Please pardon my obsession with the comings and goings of restaurants in town and on the Avenew in particular. It's my compensation mechanism so I don't obsess about the amazing number of hair and nail salons we have. Or the lack of any real music venue downtown.
On tomorrow night's Planning Commish docket is an application for Rise Pizza to go into the space long occupied by Isobune. Isobune and its authentic plastic display food in the front window have been in that spot for as long as I can remember. That might go all the way back to 1983 or so when I first started going to the Sly Fox, the Bombay Bicycling Club, the Bit and Goa Poang!
Rise's story is a beehive wood-fired oven and this is apparently their first location. They will need something special to compete with Blue Line, Pizza My Heart, Delfina's and Il Fornaio in the "pie wars".
April 13, 2016 Update: Here is the sign indicating the end of a 33 year run for Isobune.
It's just junk food. Sort of like eating 1/2 loaf of bread but with some sauce and medium grade toppings.
Posted by: Wino | February 08, 2019 at 06:49 PM
Their pizza dough and bread are great: light, slightly sour.
Posted by: Peter Garrison | February 09, 2019 at 07:55 AM
Today is National Pizza day so get out there and chow down. I recommend Centro above these others (Delfina, Rise, Blue Line). Blue Line is the best of the also-rans, but you can hardly hear yourself think in there when it is busy whereas the high ceilings at Centro (from its time as a hardware store and who knows what before that) make it very amenable to talking and eating.
Posted by: Joe | February 09, 2019 at 12:33 PM
How is it possible that VILLAGE HOST did not make the list.
I like Escargot and Curried Yak on my pizza just like every other Red Blooded American Joe.
Nevertheless,
Village Host Pizza is the last Old School Pizza Parlor in California.
In my opinion, the Best years of Pizza were 1963-1979.
Posted by: hollyroller@gmail.com | February 09, 2019 at 05:43 PM
Had Golden Boy Pizza tonight, it was great.
Posted by: Laura | February 09, 2019 at 08:18 PM
My apologies. Village Host should have been on the list of also-rans although I have not had the escargot there. I do recall a lovely little French place on California--near the idiotic horse chained to the sign--that had excellent escargot. Perhaps Fred remembers the name.
In any case, holly, I think you think the best years of everything were '63-'79. Right?
Posted by: Joe | February 09, 2019 at 08:20 PM
Name of the restaurant was, ahem, L’escargot.
Understand the chained horse is some real estate mogul’s war prize.?
Posted by: Peter Garrison | February 09, 2019 at 08:52 PM
No,
Pizza was the best between 1963 and 1979.
There was a Pizza place in Pacific Manor-Pacifica.
A Pizza place in the old Safeway/Thrifty/Shell Gas Station shopping center @ Sharp Park Road/Skyline Blvd./Westborough.
I remember seeing over 100 Harley Davidson bikes filling the entire parking lot.
That was some GOOD PIZZA.
Good Ambience Too.
Dear Joe, I have yet to experience the best years of my life yet.
I guess I won't find out until the end.
Having the opportunity/privilege to contribute to this Web Site makes getting older easier, plus, I LMAO.
Posted by: hollyroller@gmail.com | February 09, 2019 at 09:55 PM
@Peter - Thanks, no wonder it came to mind when I think of snails in B'game. It was a lovely little restaurant and we could use more like it.
@Laura - I have heard good things about Golden and should have included them even if they are a bit out of the way. Between all-time-fav Hot Wok, Nini's and Golden Boy Pizza, the little section of North Amphlett is hopping. And they are just far enough away from Peninsula that the inevitable interchange may not take their locations.
Posted by: Joe | February 10, 2019 at 12:06 PM
Golden Boy Pizza in North Beach is AWESOME.
Their presentation is Beautiful.
If you have to wait for a Pizza, or friend, "Gino & Carlos" is right next door.
Posted by: hollyroller@gmail.com | February 10, 2019 at 04:28 PM
San Mateo train station is a bad location for a restaurant. Unless you are a national brand restaurant it will be difficult to pull customers into this area off of the main shopping area. At the end of the day, it is still a $25 pizza visit.
The demographics of this area won't support it in my opinion.
Posted by: Rick | February 11, 2019 at 04:36 AM
Its all about the dough$$$$$
Posted by: Fred | February 11, 2019 at 10:32 PM
@holly, Golden Boy, take out only, is now open on the Burlingame, San Mateo border, on Amphlett
Posted by: Laura | February 12, 2019 at 04:29 AM
Granted folks, Bruce Dickinson is no stranger to the finer things in life, including fine dining, so I would be remiss if I didn't say that it's not like yours truly gives out rave reviews like Halloween candy.
Having said that, both RISE and Blue Line have dynamite pizza! Yes, while some pizza joints can be noisy, don't forget, it's pretty easy to take out and eat in the comfort of your own home! I do this (send out someone to pick up) quite often and of course there are many delivery apps.
The nice thing about RISE is that due to wood fired oven, the pizzas take 7 minutes. Also RISE and Blue Line have items that aren't pizza but are excellent as well.
Really liking the upgrade in the Burlingame dining scene..was long overdue! Hopefully will have some staying power after the next economic downturn!
Posted by: Bruce Dickinson | February 13, 2019 at 06:01 PM
What are your thoughts on the up coming economic downturn?
Posted by: hollyroller@gmail.com | February 13, 2019 at 06:59 PM
Per Goldman Sachs:
7:54 AM ET Tue, 15 Jan 2019 | 00:50
Goldman Sachs does not foresee any recessions in major economies in 2019 but low profit growth is on the cards in the U.S. and Europe, its chief global equity strategist told CNBC Tuesday.
"It's still our view that we're not headed for recession in any of the major economies," Goldman's Peter Oppenheimer told CNBC's Annette Weisbach at the Goldman Sachs Global Strategy Conference in Frankfurt.
"At the end of last year, there was a particularly sharp downgrade in expectations for the U.S. and while there has been a big tightening of policy and financial conditions in the U.S. … We don't see a recession, but we do see a pretty sharp slowdown," he said, adding that markets had "got too far into pricing a deeper downturn than we expect."
Posted by: Visitor | February 14, 2019 at 03:42 AM
Thank you Visitor
Posted by: hollyroller@gmail.com | February 14, 2019 at 08:38 AM