Handmade pasta, antipasti, blistered-crust pizzas with melting mozzarella and — oh dear, we’re salivating all over the keyboard. Suffice it to say, the San Francisco Bay Area is positively brimming with fantastic Italian restaurants. Heck, the city alone has scores of trattorias and chic Italian bistros. No need to cross a bridge for Flour + Water or A16, though, when the South and East Bays have treasures of their own. Here’s a sampling of five top picks.
A16 Rockridge, Oakland
Love those dreamy, wood-fired pizzas of Naples and the saucy meatballs of Campania? You could wrestle with parking in San Francisco’s Marina district. Or you could head for its sister restaurant, A16 Rockridge, which also explores the seafood-rich culture of the eastern side of Autostrada A16, the restaurant’s namesake, a highway that runs from Campania to Puglia. It’s simply delish. (Psst, avoid the whole parking issue and take BART to Rockridge.) 5356 College Ave., Oakland; www.a16pizza.com
Pasta Armellino, Saratoga
Pasta Armellino is Michelin-starred Peter Armellino’s (Plumed Horse) first departure from high-brow, French-inspired cuisine in 30 years — and it’s sensational. Order Italian pastas — braised beef short ribs tucked into al dente orecchiette, for example, topped with broccolini stems and melting ricotta — at the counter, then grab a seat in the sleek, industrial-chic dining room. Get a sneak peek here. And experience the real thing at 14560 Big Basin Way; www.pastaarmellino.com.
Pizzetta 408, San Jose
Owner David Perez’s pizza obsession took him first to Italy for pizzaiolo classes, then to San Francisco pizza guru Tony Gemignani (Tony’s Pizza Napoletana) and finally to a pizza hot spot of his own. The blistered and chewy crusts are perfection, the toppings sublime. And he does an egg-topped Breakfast-All-Day pizza, too. Open daily inside San Jose’s SoFA Market, 387 S. First St.; www.pizzetta408.com
Slice House by Tony Gemignani, Walnut Creek
Speaking of Gemignani, the 12-time world pizza-throwing champion is back in the East Bay, where his hand-tossed pie foray began. Don’t even try to resist this cozy corner shop (next to Telerific Barcelona and Rooftop) where daily by-the-slice offerings of Neapolitan thin-crust pizza vie for attention with thick Sicilian-style. Don’t miss the gold medal award-winning Cal Italia pie with four cheeses, fig preserves, prosciutto and a balsamic reduction. Open daily at 1500 Mt. Diablo Blvd, Walnut Creek; www.slicehousewalnutcreek.com.
Pausa, San Mateo
From the house-cured salumi to the creamy risottos, handmade pasta dishes and wood-fired pizzas — served with scissors for slicing — ordering is a challenge at this sleek, chic midcentury modern place. You will want everything. Open daily at 223 E. Fourth Ave., San Mateo; www.pausasanmateo.com
