When the moon hits your eye...

After over ten months of hype, Zack and I finally tried Pizzaiolo, the yupscale Italian joint started by some Chez Panisse alum in Oakland’s Temescal district. We’d attempted dinner there once before, about six months ago, and failed miserably. Since the restaurant takes no reservations, we tried to get there early, at 5:00 - half an hour before it opened. There were no signs of life, so we sat down at a nearby café for a glass of wine. At 5:30, we stood up to check out the scene, and the line was wrapped around the block. Dutifully, we stood in line, hoping that we might be able to squeeze in. I felt like we were waiting for some exclusive lounge or nightclub, except it was still daylight out, and everyone in line was middle aged and/or with small children. By the time we got to the front, the restaurant had filled up, and the wait was going to be approximately an hour and a half. We wound up eating at Dona Tomas instead (very good, BTW).

Last night, I met Zack at the restaurant after a yoga class. We were originally planning to check out the Epicurious Garden, but since everything closed after 9:00, we opted for Pizzaiolo – it’s open until 10. I was sure to call the restaurant ahead of time to find out if there would be any wait when we arrived. I was told I shouldn’t have a problem. The restaurant was still pretty busy when I got there, but there were a few open tables, and some groups getting ready to leave. The host offered to seat me immediately, but since Zack had yet to appear, I decided to wait and see if a booth opened up. When Zack arrived, he was starving, so we decided to sit. We were given the prime spot (no booth) in the front instead. I was pleased that neither the host nor the waitstaff batted an eye at my attire – athletic pants, hoodie and the worst fashion faux pas of all, Uggs (hey, it’s been raining, I just came from yoga and I’d originally planned to pick up take out).

We decided on a margherita pizza, a side of sautéed spinach and garlic, and a wild nettle, shrimp and farro dish. I picked out a glass of corbieres, and our waiter, upon Zack’s request, suggested a California chardonnay. It was too oaky for his taste, but I liked it (I usually find California chardonnays too buttery). It worked out okay, though. Our waiter mistakenly thought that they were out of the corbieres, and brought an excellent cotes du rhone instead. A few minutes later, he found the corbieres, and wound up comping the cotes du rhone.

The spinach and the farro arrived together. Brilliant green and tender, yet with a little bit of a bite, studded with mellow cloves of garlic and bathed in a sheen of olive oil, Zack marveled over how such a simple spinach dish could be so sublime (take that, Daniel Patterson!). Although the portion of the farro dish was on the small side, there was a generous amount of sweet white shrimp. The wild nettles, which I’d never tried before, were quite tasty. The texture was sort of like broccoli rabe, but tasted a little more like swiss kale. There was a bit of heat to it too, but I’m not sure if it was the nettles or the sprinkles of red pepper that contributed the heat. I thought that they used just a little too much oil, but all in all, it was pretty tasty.

The pizza arrived shortly after we started on the spinach and farro. It was a prime specimen of what a wood fired thin crust pizza ought to be. The crust was blistered and charred in a couple of spots, crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The sauce was fresh, tangy and sweet with a bit of zip, and there wasn’t an overabundance of cheese. As much as I love it, I think there is a tendency at most pizza places to go overboard with cheese in order to cover up an inadequate sauce. Also, when there’s too much cheese, the pie winds up getting really greasy. That being said, the cheese itself was excellent – I think it was ricotta. A smattering of chopped fresh herbs lended a bit of freshness, as well. Nitpicking notes – the crust was very thin, but not cracker thin, just the way I like it nowadays. However, if there were any more toppings, it might have made the crust soggy. Since the pizza was served on a plate, building steam between pie and plate, I think the crust lost some of its original crispness in the inner part of the pie as we worked towards the last few slices. I think that if it was kept on a peel, some of the moisture could have been absorbed.

Dessert was tempting, but we were feeling pretty full, so we skipped to the check. All in all, it was an excellent meal, and highly recommended by the both of us. Despite its pedigree, hype and hipster factor, the service is surprisingly unpretentious. I wouldn’t say it was cheap, and there’s a pretty high markup on wines, but the ingredients are very high quality and the prices aren’t bad for what you get.