1181 Solano Ave., (510) 526-7827. L-D daily.
Of the Bay Area deep-dish pizzas I have tried, the one made here at Little Star Pizza is most like what everyone raves about in Chicago. And even though it is not exactly the same--that is impossible to achieve outside of the windy city--it is very, very good. Made with a delicious cornmeal crust, it is stuffed with good, stringy mozzarella cheese, tangy tomatoes, and fresh ingredients. I liked that the onion and bell pepper slices in my Classic--which also included mushrooms and sausage--were still crunchy enough to taste distinctly. More winners include a spinach-mushroom-ricotta cheese and a housemade meatball-ricotta-fresh mozzarella. Thin crust pizzas are also available. Sides include roasted cauliflower and broccolini plus a large variety of salads--I was very pleased with my Caesar, but the Goddess with a creamy pesto dressing is on my list to try next. Lunch brings on a sandwich menu (I hear the meatball sub is very good) as well as a lunch special that includes a personal size deep-dish or thin-crust pizza with an optional side salad at additional cost. A full bar is available. Note that these pizzas are made from scratch and can take a while to prepare, so ordering an appetizer or salad to enjoy while you wait makes sense. Though it can get busy in the evening, the large, open dining room has plenty of seating that assures minimum waiting.
2020 pandemic update: This has become my all-time favorite pizza pick-up spot. But they don’t do curbside pick-up. I always order a regular-size Classic, half-baked, with a Goddess salad. We eat half the pizza and all the salad one night, and the other half pizza a few nights later. It holds up. When we’re feeling really hungry, we order the large, but that is a lot for even two people over two nights. I especially like to tie in this pick-up when I need to visit the post office a few doors down.
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| dining room at Little Star Pizza in Albany, California |
Of the Bay Area deep-dish pizzas I have tried, the one made here at Little Star Pizza is most like what everyone raves about in Chicago. And even though it is not exactly the same--that is impossible to achieve outside of the windy city--it is very, very good. Made with a delicious cornmeal crust, it is stuffed with good, stringy mozzarella cheese, tangy tomatoes, and fresh ingredients. I liked that the onion and bell pepper slices in my Classic--which also included mushrooms and sausage--were still crunchy enough to taste distinctly. More winners include a spinach-mushroom-ricotta cheese and a housemade meatball-ricotta-fresh mozzarella. Thin crust pizzas are also available. Sides include roasted cauliflower and broccolini plus a large variety of salads--I was very pleased with my Caesar, but the Goddess with a creamy pesto dressing is on my list to try next. Lunch brings on a sandwich menu (I hear the meatball sub is very good) as well as a lunch special that includes a personal size deep-dish or thin-crust pizza with an optional side salad at additional cost. A full bar is available. Note that these pizzas are made from scratch and can take a while to prepare, so ordering an appetizer or salad to enjoy while you wait makes sense. Though it can get busy in the evening, the large, open dining room has plenty of seating that assures minimum waiting.
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| lunch special menu at Little Star Pizza in Albany, California |
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| Caesar salad at Little Star Pizza in Albany, California |
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| personal-size pizza at Little Star Pizza in Albany, California |
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| window-tables at Little Star Pizza in Albany, California |
2020 pandemic update: This has become my all-time favorite pizza pick-up spot. But they don’t do curbside pick-up. I always order a regular-size Classic, half-baked, with a Goddess salad. We eat half the pizza and all the salad one night, and the other half pizza a few nights later. It holds up. When we’re feeling really hungry, we order the large, but that is a lot for even two people over two nights. I especially like to tie in this pick-up when I need to visit the post office a few doors down.
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| take out exit at Little Star Pizza in Albany, California |
More pandemic updates.
More things to do in Albany.
More things to do in nearby Berkeley.
Way more thing to do in Berkeley.
More ideas for exploring Northern California.
images ©2019 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
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