Pizzetta 211: at home in unexpected places

I often find myself at home in the oddest of places. It's perhaps because I've lived in so many cities, and been to even more, that home has become less a real place than wherever I find myself content. Drinking coffee by the window at the cafe around the corner from Neal's Yard, in the cold, damp London air, losing myself in the early morning bustle of Borough market. Sipping a cup of Darjeeling in the tranquil salon at Mariage Frères. Strolling Crissy Field at sunrise watching my city awakens.

So it is of no surprise to me that my favorite neighborhood place of the moment is in fact all the way across town, a little pizza shop in the Outer Richmond called Pizzetta 211. The shop occupies a tiny but cheerful and welcoming space which is half taken up by the kitchen and the big pizza oven. There are two window box tables, perfect for lounging, that give a feeling of being outdoor while protected from the cold foggy air, and even a few actual outside tables and an attractive tree bench for more weather-proof souls.

The menu is small but inspiring, focusing on what they do really well rather than covering all choices in the universe. It is also constantly changing, with a few pizzas, salad, a couple of cheeses, a cake or two and a few other side items. Everything here is not only seasonal, but also sustainably, organically, or artisanally produced.

The pizza crust is thin and deliciously crisp. The toppings vary, but always with an old standby of tomato, mozzarella, and basil. In my rather narrow minded view on pizza, that is my choice, always. But other choices, namely, chantarelles, egg, and greens, and Fiore Sardo (a sheep's milk cheese), pine nuts, and rosemary have easily caught my companions' eyes. There are even some wine and a killer latte to accompany the food.

My formula at Pizzetta always covers a pizza or two, a brightly dressed green salad or a side of creamy potatoes, and perhaps an interesting cheese or two on offer that day. For dessert, I can rarely resist the perfect fondant au chocolat made of bitter Scharffen Berger chocolate. There is usually another cake or tart with berries or fruits as well: my favorite of late is a plain cake doused with fig and port syrup.

It is a kind of place that makes one feels welcome from the first step inside the door, a neighborhood kind of place, even if it isn't actually in my own. Happily, the memory of the drive across town evades as soon as I settle myself down in my favorite window box. Do give it a try, who knows, it might become yours too.

Pizzetta 211
211 23rd ave. (at California)
Wednesday to Fri day 12pm-2:30pm, 5pm-9pm
Saturday and Sunday 12pm-9pm

Comments

[MrsTweety]

I wished there were one or two places like that.. in Yarmouth.. but no such luck.. :(

[Alder]

Definitely some of the best thin crust pizza in town, and who couldn't love a place that only has seating for about 12?

[jen]

Pizzetta 211 has the best lentil soup in town. Piece of crusty bread, half a lemon, and a crock of soup. Yum. If craving it, I usually call beforehand to confirm whether they have it.

[Seattle Bon Vivant]

Lovely report Pim! One of my favorite SF/Bay area restaurants also happens to be in Richmond: Clementine. We've never had a bad meal there and it brings back fond memories. The chef owner is a very sweet man that knows his stuff and the service was outstanding too.

[ronald]

Its places like this that make me so angry with the UK. There are just too few of them. I mean London is ok - but step outside and other than two or three other places (Brighton, Bath) the rest of the South is just sleeeeeeeping.. oh well - at least there is Sicily to cheer me up!

[Max]

Pizza and a side of potatoes?

[Vanessa]

While we just have spag bol with a side of chips (and bread and butter) LOL

v

[Heather]

Damn you, Pim, for revealing one of the city's incredibly amazing dining secrets (admittedly, not the best-kept even before your entry)! Butternut squash topped a pizza on a recent visit. Yum.

[Reid]

Hi Pim,

The pizzas look amazing...well, actually...everything looks amazing! I wish I was in SF right now so that I could try some of this.

[RG]

Yes, we've been to all those pretentious places (Mariage Freres etc.) too. The two problems with Pizzetta 211 are that no one there can actually cook--anyone can make a pizza and a salad--and the service is appalling. They have seven tables, and we waited twenty minutes for a menu after being seated; when no food appeared for another twenty minutes, it turned out that they forgot to make our salad. Four staff people stood around chatting in the kitchen while we waited, obviously with no food. The pizza didn't make any of this worth it.

[Sun]

I wanted to try this place because the SF Chronicle gave them such a good write-up, so yesterday, I suggested dinner with some other moms from my daughter's school and all our kids. There were 12 of us in all: 4 women, 8 kids ranging from 3 years to 7 years old.

We walked in and the 3 staff people (including the 2 owners) looked at us like we were nasty stuff on the bottom of their shoes. Immediately all three of them start with comments such as, "the windows are almost 100 years old so don't lean against the glass and don't stand on the banquettes." The guy says, "...and I would really appreciate it if you could all use [lowering his voice and making talking motions with his hands] your 'inside voices.'" They also suggested that we also sit outside (in the cold). One of my friends replied, "We'll just leave because there are too many rules," and the same guy cheerfully waves us out with the parting shot, "Have a GREAT time!"

Our kids were not obnoxious or overly loud. We had barely been in the restaurant 1 minute (and I mean that literally) before we were given the boot. We walked 2 short blocks to Bill's Place on Clement where the service was gracious and the atmosphere was kid-friendly. We spent almost $100 at Bill's.

This place is unbelievably rude; they might as well have a large sign up on their window that reads, "NO KIDS!". Bottom line: such rude people have no business being in the service and hospitality industry if they can't provide good service and be hospitable.

We're never going back there again and we're telling all our friends about our treatment.

[DP]

We didn't bother to try the pizza at this establishment because the staff was so horrible to us. This is quite possibly the worst dining experience I almost had.

[Dimitri]

You showed up to a place that only has a couple small tables with... 12 people? Including three-year-olds? And you were surprised they looked at you funny, or wanted to make sure that your kids are well-behaved?

Puhleeeez.