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Categories: Pizza, Vegetarian
Neighborhood: Normal HeightsMon-Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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I was able to try 4 slices here (I didn't eat ALL of them myself), including one with eggplant, one with pastrami, another had walnuts on it... and another with little yogurt dollops. I am getting them all mixed together in my head since it was a few days ago... but it was pretty good stuff. This isn't NY pizza, or Chicago pizza.. I guess it's California pizza, right?
The owner is a super nice guy that you can tell really cares about his food.
The whole wheat (i think?) crust was probably the best I've had - it wasn't super dense and didn't have a taste that distracted it from the rest of the pizza.
I was so not impressed. At all.
Atmosphere: not my personal taste, which is fine. But it seemed kind of grimy in there and I really don't like that you can see straight into the ENTIRE kitchen while you're eating.
Food: Ok, their pizzas were interesting. Were they good? Not very. I had the Sweet Southern French, which was good on the first bite but by the end I felt like it was a chore to get through. The second slice I had was a spinach one with some yogurt stuff on top. It looked amazing, I only wish it tasted amazing. Also, they heat up the pizzas that are out if you order by the slice. It'd be nice if they were hot instead of lukewarm.
Staff: The staff bumped this place from 2 stars to 1. They don't make it entirely obvious that you're supposed to order from the counter and have a seat. When my husband and I showed up we stood at the door awkwardly trying to figure out what to do - the staff just stared at us. The place to order has no indication that you order there! So we wander in slowly. More stares from the staff. So we go ahead and sit thinking it's a seat yourself/order from a waiter kind of joint. It's not. We put our coats and start to sit down when a staff member pipes up "are you guys waiting for more people or what?" Major fail on their part for not reading the "confused" looks on our faces. After sorting out that we order up front (and being made fun of for that by the staff in a way that was absolutely not funny to me) we ordered and sat. They brought our pizza to us, we ate. We were hanging out chatting in front of our empty plates and someone came by to ask if we were enjoying our pizza. We lied. Since we were clearly done and he was on his way back to the kitchen I would have assumed he would have taken our plates. Insert awkward moment number 1,000 here.
I do not know why this place has so many stars, it was so bad I'm not giving it a second chance.
Healthy delicious pizza? It's can't possibly exist?!?
Yes it does exist and it is created at Zia's. If you walked into this place you would think it was a dump considering how stripped down the place looks. But the pizza's here are the real show stopper. You won't find your standard pepperroni and sausage here but you will get very delicious and interesting pizza's. My favorite is the Sweet Southern French; it has chicken, feta, caramelized pears, walnuts and mozzarella all layed out on a whole wheat crust. When I first saw this pizza and the owner encourage me to try it I was a bit skeptical about it. Pears and feta WITH walnuts? But it was stupid delicious!
The pizza's are low priced, well made, healthy, and tastes amazing. The owner of the pizza place is always there to greet you with a smile and suggestion. All you have to tell him is what meat or veggie you think you are in the mood for and he will suggest the best item. All of their stuff is freshly made so you will never ever get a stale slice of pizza with rubbery cheese.
The only down part to this place: They are only opened 5 hours out of the day and 6 days out of the week only.
Now that I am writing about it, I think I want that for dinner tonight!
The BESTest Pizza ever! (in the thin crust category) Try the New Yorker if you like it somewhat spicey. Oh, and the eggplant pizza....soooo good!
If you are on Adams Ave. you must, must, must grab a couple slices and taste for your self.
mmmmm...it's really good...I love it so much I may have to marry it.
look, i really don't have much new to offer in this review. just read all the other reviews. we can't all be wrong!
it is the best pizza i've ever had in my life.. and quite possibly i will ever have. i go here about 3 times a week and it's WELL worth it..
After a full summer of cheap food including lots of main stream pizza, its nice to get something a bit different and a lot delicious!
I had a split grande pizza with half papay and half eggplant...and all i can say...SO F'n good! Keep in mind that this style of pizza is not of the typical nature, but so well done that you will have a hard time going back to pepperoni.
