from a New York City Italian restaurant. But what really stood out was the crostata della casa --  an upside-down tart in which the apples are caramelized in butter and sugar before the tart is baked. It's served with french vanilla ice cream, and you'll be pleasantly surprised when you bite into this dish.

With strong desserts -- and a menu featuring eight pastas -- it's possible that Ribalta should be branding itself as an Italian restaurant and not a pizzeria. But what to do with all those ovens...

Beyond The Pie: Eagle Pizzeria

This post is part of an ongoing summer feature: Beyond The Pie. I'll be featuring photos of an architecturally unique or fascinating pizzerias in the Bay Area each week.

Today, I'm excited to present you with a photo of Eagle Pizzeria (1712 Taraval Street) in the Parkside neighborhood.

Pizza Animation Of The Week (#whatshouldwecallpizza)

Okay, I'm hooked. For those not in the know, a little Tumblr called #whatshouldwecallme took off earlier this year with their hilarious animated images which illustrate some of life’s most relatable moments (the site reportedly gets 2 million hits a day).

There have been hundreds of spinoffs and I can't help but think about all of the hilarious pizza-related moments which can only be expressed with a moving bitmap image.

Each week, I'll be posting a new GIF that conveys what I can't exactly say in words.

WHEN SOMEONE LEAVES THEIR 

CRUST UNEATEN AT DI FARA

Beyond The Pie: Pasquale's Pizza

This post is part of an ongoing summer feature: Beyond The Pie. I'll be featuring photos of an architecturally unique or fascinating pizzerias in the Bay Area each week.

Today, I'm excited to present you with a photo of Pasquale's Pizza (700 Irving Street) in the Inner Sunset neighborhood.