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January 04, 2005
Gioia Pizza
When Manangis closed down their small shop and moved down the block, Jenny and I wondered what was to come. The clock had suffered a loss when the Italian market in the corner space had closed. The next business (Deli-cacy) to take it's place lasted less than six months, and was super-fancy fancy-pants, and way too expensive for our neighborhood.
So when we saw a granite counter top and a sliding window being installed we got excited - take out!
When they finally opened we found a small pizzeria, with a few counter space bar stools, a take-out window, a glass case and one ginormous pizza oven. Story has it that it's run by a guy from Brooklyn who loves the idea of neighborhood kids having a slice at lunch or on the way home form school. He blended his love for a rock-solid New York Style slice, with a California approach to toppings, picked up while cooking at various Bay area restaurants for the last several years.
We stopped by the first week they were open and we were met by a dismissive, not very friendly, and quite plainly put, Jerk. He was rude, and we left without ordering.
A few weeks later I walked by and the smell of gently charred crust drew me back in. I ordered a slice of chopped green olive and took my first bite. My evaluation of thin crust pizza - at least for pizza's cut in wedges - is the first bite. The crust at the narrowest point of the wedge is crispy - I'm in love. The first bite found me crunching through a layer of crust that had firmly bonded with the cheese and sauce - becoming one. It was amazing. I took a few more slices home to share with Jenny, and we were hooked.
We generally order by the slice - buying four individual slices, each a different variety (the max per person), and take 'em home, slice 'em in half and chow down.
We haven't found a slice that we don't like. Our favorites so far are the chopped green olive, the crimini mushroom slice, and the goat cheese.
Arinell was my former choice for best thin crust in the bay area - it's still fine, but not in the same laegue as Gioia.
Oh, and the counter help has improved. haven't seen the Jerk since day one.
[Gioia Pizzeria 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. 1586 Hopkins St., Berkeley. 528-4692]
Posted by tdotjay at January 4, 2005 07:42 PM
Comments
I went to the CIA in NY with this guy and his(now) wife, glad to see he is doing something he loves. Not all great food has to be fine dining.
Posted by: Ed W at January 29, 2005 01:23 AM