The restaurant itself is quaint and stylish with nicely dimmed lighting. Nothing is worse than bright florescent lights. Also, feel free to give the owner a friendly hello because Khaled will surely give you one back. Seriously, one of the nicest guys I have ever met...once.
Surely Zia's Gourmet Pizza deserves a spot on everyone's night out routine.
I have been back two times. The food is still really great! I love the homemade pear salad dressing. You can tell the owner cares about the food quality and his customers. Love it!
I love the owner, love the store and love the food. I ate a great moderatly priced salad here and… Read more »
A bit hard to look for since there's no real sign (the one from the pictures is like a roof banner facing upwards!) but after calling them, they said they're across from the car wash...which made it a tad easier to identify.
the pizza was really good and definitely different. We tried the New Yorker, Eggplant, Roast Chicken, and Sweet Southern French. All were very good but I'd say the Eggplant takes a few bites to get used to!
The place is a bit hot and some flies kept buggin me and my food =T
Overall, a great place to try for some good tasting thin crust!
Went a few weeks ago. With Luigi and BLAH having recently moved into the area, I'd overlooked Zia. Since many of their pizzas (very much in the California-gourmet mode) sounded intriguing, I opted for a few slices to take home -- luckily the ones I wanted to try most were all available (and except for one, fresh) at the counter.
And the pizza is okay, but I wouldn't go further than that. I only felt real affection for one of four. The crust is a little bready, the (tomato) sauce is a little too sweet. The slice price was right -- I'd feel bad if I'd paid more. Service was friendly and earnest, and on their behalf I really wanted to like the place more than I did.
Good pizza. Cheap. Laid back. And really friendly service.
Thin crust, tasty and plentiful sauce sauce. Love that you can order by the slice. Had a unique slice with eggplant, yogurt, and cranberry raisins. And the owner (I think he was the owner) was super friendly.
Weird. How could I have not reviewed this place yet??
OK, so it's a bit .. simplistic in decor. I mean, for the most part, until recently most of the place wasn't even painted. And "minimalistic" could be a bit of an understatement. However.. who gives a damn!?
The pizza here is great. If you're like me and like different tastes then Zia's is you. Don't get me wrong, regular pizza is OK. But, personally, I think pizza with yogurt on it is pretty bitchin. "Frou frou"? Eh, well, call it what you will. I don't care. To me I love the fact that they're different tastes than 98% of other places out there, I think it's totally cool that the owner recognizes me even if I only go in once every month or two, and I really like the fact that he tries to make his stuff healthy.
And he serves PROPER Coke, imported from Mexico. Made with sugar. None of that high fructose corn syrup junk.
I can't say enough about the place. Yep--it's a bit hard to find. Yep--their operating hours are on the verge of being ridiculous (only 5 hours per day). Yep--the decor is nonexistent. But damn I love their pizza. Every single piece I've ever had there has been delicious!!
Im feeling pretty generous with these 5 stars Im giving to all these vegan influenced places, but what can i say? They are definitely well deserved.
Zia's is literally .5 miles from my house, so one night I decided to walk there on a whim. From the outside, Zia looks like a hole in a wall. Theres no real sign, nor arrows pointing to its location. Its pretty much a beige building, with green slapped on the outside. When you peer inside, there are booths, and tables, and a pizza kitchen in the back.
I remember when I first came across it, I thought it was some eleborate members only club.
The decor is minimal, but tastefully done in some sort of industrialist contemporary modern way.
Ok, so moving on to the pizza. The first time I was there, I ordered half Vegan pizza, and half Egg plant delight. The guy who took our order, was more than eager to help us make our choices, he suggested his own opinions, which we were eager to take.
It took only 25 minutes to make, and 5 minutes to eat it. After one bite, I was hooked. I felt like I was going to just eat till I explode. It didnt hold me down or slip me into a food coma. If anything, I was gently rocked in the arms of the pizza, as it coddled me.
2nd trip back, I bought it for my coworkers who were either Vegan or Pescatarian. And again, I could hear the ranting and raving about how wonderful the pizza was.
