pizza is personal

Everyone has a favorite pizza place. The reasons vary- it may remind you of where your coach took you after tee ball games; it may still be the place you went after tee ball games. I would venture to say that, of all the different types of restaurants out there, pizza is the only one about which everyone has an opinion. The minute anyone in the office says “I don’t know what I’m having for dinner- I think I’ll order a pizza” everyone chimes in, “Oh, you have to try this place,” or “Oh my god, you haven’t lived until you’ve had such-and-such pizza,” et cetera. At the risk of becoming white noise in the ongoing conversation on where the best pizza is to be found, I feel that I must assert my favorite pizza place. Take it or leave it.

Let me begin by saying that THIS PLACE IS A DIVE. I’ve seen better looking restaurants on the other side of the 94. The sign is a banner that is barely hanging on to its original mounted spot, revealing peeling paint beneath the sad-looking label. There is hardly any decor to speak of. The seats are worn-out vinyl. You can see the entire kitchen from the front couter. There is nothing outwardly trendy, hip or even attractive about this place, so until you’re ready to get serious about pizza, maybe you’d better stay at your old tee ball hang out.

However, I was hooked on Zia’s the minute I caught sight of the pizzas on display in the front. These tantalizing pies flaunt their utter desirability from beneath their glass encasement boasting, “We don’t need the hype. Yeah, we’re that good.” They are unlike any pizzas I’ve ever seen- there is none of the gooey, greasy dripping mozzarella or banal pepperonis covering this fresh-baked, stone-ground whole wheat crust. Instead, there is hardly any cheese to speak of, save for gourmet cheeses like chevre and gruyere which are strategically portioned for optimum flavor and texture. Each slice is laden with a myriad of toppings over a zesty, hearty sauce. These toppings range from the traditional, such as fresh basil and prosciutto, to the non-traditional such as potato, eggplant and greek yogurt.

The first time Andrew and I stumbled in, he had a slice (yes, at real pizza places you buy pizza by the slice) of the New Yorker, which has chicken and fennel sausage, prosciutto, gruyere, bell pepper, fresh basil, rosemary, potato, and a smattering of mozzarella and pepperoni for nostalgia’s sake. The rosemary immediately asserts its presence in your mouth with the spices of the cured meats immediately following. The texture of the potato acts in the role that in a normal pizza the cheese would occupy, keeping all of the toppings perfectly in place and adding diversity of texture to each bite.

I had a slice of the Papay, which is what I might imagine pizza in the Mediterranean or Middle East might taste like. I don’t normally describe pizza as “fresh,” given that it is usually served as hot as is acceptable for food and heavy in your stomach after consumption. However, this pizza was fresh, both in taste and feel. The basil was the dominant flavor and paired beautifully with the greek yogurt. The eggplant, tomato and potato were teeming with flavor and variety and yet every unique and individual tasting note was harmonious. And though I like food, I do not like to leave a restaurant waddling. This pizza was so light that I felt completely satiated without feeling like I needed to run 6 miles. After a 3 hour nap. It is most likely due to the owner’s committment to using whole grains in his crust, healthy ingredients, and (of course based on availability), uses mostly that which is organic and natural.

I challenge you to venture out from your go-to pizza spot and try something new. There are no kids in uniforms here or red-checkered table cloths- this is more than your average dive.

Check it out at Adams Ave off Felton, near Pilgrimage of the Heart Yoga Center.

Do YOU know where you’re eating tonight?

 I started this blog in response to many conversations with people about restaurant recommendations that ended in “you should write reviews of places!” Each time I heard that, my ears pricked up and my mind would immediately begin a local-restaurant inventory. Though I have been to a few places this week that had promised of writing material, I felt that a catalogue of my San Diego highlights might be more blog-worthy. So, here’s to my city, best known for it’s beaches but better known to this San Diegan for its kickin’ foodie scene.

I’ll start with the dives and work my way up.

Best Authentic flavor: El Salvatore. First introduced to me by a my friend Sarita, a fellow Latin-culture enthusiast, this place immediately won my heart. This place is located in what is officially titled as ‘Scaryville’ (on the wrong side of the 94), which almost immediately means authentic- and cheap- cuisine. Don’t worry, if you go while it’s still daylight and don’t wear any gang colors, you’re okay. It’s definitely worth it. As you walk in, the family who owns and runs it greets you with warm, 150 watt smiles and proudly produce menus filled with their Salvadorian comfort food creations.  The staple food of El Salvador is the pupusa, which is a small, thick, deep-fried, tortilla with meat, cheese or beans in the middle. Get empanadas out of your head- that is just a Latino chicken pot pie. This is something altogether unique, delicious and FILLING. The tortilla is only lightly and quickly fried, giving it a slight yet inviting crunchiness as your knife plunges into the cheesy, meaty center. Drizzle some Salvadorean salsa (which is, by the way, hotter than Hades) and you will forget about the gun shots outside. Just kidding about the gun shots- seriously, you need to try this place. 

