Longtime Outer Sunset residents may still recall Dean’s Deli on the corner of 46th and Noriega, but if you’ve been around since 2007, you know it as The Pizza Place. Founded by industry veterans David Ashin, with Kevin and Cindy Baryza (Acquerello, Farallon, Globe, Bruno’s, Stars), and inspired by the Boston pizza hangouts Kevin grew up with, the corner with the extra large iconic shaka (hang loose) sign has been busting out pies ever since.
Now run by Kevin and Cindy, The Pizza Place is a true neighborhood gem, where families with kids in tow populate the dining room in the early evening hours and the games on the big screens draw in the sports enthusiasts as the night goes on. On sunny days diners from the East Bay and out Sacramento way make their way up from the beach as the fog rolls in.
Zoe’s pepperoni, garlic, mushroom, tomato sauce, and cheese.
Best selling pizza? You’d never guess, but it’s the Dimitri (with the Four Cheese running a close second), named after Dimitri Vardakastanis of Gus’s Community Market. It’s topped with sausage, Zoe’s pepperoni, garlic, mushroom, tomato sauce, and cheese. Not exactly the Greek-style pizza they had in mind when they first proposed naming it after him, but it turns out Vardakastanis isn’t a fan of feta and spinach-topped pies, and how would it look if he strolled in and didn’t order his namesake pizza? Baryza fondly notes that “there’s probably a good argument to say that if it wasn’t for the Vardakastanis family’s support, really treating people like family, and putting their money where their mouth was, we may not have made it through the first year.”
While hitting up the Outer Sunset is like heading across the Bay Bridge to some San Franciscans, you can grab a taste of the Outer Sunset with a frozen and par-baked 12-inch Pizza Place pie at Gus’s Markets (four locations in the city), Bi-Rite Market (both locations), Falletti’s, and Gratta Wines in the Bayview. Choices include Four Cheese, Zoe’s Pepperoni, Besto, The Dimitri and Greek. We make sure to always have a frozen Zoe’s Pepperoni or Dimitri in the freezer for game days or nights when we don’t want to cook, and the crust crisps up perfectly after eight to ten minutes in a preheated oven.
While the pies are the star, the menu at The Pizza Place has something for everyone: grinders, kale, iceberg and an assortment of salads, buffalo wings, fries, spaghetti and meatballs, ravioli, and garlic bread.
The Pizza Place | Corner of Noriega Street & 46th Avenue (3901 Noriega Street) | 415-759-5752 | pizzaplacesf.com
