Zachary's Pizza: Oakland, CA

Date:  mercredi 30 septembre 2009 
Location:  5801 College Avenue
Oakland, CA  94618
Tel:  +1 510 655 6385
www.zacharys.com

About a month ago, my friend Patrick posted a photo of a Zachary's pizza on Facebook.  His family was visiting so he was playing tourguide.  That photo started quite a flurry amongst our mutual friends, also fellow food and wine brats.  And so it began, a month in advance notice Evite to recreate the pizza fest for a group of 10 San Franciscan friends, who would all venture across the Bay Bridge on a week night (*gasp!* leaving the 7x& city for food!?).  Yup.  Zachary's deep dish pizza is always worth it.

It was a night of bringing together old and new friends.  Me being the host, could not help arriving 20 minutes late.  Two of my guy friends who arrived early/on time were quite pleased.   They found themselves at the "early/on time" arrivals table with my very cute Taiwanese girlfriends who also arrived earlier.  One of them sports Asian dreadlocks.  How punk rock is that?!

I finally arrived, running down the street in patent leather eel skin Dolce Gabbana's.  I hate being late, but often am.  Pizza_S_ had already been ordered (thank God).  My friends know how to delegate in order to take charge for the group when dining.  All seasoned foodies.  No pun intended.  

We must have ordered 5 stuffed pizzas!  MMMMMMmmmmmmMmmmmm!
1.  Zachary's Special (Sausage, green pepper, onion, and mushroom. A classic combination!!!)
2.  Chicken (Baked chicken breast, mushrooms, and a fresh basil, garlic, tomato sauce with mozzarella cheese)
3.   Chorizo Style (Mexican style chorizo sausage topped with jack cheese and diced green chiles)
4.  Spinach & Mushroom (Zachary's "Pride and Joy" - A blend of cheeses, special spices, fresh spinach and mushrooms)
5.  ???  I can not remember but I know we had doubled up on one of the above.

Everything tasted FABULOUS.  The freshest ingredients.  A resto just can NOT survive in this region without fresh competition;  again no pun intended.  Chock full of diced tomatoes on Z's secret tomato paste recipe.  Mouth watering to every last bite!  And the thick, perfectly baked to perfection crust!  Drinks on the table consisted of house red wine, beer, diet Coke (that's me!), water.

Zachary's pizza really is some of the best pizza around for deep dish.  Anything better and you'd have to go xixi gourmet style (ie Delfina Pizzeria in SF).  And that is quite a step up - xixi Delfina and we are talking tastefully done egg yolk on thin crust pizza with fancy smancy ingredients from someones organic garden in the back.

We were all stuffed (last fun meal before some of them started their "Halloween Diet").  I took some home (score!).  Always just as delicious the next day.  If not more so because the flavors have sunken in.

And because I am such a pig... on the way back home, I stopped off at Oola's on Folsom to partake in their seasonal Fig Tart and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc Chablis.  I am such a lucky girl.  ^^  Great food, even greater friends, in the world's loveliest city ever.