Sweet Salami Pizza at Oliver’s Pizzeria in San Rafael. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Napoli Pizza at Oliver’s Pizzeria in San Rafael. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
The interior of Oliver’s Pizzeria in San Rafael. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Little Gem Caesar Salad at Oliver’s Pizzeria in San Rafael. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Celery and Date Salad at Oliver’s Pizzeria in San Rafael. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
The Fourth Street entrance to Oliver’s Pizzeria in San Rafael. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
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Sweet Salami Pizza at Oliver’s Pizzeria in San Rafael. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
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The speakeasy vibe of Oliver’s Pizzeria is as enticing as its food and beverages. It’s easy to find the address for the pizzeria’s back entrance online. But when ascending the front steps next to Vin, its sister restaurant, I felt like I was “in the know.”
On the landing, I arrived at a casual lounge area where several people were seated, glasses in hand. Looking around for my companion and not seeing him, I continued on into the main area where the tables against the exposed brick wall were packed. On my left was the glistening white-domed pizza oven, and beyond it was the bar. All the bar seats were full, too. The back door was open, so I went out on the landing and was met with a fabulous view of Mount Tamalpais. Turning back toward the kitchen, I asked one of the staff members if I could put my name down for a table. That done, I turned around to see my friend climbing up the back stairs. We walked back to the lounge area and took a bar menu from a slot on the wall. All cocktails are $15. There were 12 crafted cocktails plus a list of the classics. A separate list of amari, popular Italian bittersweet liqueurs, was priced from $8 for the world’s oldest amaro, Ramazzotti, to $15 for Nonino, one of my favorites.
A server arrived, and my friend ordered Bee La Bamba, a tequila-mezcal concoction with an herbal hit of rosemary served in a coupe. I wanted something tall and cooling, so the spritz-like Borgogna Bubbles looked right. The drink, with strawberry Aperol and slightly fizzy Lambrusco red wine, served in a long glass, was excellent.
Cider and beer ($8 to $9), soda and other nonalcoholic options ($4 to $8) and several interesting wines ($12 to $24 a glass and $46 to $96 a bottle) complete the beverage listings. Italian winery Fattoria Moretto’s Lambrusco ($12) is not often seen on menus. It’s a delicious, dry red wine from Italy, slightly bubbly and served chilled. I ordered a glass knowing it would have good structure and be refreshing. It was!
Shortly, we were comfortably seated at the bar with a view of the pizza oven — perfect action-watching seats.
This pizza place had been the dream of Mike Heffernan and Carroll Oliver since they were in high school together at Drake High School — now Archie Williams High School — in San Anselmo. Since then, Oliver has spent time learning as much as he could absorb about cooking and baking. Before he and Heffernan opened Oliver’s, he worked in several restaurants and bakeries, gathering knowledge and skills. He found excellent teachers and support at Marla Bakery when it was still in San Francisco on Balboa Street. During the time when Marla Bakery was relocating to Windsor, Oliver was able to do a pizza pop-up on the weekends at their Balboa address using Marla’s wood-fire oven.
There’s a planned intensity about Oliver’s. The stimulation created by the location, steep steps, dual entrances/exits, limited seating (31 seats), limited pizza per day (75) and short and tasty menu makes it a place to be.
The Celery and Date Salad ($12) was similar to the one I wrote about in my review several months ago of the restaurant downstairs, the more formal Vin. Oliver’s Pizzeria shaves ricotta salata over the salad rather than Parmesan, and it tastes more heavily dressed. It was still flavorful but less texturally exciting.
When our Little Gem Caesar ($16) was placed in front of us, my friend exclaimed, “Wow, it’s like the ‘Odyssey’ film I saw: too much of a great thing.” The little gem leaves, piled high and draping over the edge, were lavishly covered with grated Parmesan and toasted breadcrumbs. It was a sight to behold: crispy leaves with a tart dressing, an abundance of umami flavor and the right amount of crunch from the breadcrumbs. Some salads I consider finger food, and this was definitely one of them. There was certainly enough for the two of us to share.
Now it was time to taste the wood-fired sourdough pizza. Since we were seated in front of the oven, we had been watching Oliver working in an orderly, almost constant motion. Puffy mounds of dough were on the counter to his right. Oliver flipped then spread and flattened a mound to the edges of the pan. He added the rest of the ingredients before sliding the pan into the oven, and with a jerk of his wrist, the dough flew off the peel onto the blazing hot floor of the oven. He used the pizza peel to gently turn the pizza a couple times, then slid it under the pie, quickly removing it from the oven. The pizza only spends 90 to 100 seconds in the oven!
Two pizzas were far too much to order, but I wanted to taste a couple of different flavors. I probably should have ordered the Margherita ($22), the classic baseline Neapolitan pizza. But the Sweet Salami ($24) and the Napoli ($24) won me over. I looked forward to the soppressata that came with the Sweet Salami, and the Napoli’s Calabrian chiles swayed me. The slightly sweet heat those chilies add is so delicious.
Both the Sweet Salami and the Napoli pizzas had spottily charred, puffy crusts with all the toppings distinctly flavorful and complementary. This Neapolitan style of pizza with its soft bottom crust is for eating folded over or with knife and fork and usually isn’t overwhelmed with toppings, letting what’s there make a greater hit.
Oliver’s Pizzeria has limited kitchen space, so the menu is short in length but long in flavor. There’s no dessert, per se, so you might enjoy ending your meal like an Italian: with a glass of amaro.
Ann Walker is a freelance food writer. Email her with suggestions, comments and questions at ijfoodwalker@gmail.com.
Oliver’s Pizzeria
Address: 833 Commercial Place, San Rafael, for the back entrance
Phone: 415-213-2185
Website: oliverswoodfiredpizza.com
Cuisine: Pizza bar
Noise level: Fairly loud when full, but conversation is possible
Seating: Inside
Liquor selection: Full
Vegetarian dishes: Yes
Vegan dishes: Limited
Gluten-free selections: No
Dog-friendly: Service animals
Parking: Street and lot behind with back entrance to restaurant
Hours: 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays
Prices: $10 to $25
Reservations: Walk-ins
Summary: Oliver’s Pizzeria offers a unique atmosphere with delicious beverages and pizzas created by people who have true passion for what they’re making
Dining and Cooking