I will go back again and again. I dont think I could have any other pizza again.
Mmmmmmm, Papay, I can't stop thinking about this pizza.
Just got back from my annual trip to Comic Con and the trip would not have been complete without a visit to Zia's!
It has become a tradition on every trip to SD. The eggplant, yogurt, cranberry tomato pizza is phenomenal and is my personal favorite.
I discovered this place on a whim three years ago and keep coming back for more. Even less adventurous eaters have enjoyed Zia's pizza with rave reviews. A+
One word: "YUM." I've tried all the vegan and vegetarian pizzas and they are all good. It is such a delight to have the option of a really good vegan pizza. Exciting news for any pizza lover who is meatless/dairyless.
The crust is made of wheat and it is quite light and delicious. The owner and I discussed the possibility of creating a wheat-free, gluten-free crust. I think that he may create one -- given the popularity of wheatlessness in this town. I really appreciate the obvious thoughtfulness that goes into creating pizzas that can accommodate various dietary restrictions.
The rosemary potato and the spinach pizzas are my favorite. While enjoying meals with friends can be highly desirable, again, this restaurant demands that I eat my pizza in total silence so that I can focus on every single 'off the hook' bite.
Firstly, Khaled, the owner, the son of Mr. Zia, former owner of Zia's Afghan Cafe on 30th st.; an excellent place in its day, is a genuinely kind and loving person with strong standards in food and decor
Second, the restaurant is beautiful, the tile and art are both done by Khaled
Third, the pizza is delicious, the mixed whole grain crust is excellent, and the interesting and creative toppings a plus. The yogurt toping, which is Afghani, is excellent.
I find the tomato sauce a little acidic for my taste, but i suspect that may be the afghani style.
try one of the desert pizzas! honey pies!
I am a fan!
I cant say this is a good as it gets, bu i am defiantly a fan!!!
First i tried a slice of the potato pizza, which was really good! it had cream cheese, feta, garlic, mozzarella and rosemary potatoes!! Really different but not bad.
Then i ordered an 8 slices whole pizza. I got half eggplant and half cheesy with garlic.
OMG!
What a different hing for pizza??? Yogurt and cranberries?!? a VERY sweet pizza that was very good! i couldn't help bu take a bite right away and burned my mouth! lol I dont think i could eat more then one piece, it was very sweet. But seriously good pizza.
The cheesy with garlic! I highly recommend! Like i said before, no the best ive ever had, but I AM A FAN! There was cream cheese, feta and mozzarella on it. The cream cheese was a great addition! All pizza places should add that to their pizza!
THE CRUST!
Let me tell you about the crust. While i was ordering the very sweet girl who works there kept calling the pizza a PIE, and i think i know why! The crust was like (or was) pie crust!! It was sooo divine! I LOVE PIE CRUST and to put pizza on top of pie crust is such a cool idea! It was nice and crusty!
For a slice of pizza, a whole pizza (with an added garlic topping) and two drinks, the total was $22. Im not sure if thats a bit pricey or not, but id say it was worth it! I tried two new pizza flavors and totally enjoyed them!
If your in the mood for pizza but want something different go to ZIA! They have plenty of fun toppings and already made slices to try. They also have 3 Vegan pizzas to choose from which is very cool.
Also, i saw on the menu they had sweet pies, i asked about them and she told me they aren't quite ready yet but should be in about a month (i think they are still testing some combination) So ill be back in a month to try out a "banana split pizza!!!"
My parents, although having acclimated nicely to living in America, are stubbornly traditional when it comes to food. So I, loving to play the Devil's advocate, yelped this place to get a pizza fix for my birthday dinner after failing to get some on a recent trip to New York. I didn't tell them where we were going and I had fun watching them try to hide their uncomfortableness (whoa, no spell check on that one?) due to their unfamiliarity of the area.
