UPDATE (25 Nov 2010): Sadly, I can no longer recommend Pizza Nostra. A week ago, I went with my partner and his son to Pizza Nostra. The first thing I noticed was the increase in price in a number of items. But what makes me revoke my recommendation is this: my partner left a 12 percent tip (in the SF Bay Area, waiters feel entitled to 15 percent, regardless of how crappy the service). Our pizzas did not arrive at the same time – indeed, his pizza came many many minutes late. The reception when we arrived was chilly (not the warm reception we used to get when the previous owners ran the place). Anyway, as we were about to leave, our waiter actually came to our table and asked if there was anything wrong with the service because my partner left less than a 15 percent tip. This is outrageous! For a waiter to complain about his tip in front of all the guests at a table. Just NOT DONE. Therefore, no more Pizza Nostra for me.
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Residents of Potrero Hill can now rejoice: an excellent new pizza place has opened on De Haro Street between 16th and 17th. Owned by the same people who run Chez Papa, they serve Napoli-style pizza, which means thin, crispy crust pizzas with toppings such as real prosciutto di parma. Unlike the gooey mess they serve at Goat Hill, the other Potrero Hill pizza joint, Pizzanostra pizzas are the real thing. They have other dishes: appetizers like involtini di melanzane (eggplant), one of my favorite dishes in southern Italy and pasta dishes such as linguini con vongole (clams), a typical dish served on the Amalfi coast. They don’t take reservations, but if you go after 8:00 pm, the wait is not long.
- Vibe: informal trattoria atmosphere and unlike Goat Hill Pizza, no screaming kids.
- Pros: very delicious Napoli pizza (thin crispy crust) with toppings such as anchovies, real prosciutto di parma, bufala mozzarella; good pasta dishes.
- Cons: they close at 10:00 pm (too early in my opinion); they don’t take reservations and during the day, the parking in this area is grim.
PizzaNostra
300 DeHaro Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
+1 415 558 9493
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