State Flour Pizza

State Flour Pizza

Walking down College Avenue in the Elmwood area, what at first appears to be a small hole-in-the wall place to grab pizza-by-the-slice turns out to have a a cozy upstairs eating area, perfect for diners wanting a restaurant environment for lunch or dinner. 

My first experience with State Flour pizza was when I was looking for a mid-afternoon snack and stumbled upon a reasonably priced piece of pepperoni pizza, which I gratefully devoured. After that, I had it in my head that this was simply a place where you order at a counter in a small business and are given a small portion to eat at one of their few tables or take with you. I liked it, but I was surprised when my friends invited me there for dinner. I discovered that night that although they do offer takeout to people stopping by and those who order online, their second-story dining room upstairs offers an ideal restaurant experience.  My much-loved afternoon pizza stop turned out to become one of my favorite sit-down pizza restaurants!

The dining area is aesthetically pleasing but very simple, consisting of a scattering of tables, and cream colored walls with lots of empty space. The pleasant music, played on the speakers in the corner, fades perfectly into the background. And the appetizing aroma of fresh-baked pizza wafts through the dining area. Everything is understated and yet delightful.

I found their mid-sized menu to be thoughtfully done. It had a satisfying variety of options--enough to please almost any member of the crowd--including a variety of red and white pizzas, pasta, and salads. But I would say it also was not overdone; the menu, which fits on one laminated page front and back, makes you choose between the optimal number of options, given the fact everything on the menu can be customized. I find it fun to browse the menu and choose between the viable options to satiate my hunger. 

 

The restaurant can accommodate gluten free and vegetarian options. The regular crust is thin and bubbly, complimented perfectly well by the hearty, thick, and satisfying cheese and tomato elements that interact with the different toppings. The gluten-free crust is different while being equally satisfying; instead of airy, crunchy goodness, you get a thick, fluffy rectangular focaccia in place of your crust. There is also the option of vegan (dairy-free) cheese, or you can order your pizza without cheese. 

Like the menu and the dining area, which shows a tasteful type of simplicity, the attitude of the waitstaff is appropriately casual. The food (which is made to order in the kitchen downstairs) comes at a reasonable pace; most often they leave a large container of water for everyone at the table to share (and they come back at a casual pace when it's time to replace it); they are friendly when they take your order, but they don't meddle in your conversation. 

In the end, I appreciate the small-business, simple approach. What effort and money they don't put into a fancy dining experience, they channel into making the most high-quality pizzas they can. They bring out the most impressive cheeses and luxurious toppings to satisfy your taste pallet that they can while still paying for the overhead and not passing on a large bill to the customer. 

For example, an impressive State Flour Pizza 14-inch round pizza (with regular dough) tends to come out to be in the $20-$25 range, and a signature salad or dessert comes out to be about half of that. State Flour Pizza has a variety of beverages, alcoholic and not, none of which cost more than $15, and most of which cost less than $10. 

It's the kind of place where you eat a luxurious meal at a leisurely pace without paying for the added whistles and bells. The dining room is clean and appetizing without being fancy; the menu is streamlined; the service is there if you need it but not over the top. All of these things take the price of a delicious pizza night down, but at the same time, they don't skimp on quality. It's still the type of place that is enjoyable to eat with friends and family because it's quiet enough to have a conversation; the food is amazing, and the service is perfectly decent.

Overall, I would rank this as one of my favorite pizza places in Berkeley! It has a unique appeal in terms of savory, hearty flavor and desirable texture, all at a competitive price in a nice environment. I hope to be back soon!