We went in and the owner pegged us as having not been there before which, in my eyes, says a lot about him because my sister and I went back and I'm fairly certain he recognized us. He gave some advice, which we took, had some uncomfortable but amusing dialogue with my parents and proceeded to serve us some freaking delicious pie. I noticed a fair amount of vegetarian options which'll be good for the you meat-intolerant types out there and even if you aren't, you ought to give the Eggplant a try. The New Yorker was good, and although I don't have a frame of reference for a New York style pizza, I imagine that it's aptly named but I'd say the Eggplant was the better of the two.
As I'd mentioned, my sister and I went back for a slice and this time I chose the Roast Chicken (since I loves my poultry) and I have to say that that's my new favorite until another triangular piece of ingredient-topped wheat dough steals my heart as its trophy.
Obviously I'm a little late at reviewing this, based on the sheer number of rave reviews (98 at the time of this... a few months ago there were only like ten, lol..) but I have been coming here since the start and I'm here to tell you.... believe the hype. This place is a GEM of a restaurant.
By the way.... this place is not "under renovation," it's been like this ever since it opened about a year ago, lol. The reason is because the owner, Khaled, does everything himself. All the beautiful Byzantine tiles spread out on the floor... he laid them with his own hands.
We all know about New York and Chicago, but who'd have thought an Afghan immigrant to SD would be able to create such outstanding pizza? This place has got the winning combination.
Great place for a date, too, gentlemen. (if you're into eclectic, fun dates and not burning a hole in your wallet that is)
Two thumbs up!!
hi my name is Elena and I am a carbo-holic. I have been consuming mass amounts of carbs since I was a child. Potatoes, mac n cheese, pasta, and one of my favorites pizza. I try and stop but the urge for it just can't be tamed.
This has got to be the most amazing and flavorful pizza I have ever consumed. As someone who doesn't eat beef or pork I am always stuck with lame ass cheese but not here. Amen to turkey pastrami! I had the New Yorker and the potato. My boyfriend had the Carnivore and a slice of the sweet southern french. All I tasted and would have again in a hearbeat. He was as thouroughly impressed as I was. I mean there aren't words to describe how tasty this was.
This guy is seriously going to be sick of see my little carb craving face after the summer.
The guy at the fron who ever he is is very nice, helpful and welcoming. I always like to give my business to people who create out of their passion for something and offer a unique item so I will be happy to spread the word and the love for Zia.
Sorry, people - I am not a fan. I am so surprised by all the other rave reviews and wondering if I need to come back. I went for the Taste of Adams Avenue, tried two different pizzas and didn't want more than a bite of either. It was strange because the place smelled so good and I kind of liked the funky, minimalist atmosphere. I don't know how to describe it, but the pizza didn't taste so fresh and I think the crust really broke it for me. I am so surprised to see other reviews loving the crust!
Please write me and convince me to come back!
Wow. Just wow. When it comes to pizza this place has the most unique stuff I've ever tried and I'm down right jonesing for more! The Eggplant pizza has me addicted. I was more than a little skeptical but the first bite convinced me that this is right stuff to eat. Fresh, wholesome ingredients, and so very very delicious. I can't wait to go back!
For the curious, the Eggplant pizza featured: Whole wheat crust, Yummy melty cheese, eggplant slices, cranberries and yogurt sauce drizzled on top. Oh man. What a treat. Yes it does sound strange but do yourself a favor and go for it and I bet you'll be pleasantly surprised.
The owner was very kind and explained what was in each pizza before I made my choice, so bonus points for excellent service. They also toasted the pizza slice so it was nice and hot before serving us.
The only (and I mean only) draw back is that they are only open in the evenings. All told this place deserves 5 stars and then some.
Good pizza can be a spiritual experience. Some people are more of the revivalist evangelical pizza fan... all fire, brimstone, and rock music. I, on the other hand, am the stripped down, monk on the mountainside, pizza pilgrim. I want it broken down to the simplest, purest interaction of base ingredients. To me, Zia is of the former variety. Throw in the kitchen sink and see what sticks to your tongue. Now, I won't say that it's anywhere near bad pizza... It would just be a bit down on my list .
