One of the best moments of my East Bay eating tour last week was the first bite of the Zachary’s “pride and joy.”
That would be the Spinanch and Mushroom pie that you can’t even order thin. It is deep dish or nothing.
Up to that moment, the only Bay Area pizza worth a drive was the New York style pies served up with a bit of borough attitude at A Slice of New York in San Jose. But Zachary’s Chicago Pizza is a real contender.
New York pies and Chicago pies really are only distantly-related culinary cousins. Comparing them is essentially impossible. You find your favorite NY pie and compare other thin crust pizzas against that standard. The same is true for Chicago deep dish pies. I have a vivid taste memory of my first real Chicago pie. On a tip from a friend I left the Interstate and drove into downtown Chicago in September of 1990 and ordered a sausage pizza at Gino’s East. It was a revelation.
Zachary’s Spinanch and Mushroom pie didn’t recreate the Gino’s sweet crust, but it is a remarkable pie in its own right and one I’ll be back to eat again as soon as I can find another excuse to fly or drive to Berkeley or Oakland. If you beat me, expect a wait and enjoy the art while you do.
The text on The Forbidden Pizza poster:
The Forbidden Pizza
In Gargantuan Portions
Staring Psycho – Mad Max – Bleu Velvet
Spinanch Mushrooms – Cheese
Directed to your Alien Jaws
Produced by Zachary’s
