Pizzaiolo in Oakland has been a neighborhood gem for years serving Californian inspired Italian comfort food.

At Pizzaiolo they specialize in delicious wood fired pizzas as well as some small plates and pastas.

Avocado and Marinated Beets with Shaved Fennel (7.5-8/10).

Orchid Watermelon and Roasted Eggplant with Black Olives and Ricotta Salata Cheese (7/10).

Spaghetti with Monterey Bay Squid, Basil, Hot Pepper, and Toased Breadcrumbs (8/10).

Pizza with Cherry Tomatoes, Padron Peppers, Guanciale, and Grana Padano Cheese (8.5-9/10).

Apple Tart with Raspberry Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream (7.5/10).

Chocolate Cake with Whipped Cream and Hazelnuts (7.5-8/10).

Pizzaiolo is a great neighborhood joint for solid tasty food. All their pizzas sounded delicious and quite inventive including one of their signature pizzas, the potato and Fontina cheese pizza. By far my favorite dishes of the meal were the pizza and the pasta. The pizza had a great chewy and soft crust with a crisp bottom topped with sweet juicy cherry tomatoes, salty guanciale (cured pork’s jowl), spicy padron peppers, and nutty Grana Padano cheese. The pasta was extremely satisfying with large pieces of tender calamari, hot pepper, aromatic sweet basil, and crunchy breadcrumbs.

Without a doubt Pizzaiolo serves some awesome Californian inspired pizzas that are worth checking out so my overall rating is a 7.5-8/10.