There are explosions of flavors, in a Zia pizza, that scream to the individual ingredients... Kind of like a baseball team full of high priced free agents that don't really get along and can't play together. Really good pizza uses few, simple, ingredients that blend in perfect unison... All ingredients working together like a fine Swiss watch.
Zia is all sound and fury, and that's just not my style. I want substance in my slice.
Walking up and down the street on Adam's, my wife and I hesitated a bit before entering this place. The locale surely didn't catch our attention. Before venturing in to Adams, we had looked it up on Yelp and we were fairly certain we wouldn't be disappointed. Nevertheless....
The guy behind the counter (perhaps Khaled) was kind enough to welcome us in. He was very quick to notice us hesitating to step in and said "C'mon in and don't be shy!". He gave us a quick overview of all his pies. Being vegetarians (not vegans), we had an option of 3-4 fresh baked pies. Like noted by many others here, the pizza is unique but delicious. It did feel good and light after our indulgence.
Here's a quick highlight: the wheat crust is simply stellar. Our favorite is the eggplant pizza. The cranberries were just enough to surprise us. The yogurt sauce (tzatziki/raita-like) was good, though we'd have preferred a little less of it.
The potato pizza is a close second - the rosemary potato tastes pretty good - I didn't quite have the wildest of ideas how this would taste, and this pie didn't let me down.
The papay (with spinach) was the one we started with and it did set great expectations. It was very mild and the spinach and cheese blended very well. I felt the wheat bran (perhaps?!) on the crust added to the flavor.
The garden salad was simple, yet fantastic. It had a fruity but spicy flavor and we thoroughly enjoyed it
The presentation is crisp and clean. The interiors are possibly going through a renovation/re-modeling, but we didn't quite care about it after we tasted the pie.
Overall, a great experience. As others have noted, this is not your regular pizza. Everything said, this place is surely a keeper in our list of casual dinner hangouts.
Cool! I just started Yelpin'.
LOVE IT! Full disclosure: I used to think mainstream commercial places like Papa John's were serious options when trying to decide which pizza joint to patronize. After eating a few times at Zia, I may never eat Papa John's or Dominos or Pizza Hut again. The crust is delicious. I started out slowly with the New Yorker, figuring turkey pastrami was closest to pepperoni. Now I'm addicted to the Eggplant and Sweet Southern French.
Also cool, they will let you build a pizza out of the slices available and charge you the regular price for a pizza instead of adding up 8 slice charges. It's nice for when you come in with a group and you want to try a bunch of different flavors.
In an ironic way, it's entirely fitting that this pizzeria is next to a yoga studio. The menu is chock-full of vegetarian and vegan options, with mediterranean, italian, french influences. I was a fan of the whole wheat crust -- crunchy and crispy even with the heavy ingredients.
I had a slice of the rosemary potato pizza, because of fond memories of a version in Rome. This had a unique flavor, but I would've preferred the potatoes to be thinly sliced. The "french" pizza with roasted chicken, carmelized pears, and walnuts had unique texture, mixing sweet and savory. For $3 a slice, it's a nice option in the Normal Heights 'hood.
I just discovered this place last Friday, on June 12. I was at Ye Ould Sod, and one of our companions there was hungry. So, she left us to get something to eat. She literally followed her nose to Zia Gourmet Pizza! She came back to the pub with a nice little box of pizza and it looked awesome! So, afterwards, we headed there ourselves.
Their pizza was fantastic! And, you can buy by the slice. I haven't had pizza that great in a long time. I mean, besides good old fashioned pizza like Bronx Pizza, this place has a different take on pizza and its well worth it.
Great job! And the owner was real nice and friendly to boot. Good customer service.
The pizza is just fantastic and Khaleed is a nice owner. He is an artist and a chef. My only complaints are the Pizza is usually not good the second day as the crust falls apart. This is due most likely to the whole wheat crust and all the ingrediants he puts on it. I still think the atmosphere could be better inside but other than that the Pizza is one of a kind and phenomenal.
