The Classics: Tommaso’s, serving wood-fired pizza since 1935

A few years ago there was a monumental North verses South debate about who “invented” the modern pizza. The South group gave credit to Wolfgang Puck at Spago; the North group gave the nod to Alice Waters at the Cafe at Chez Panisse. I contend it was neither of them; it was Tommaso’s,  a North Beach institution that brought the wood-fired oven to the West Coast in 1935.

Tommaso’s is ground zero for pizza, and even today there is often a wait for a table, even early in the evening.
When the oven was installed the restaurant was called Lupo’s. It became Tommaso’s in 1971 and was bought by the Crotti family in 1973, who have been running it since.
The restaurant has an unassuming entrance. As diners walk down a few steps, the  yeasty smell of pizza dough being cooked and pepperoni warming and settling into a blanket of cheese and tomato sauce engulfs them. There’s also a chalkboard that lists more than a dozen wines by the glass. You’ll only see the varietal and price; the producer or where it comes from isn’t listed.
Diners are seated  around the perimeter at regular tables or at a long communal table down the middle that’s often taken over for family celebrations.

The interior  looks much like it has for decades. Walls of the basement entrance are filled with memorabilia including photos of Francis Ford Coppola, a regular and fan.  Murals of Italy cover the upper parts of the dining room walls, which carry the patina that comes with age and dozens of coats of paint.
Everyone orders the pizza, which has a moderately thick crust, lightly charred by the oven. Is it the best? No, but it has a nostalgic appeal because it’s being produced the same way it has been for decades. Still, it’s good, and unless you have a big appetite, you’ll probably have a few slices to take home.
There’s also a large menu of other comforting Italian foods that include beef carpaccio,  a well-prepared Caesar salad, Cho-Cho clams,  a respectable cacciatore, lasagne. and spaghetti with marinara sauce, which is also available to take home in a jar.
Desserts, at least what was served on my visit, are best forgotten. The cannoli tasted stale; the tiramisu was simply OK.
Still, Tommaso’s has a lot to recommend. While it has an old world sensibility the preparations are generally made with care. It’s clear the family — and the no-nonsense waiters who deliver the food and will even divide it for if sharing — are committed to keeping  the tradition alive.



Articles and Photos Sourced From:  http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog/2014/06/18/the-classics-tomassos-serving-wood-fired-pizza-since-1935/#24329-3