Best Burger: Please forget about Hodads. It is so overdone, you will be inundated by tourists, and there are better burgers to be had out there. Phew. I said it. Now that I have committed popular San Diego culture suicide and lost about half of you after that sentence, I can safely reveal my favorite burger place. The Station Tavern in South Park reminds one of going to summer camp. The restaurant is primarily out-of-doors with long, wooden tables sprawling across the patio and lights strung overhead to remind one of summertime backyard barbeques. The burger list is simple, but what they do offer, they do it well. The bun is fresh baked every day, the beef is grass-fed, and this place has two different meatless offerings for those living the veg-lifestyle. Their smoked paprika sauce is creamy, spicy, hearty, and compliments any of the different burgers or the sweet potato fries. It doesn’t hurt that they have an all-local, all craft beer selection reasonably priced and right off the tap.

Best Exotic: Muzita Bistro. When the food comes out under a hive-shaped, colorful wicker basket, you know you’re going to eat something exciting. After all, the food has to live up to its presentational hype. Meals are served family-style on a large bed of what is called “injera” bread, which is like spongy pita. You use it to scoop up the food, which is mostly market-fresh vegetables and meats simmered in a variety of delicious spices that have a hint of sweetness in the midst of the throat-warming zesty, earthy, spiciness. Pair anything with their honey wine- it’s like a muscat that hints of flowers and the desert.

Best breakfast: One would be hard-pressed to find someone who wouldn’t say Hash House a Go Go for this one. I have been to HHAGG, and I do love it, but this place is already commonly known and therefore, not particularly “adventurous.” Cafe 21 on Adams Avenue has delectable American breakfast items as well as French items. The film “Julie and Julia” aptly stated that a chef can be judged by their poached egg; if this is the case, then the chef here has certainly proved himself. I had never seen a more perfect eggs benedict in my life. Their sweet crepes are elegantly thin and their whipped ricotta filling is lighter than clouds.

Best sea food: Appropriately titled for the winner of this catagory, Sea Rocket bistro has the freshest sea food that I have had, barring the place that won “best sushi.” They actually do a video document of their fishermen bringing in the daily catch and play it on televisions in the restaurant. You may even catch a glipse of your dinner wriggling on the deck of their boat, but hopefully you don’t. Their chef only uses what is available locally and daily, which brings out an ingenuity unlike many restaurants in San Diego. I recommend subscribing to their blog, which will keep you up to the minute on their daily offerings. Because the menu changes so frequently, I don’t have many recommendations, but if they do have Chilean sea bass when you go, ORDER IT. For those of you who culinary curiousities, one thing that they specialize in that is consistantly offered is raw sea anemone. And at this mecca of freshness, raw means still moving its needles as they serve it to you. Before you think me Andrew Zimmern level crazy, let me qualify that: they do clean out all the less desirable parts of the animal, so that you are only left with the “meat,” which is soupy, sweet and briny. It actually tastes really good if you eat it with their fresh-baked sourdough bread.

Best happy hour: For my fellow San Diego foodies, it goes without saying that the Urban Kitchen catering group oozes culinary genius, but Kensington Grill’s happy hour acts as a beacon of quality and economy to all other restaurants. Some of their menu items include a plate of white-wine saffron simmered mussels, calamari salad with calamari boast a tenderness usually only attributed to veal, or an array of ever-changing and gourmet flatbreads boasting figs, goat cheese, gorgonzola, charcuterie, and other stratgeically paired luxury food items that you would want to see on a fresh baked pastry.

Because this blog is becoming a dissortation on San Diego food, I will end with three more succint endorsements. I will probably do another like this, but hone in on specific restaurant genres.

Best view: As much as I want to give this to George’s at the Cove, that restaurant is already famous for its oceanic back-drop. On the opposite end of the culuniary and price spectrum, Tobey’s 19th Hole restaurant in South Park boasts one of the most beautiful views in San Diego, overlooking Florida Canyon, the Balboa Golf Course, a downtown skyline, and on a clear day, the glinting, silver sliver of ocean with Coronado rising out of the thin marine-layer. The food is reminiscent of what your grandpa would like, probably because it’s very likely that your grandpa is eating there.

Best ecclectic/modern/hip restaurant: My recent trip to Soho in North Park promptly established this place at the top of my list. To read more about this place, find my previous blog detailing my birthday eats.

Best dessert: Eclipse Chocolat. The owner and chocolatier, Will, is a sculptor who decided to follow his dreams and make chocolate. Who doesn’t love a story like that? And, coming from an artistic background, it seems that his imagination knows no bounds, creating truffles that exceed what I have imagined in the most uncharted regions of my dreams. This may sound hyperbolic, but if you go there, you’ll know what I mean. Some of his trademark truffles are: apricot and brie, honey saffron, cardamon and candied rose petal, lavendar sea salt, and macadamia nut ginger. Eclipse also offers seasonal dessert tasting platters which is currently a variety of bread puddings, including strawberry rhubarb white chocolate, carmel apple cinnamon, sea salted carmel and dark chocolate croissant.

There are so many more places to discuss, so I will follow up soon and feature some of my favorite French, Sushi, Bars and other notables. Until then, I hope you get the opportunity to visit one of these local gems, or in the spirit of the blog, venture out to a place still undiscovered by the most important dinner-explorer: You.