Gialina Pizzeria in San Francisco
Sep 6th, 2010, 08:51 AM
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Gialina Pizzeria in San Francisco
Located in the Glen Park area of S.F., this little gem serves amazing pizza and almost more amazing appetizers and side dishes.
We went last night for our fourth visit and the pizza was thin and crispy and stayed that way as it sat there waiting to be eaten. We started with the small meatball app. The meatballs are moist and the marinara sauce is perfect. We also shared the braised pork belly on a bed a Sicilian chard. What a treat this dish is! If you are there and there is anything with pork belly on the menu, order it. This is the second dish I've had that involved pork belly and whoever they get it from knows how to cure meat.
Pizzas were a Margherita that was thin, crispy and delicious. Not over cheesed or over sauced or under basiled. The other was a covered in very thinly sliced potatoes that turned into little potato chip like things, thinly sliced red onions, and was sprinkled with crispy bacon and just the right amount of gorgonzola cheese. The crust had been dressed vigoroulsy with olive oil. Again, the crust remained crispy thoughout the meal.
Dessert was Bi-Rite ice cream.
Gialina is small, does not take reservations and fills up quickly. Glen Park is an area of the city many tourists don't get to I would imagine, but Gialina is a reason to hop onto Bart downtown to the Glen Park station and have some of the best pizza in the city.
We went last night for our fourth visit and the pizza was thin and crispy and stayed that way as it sat there waiting to be eaten. We started with the small meatball app. The meatballs are moist and the marinara sauce is perfect. We also shared the braised pork belly on a bed a Sicilian chard. What a treat this dish is! If you are there and there is anything with pork belly on the menu, order it. This is the second dish I've had that involved pork belly and whoever they get it from knows how to cure meat.
Pizzas were a Margherita that was thin, crispy and delicious. Not over cheesed or over sauced or under basiled. The other was a covered in very thinly sliced potatoes that turned into little potato chip like things, thinly sliced red onions, and was sprinkled with crispy bacon and just the right amount of gorgonzola cheese. The crust had been dressed vigoroulsy with olive oil. Again, the crust remained crispy thoughout the meal.
Dessert was Bi-Rite ice cream.
Gialina is small, does not take reservations and fills up quickly. Glen Park is an area of the city many tourists don't get to I would imagine, but Gialina is a reason to hop onto Bart downtown to the Glen Park station and have some of the best pizza in the city.
Sep 6th, 2010, 09:23 AM
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Kal, they are different types of places. Gialina is a neighborhood place. Lower key than Tony's. Selection of pizza at Tony's is greater and their Salsiccia ranks as my all time favorite pizza.
Do both. I'd have lunch at Tony's and then waddle down to Gialina for dinner. DON"T FORGET THE PORK BELLY!
To be honest, last night's pizza was the best we've had in the four visits. Sometimes the thin crust gets soggy a little too quickly. I think it depends on what toppings you select. The drier the ingredients and the simpler the pizza = crispy, thin crust, which is our holy grail.
Do both. I'd have lunch at Tony's and then waddle down to Gialina for dinner. DON"T FORGET THE PORK BELLY!
To be honest, last night's pizza was the best we've had in the four visits. Sometimes the thin crust gets soggy a little too quickly. I think it depends on what toppings you select. The drier the ingredients and the simpler the pizza = crispy, thin crust, which is our holy grail.
Sep 6th, 2010, 10:14 AM
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sf, I'm embarrassed to admit that I've never had Delfina's or Ristobar's pizza, so I cannot compare. Everyone I know raves about Delfina's pizza and it is sort of hard to believe we've never been.
We like Howie's in Town and Country. We were initally unhappy with the crust, but they've gotten better at a thin crust that won't sag since they've been open. Last night's Gialina pizza would've blown Howie's "thin crust" out of the water. Howie's is good...and a lot closer to us than Glen Park though.
We like Howie's in Town and Country. We were initally unhappy with the crust, but they've gotten better at a thin crust that won't sag since they've been open. Last night's Gialina pizza would've blown Howie's "thin crust" out of the water. Howie's is good...and a lot closer to us than Glen Park though.
Sep 6th, 2010, 12:31 PM
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Is this the pizza place that was in the NYTimes a while back?
Thin crust that is crunchy and not rubbery has become something we miss.. rubber is one of the main ingredients in a lot of BA Pizzas :- )
I will pass this on to the Yankee who is asking a lot of questions lately about California..
Thin crust that is crunchy and not rubbery has become something we miss.. rubber is one of the main ingredients in a lot of BA Pizzas :- )
I will pass this on to the Yankee who is asking a lot of questions lately about California..
Sep 6th, 2010, 12:41 PM
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I'm not sure about the NY Times, but the food critic at the Chronicle, Michael Bauer put it on his list of the top 100 restaurants in the Bay Area again for the second year in a row. He loves the place.
Sep 28th, 2010, 08:01 PM
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Gialina's is worth visiting Glen Park! Some of the best thin crust pizza in the city, in my opinion.
The neighborhood is very small, but has a few good restaurants and shops. It's very easy to get to Glen Park via BART and a nice diversion from the more touristy parts of town.
The neighborhood is very small, but has a few good restaurants and shops. It's very easy to get to Glen Park via BART and a nice diversion from the more touristy parts of town.
Sep 29th, 2010, 09:08 AM
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i tried TO get into gialinas twice and gave up. i don't stand on line for pizza (OR ANY FOOD FOR THAT MATTER) no matter how good.
for grreat thin crust pizza i prefer south beach pizza in sf or red grape in sonoma . no waiting!
for grreat thin crust pizza i prefer south beach pizza in sf or red grape in sonoma . no waiting!