I had a lot of expectations going into this place because of the reviews on yelp and also because of friend recommendations. I do have to give the owner some props since he was ultra nice and his recommendations were helpful. However, the pizza was just okay. It's just a bit frou frou for pizza. Kind of reminded me of California Pizza Kitchen...thus the "gourmet pizza" part of their store name I guess. However, though their pizza is interesting, I don't think it's the best thing I've ever had. I don't think I'd go back since pizza is not always my choice of food and the fact that the taste was just "ok" for me doesn't give me enough "ummphhh" to go back.
I finally made it to Zia Gourmet Pizza that I've been meaning to try for the past 2 years now and boy have I been missing out.
In college, my roommate and I shared a passion for wraps at a little place on the corner of El Cajon Boulevard and Montezuma Road near San Diego State. The place was Cafe Zia. The owner, Khaled, used fresh ingredients and low-fat proteins. Khaled is the nicest café owner I've ever come across.
I split three slices with someone and we were going to order two slices of Khaled's favorite eggplant and one slice of the New Yorker pizza (with the turkey-pastrami), he suggested we get three different kinds and convinced us to also try a garlic chicken. I've always enjoyed the suggestions Khaled has provided me with, but in this instance, we should have gotten all three slices of the eggplant pizza. That pizza was a little slice of heaven. I can't recall everything that was on the pizza, but the key components were eggplant, cranberries and a yogurt sauce (instead of tomato sauce).
Khaled does healthy pizza - well as healthy as you can get for pizza. He uses a whole-wheat, thin crust that also seemed to have had oats in it, which wasn't too filling like a lot of traditional pizza.
Zia Pizza is only open from 5-10pm, so make sure to stop by for a dinner slice. Drink options are limited (bottled cokes and water), but it appeared that you are able to bring in your own bottle of wine. Oh yeah, and you can buy by the slice or whole pizza. Both are pretty reasonably priced.
This plaze is AMAZING. Don't let any of the haters convince you otherwise. I guess if you're one of those people who needs to consume 1000 calories and 50 grams of fat in one sitting, you might want to go to Lefty's or the Bronx, but if you want a delicious slice of pizza made with the freshest ingrediants and chocked full of flavor, then go to Zia's.
I tried the New Yorker and the Roast Chicken, and they were both very delicious!!! I really like the unique ingredients, and I love the fact that the dough is made with whole wheat so you don't walk out of there feeling like a blimp. After all, I love to enjoy my food, but don't like all the guilt, and this place is GUILTLESS EATING which will also make you want to have an ORGASM! I also had the spinach salad and it was a very nice combination of tasty nuts, berries, and a delicious and unique yogurt dressing on top. YUM!
The only thing I don't like about the place is the ambiance, it's a construction zone in the works, and since the owner is doing all the work himself, it might be a whole longer before the place is "finished", but as long as you can look past that, you will be enjoying the freshest, most unique pizza experiences ever.
+1 for the fact that they sell Coke from Mexico by the bottle there. :)
Another great place I can walk to. So happy to have pizza choices other than Di Mille's and Mama Mia.
All the pizza flavors are great and It's really great that as a vegetarian I can walk in and have at least 4 choices for a slice.
Khaled is very serious about his craft and he's pretty stinkin' cute too. That sure doesn't hurt.
A few reasons for only 4 and not 5 stars:
#1 I never eat in because it's just not that comfortable a space and in summer it's about 1000 degrees.
#2 Although delicious, the pizza is waaay too salty. I love salty, but after eating here I don't pee for three days and I have to pull out the fat pants.
#3 I hate to hold a grudge, but after he bought the space, he let it go to crap and he used it to store equipment from his other restaurant for a full year before finally opening. It was a blight for too long.
None the less I will be back and I am pleased he is doing well.
Even though they were going through a renovation, the owner was so accommodating. The "New Yorker" and "The Eggplant" was SOOO good. I was iffy about having yogurt sauce on The Eggplant, but surprisingly it was REALLY good. I will definitely go back here. YUM!
