By Isabella Cook
Welcome to the ultimate weeklong pizza party. Starting Jan. 8, select pizzerias across Napa, Sonoma and Marin began participating in the culinary collaboration known as North Bay Pizza Week.
After pizza was more or less invented in Naples as a sauced-up flatbread, it took the globe by storm when American G.I.’s returned from World War II, bringing a fondness for pizza that led to a Cambrian explosion of different forms we know now. These include traditional Neapolitan styles, thin crust in New York, Detroit squares, sheet pans and deep-dish variants in Chicago, to name a few.
Then there’s California-style pizza, which features a thin, chewy crust and unconventional toppings that embrace the concept of fresh, local ingredients in a creative twist that’s unique to the state. Which brings us back to the topic at hand: North Bay Pizza Week.
Pizza, I realized, is the vessel that serves as a reason to gather together. Pizzerias are an integral, irreplaceable neighborhood fixture, a central hub where locals gather and commune over a shared pie. At the risk of sounding cheesy (or maybe saucy), pizza is community. Which is what North Bay Pizza Week celebrates. Of course, it helps that pizza tastes amazing, too.
Participating Local Pizzerias
Agave Mexican Restaurant
Tlayuda/Oaxacan Pizza — $19 Tortilla spread with pork cracklin paste, black bean paste, cabbage, quesillo, queso fresco radish, avocado, tomatillo salsa.
1063 Vine St., Healdsburg, (707) 433-2411
Diavola Pizzeria & Salumeria
Strip Mall Supreme Pie 12″ — $24 Local radicchio, smoked mozzarella, cacciocavallo and potatoes. Bar Pie 16″ — $24 Thin crust, basil, thin onions, pepperoni and oregano.
21021 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville, (707) 814-0111
Fogbelt Brewing Company
Slice And Pint Special — $15 Detroit-style square slice, mozzarella cheese, house tomato sauce, pepperoni, creamy ricotta cheese and bold hot honey.
410 Hudson St., Healdsburg, (707) 473-8532
KIN Windsor
The Local 10″ ( $17) and The Local 14″ ($26): Red sauce, fresh mozzarella, spicy sausage, kale, red and green grapes, and red wine and balsamic reduction with fresh parmesan. Pizza & Salad Combo ($36): Any 14″ pizza and a house or Caesar salad for two.
740 McClelland Dr., Windsor, (707) 837-7546
PizzaLeah
Pineapples on pizza will be available all week, No Chill Mustafa Pizza available Jan. 8-11 only. All proceeds go to Farm to Pantry, a nonprofit dedicated to providing food to those facing food insecurity.
9240 Old Redwood Highway, #116, Windsor, (707) 620-0551
Visit NorthBayPizzaWeek.com for a full list of participating pizzerias and their specials.
