Pizzaiolo
Oakland, CA 94609
Phone: (510) 652-4888
- Price:
- $
- Cross Street:
- 49th Street
- Hours:
- Tue-Sat 5:30pm-10pm
Editorial Review for Pizzaiolo – by Gina Goff
The Scene
Housed in a former hardware store, this bustling eatery features stripped-down brick walls, hardwood floors and an exhibition kitchen with a beautifully tiled wood-fire oven. Near the entrance, a long bar seats solo diners and a parade of antsy foodies. Families and groups of Oakland denizens spill out the door, sipping glasses of wine and draft beers, while waiting for one of the oversized dark wooden booths.
The Food
The single oven, helmed by former Chez Panisse pizza guru Charlie Hallowell, churns out perfectly blistered, thin-yet-chewy crusts topped with choice local ingredients like mushrooms and house-made sausage. The classic margherita and marinara are mainstays, while combinations change seasonally. Antipasti, like the sweet citrus salad with fennel, avocado and blood oranges, are decidedly not big enough to share, but are well worth a double order. Rotating entrees, like braised pork with Anson Mills white polenta, make occasional cameos.
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Insider Tips
The ExtrasRather than featuring a signature combination, the Pizzaiolo pie is topped with whatever the chef fancies at the moment.
What to DrinkThe wine list covers an impressive range--from a crisp and light pinot grigio to a full-bodied dashe; most are available by the glass.
Save TimeReservations are not accepted. Arrive early in the evening or risk an hour-plus wait.
Know Before You GoThe small kitchen often has trouble keeping up with orders; expect sluggish service on busy nights.
User Reviews for Pizzaiolo
06/25/2008 Posted by jordanmc
After going to Pizzaiolo, I finally knew what it was like to taste true gormet food. I consider myself a picky eater, but just the presentation of the food alone made it appetizing to me. The food is a new experience every time I step foot in the restaurant. The creativity of each dish provides such a unique dining experience that I have not been able to find anywhere else. The pizzas are unlike anything you have ever tasted in your life. The potato pizza is amazing and my personal favorite dish is the pork meatballs. You haven't had meatballs until you have Pizzaiolo's meatballs. It is like a party of flavors in your mouth. If you read the negative reviews, half of the people haven't even tried the pizza. How can you lay off pizza when the name of the restaurant is PIZZAiolo? There is a reason. This restaurant adds to the uniqueness of the Bay Area and exemplifies gourmet food. Cheers to the best meal of your life.
Pros: Food, wine, everything
Cons: Sometimes service can be slower than normal, but worth the wait.
11/21/2007 Posted by ursweetniss
I sent a letter to the owner (edited b/c of character limits): Dear Owner, As you know, many of the residents near Pizzaiolo are very diverse yet my boyfriend and I were two of very few people of color in the entire restaurant. I say all of this to set the stage for what my boyfriend experienced when he came alone to your restaurant yesterday. He asked questions about the pizza and he sensed impatience and frustration from the staff. And then a simple request—“Can you cut the pizza in smaller pieces?” The waitress asked the folks in the kitchen. He saw them talking it over—he saw them looking at him, he heard “no” and from the wait staff he heard “too bad.” And then there was a subtle bit of snickering from a group of waiters. The waitress tried to explain that they could not do what he’d asked but stumbled with no good explanation. He wanted to turn around and leave without his order. Because our SF friends were waiting, he arrived to movie night upset, refusing to ever give Pizzaiolo his hard-earned money again and, with three pizzas that we all agreed were delicious. This experience resembled the Seinfeld episode about a “Soup $azi” whose soup was so wonderful that he discriminatively rejected his customer’s requests. My boyfriend meant very little to the restaurant staff whose accolades are international. It is difficult to say that discrimination by ethnicity exists in a place as diverse as the Bay Area—it’s subtle. But being Black all of your life affords you keen reconnaissance skills that help you become familiar with these subtleties. And with the North Oakland neighborhood changing, it’s just hard to believe that the general demographic of your restaurant patrons, those who have elevated the restaurant to its current status would ever receive the same treatment that my boyfriend received. And if ever so, they surely would confront the staff or choose never to eat there again. Thanks for listening.
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