First, a confession: I used to be that annoying person who didn't believe you could get good pizza outside of New York. This was before the new wave of artisan pizza places hit San Francisco, and before I discovered
Marcellos, which I love and is, in my opinion, just as good as any slice you'd get in NY. I have now learned the error of my ways and eat what is probably too much pizza for my own good, if such a thing is possible.
Last night we hit up one of the newer pizza places,
Una Pizza Napoletana. But before we talk about the food, here is some back story in case you haven't been spending your time following the comings and goings of pizza makers around town: the first Una Pizza was in New Jersey. Anthony Mangieri (the chef/owner) then moved the operation to the East Village where it was incredibly popular and
written about extensively. He then decided he wanted to move to California, closed up shop in NY and headed to San Francisco.
The space itself is a decent size, but much of it is taken up by the oven (which is really the focal point of the room - how cool is that blue tiling?) and the small prep station where Mangieri makes the pizza. Customers are kept out of this area by a metal railing, but that doesn't stop them from standing in front of the railing and watching (and/or taking pictures). I would love to know how many pictures of Mangieri must get taken each day.
The menu here is simple: 5 different types of pizza. Some wine, some beer and some non-alcoholic beverages. You want a salad, or maybe some olives, or perhaps a slice of bread? You won't find it here.
The pizzas are all 12 inches. There were 4 of us (plus a baby) and we decided we'd just get all 5 types and take home whatever was left over. I'm sure you already know how this story is going to end. Here, take a look at the pizzas if you are unsure:
The four of us (and a baby!) had no problem finishing off all five of these pizzas. They brought them out from the simplest (marinara and margherita) to the most complicated (if you can call arugula, cherry tomatoes and smoked mozzarella complicated). All of the pizzas were really good, and I especially liked the margherita.
In terms of how Una Pizza compares to all the other pizza places in San Francisco: I think it is right on par with
Delfina Pizzeria, which was always my gold standard. Both have that chewy crust which really makes it for me. The major difference between the two though is price: ALL of the pizzas at Una Pizza cost $20. When you compare that against Delfina, where the pizzas range from $10 - $17, ($12.50 for the margherita) it seems kind of outrageous. Plus Delfina will throw in some bread sticks for free, and you have the option of ordering things besides pizza (mmm, like their meatballs).
I don't mean to discourage you. Personally, I can't even look at this picture and not just want to eat more of that pizza. I guess my advice would be: If you've got $20 in your pocket and can afford to spend that on one pizza, this is a great place to do it.
Una Pizza Napoletana
210 11th St
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 861-3444