The wife was not that impressed but I really enjoyed the fancy pizzas. I must agree with the other reviewers that the wheat crust is really good. The toppings also make for a great pizza. They don't use a lot of cheese (good for those like me who are intolerant of lactose) and supplement it with more toppings. I must admit that using nuts as a topping adds to the pizza.
The insides are pretty bare. Some nice tables and chairs along with two pianos. But don't go for the decorum go for the pizza and take it home.
I've said it before and I'll say it again... I swear I am easy to please! Creative, thoughtful or just plain delicious food combined with NICE, kind service is all I care about! Zia Gourmet Pizza has it all! I am so glad we just had a girls night there! Not only were the salads and pizzas fresh and delicious but the service was amazing and it was made very clear that they cared about our experience! Oh, and to top it all off, it's extremely affordable... I can't wait to come back!!!
Very Unique. Crust is not heavy at all and the toppings are delicious.
Owner is very friendly.
I hope they get a liquor license soon !
This place is unique for sure.. the ingredients are nothing that you would ever think of putting on pizza; potatoes, cranberries, yogurt.. Nothing like you would expect. Since we had a big group we were able to try almost every pizza there.
It was good, but not my style.. tasted too healthy. Whole wheat crust, no substantial meats, mostly veggies and fruits. I think there was some sort of turkey sausage or something. If you're into salads and watching your weight it's perfect! It wasn't for a carnivore like myself, but I'm convinced it put a few years back on my life.
The owner is super cool and friendly, makes you feel at home and explains everything.
Verdict:
1. Interesting and worth giving it a try since you won't fine anything like it around.
2. there are some dessert pizzas in the works, they are not available as he has not perfected them yet. I'll be back to try those too..
I'm going to start by saying that this area of San Diego is becoming my favorite place to look for food.
Zia Gourmet Pizza is wonderful. I got a split pizza with The New Yorker and The Eggplant. Both were layers upon layers of flavor.
The sauce on the new yorker was amazing. Unlike any other red pizza sauce I have tasted. I would be willing to eat the sauce alone on some pasta if I could. Slightly sweeter than your average sauce, I could actually taste the tomato and herbs used. The toppings balanced out the slightly sweet sauce and it just all came together perfectly.
Again, with the Eggplant, I haven't ever had anything like it. The cranberries really make it pop. The yogurt sauce on top makes it one of my favorite pizzas of all time because I love a good yogurt sauce. I was so full but I kept eating because it was fantastic.
To top it all off the crust on the pizzas was able to hold the weight of the toppings by itself and was very tasty. One thing I loathe is having to hold a slice of pizza with two hands because the end of the pizza hangs like a limp, wet, towel.
If the New Yorker and the Eggplant were all they served here I would still come back. But after tasting these two and then looking at the menu I can't wait to go back. It's easy to see that a lot of thought, heart, and work went into making these pies the very best.
I need to preface this review with the following: I only eat pizza to appease those around me and given the choice, would prefer anything (other than Greek food) to a round piece of dough with a bunch of crap dumped on top.
That being said, I love Zia's. I have forced their pizza down the throats of multiple out-of-town visitors. Their ingredients are fresh (and TASTE fresh), their pizza choices unique and tasty, and they have great salads. Their little restaurant is cute and cozy, and the service is friendly. I can eat a slice of their pizza and not feel compelled to go to confession (and I'm not Catholic), or head off for a 5-mile run.
Please, say "no" to all the crappy, greasy pizzas out their and say "yes" to Zia's. Please.
My friend and I went to Zia Pizza after going to Cafe Zia several times. If you want unique gourmet pizza, this is the place to go. Like everyone else says, Khaled, the owner, is awesome.
The whole wheat crust is delicious. It's thin and sweet. I love the Eggplant pizza and the Southern French pie with pears.. These pizzas aren't loaded with lots of pasta sauce and cheese. They are loaded with fresh ingredients and yum yum yumminess. You order by the slice which is great but they don't have all the choices available at times!
This is fancy unique pizza and the ambience is just that as well. Artsy fartsy lovely.
Buy one get one FREE
Neighborhood: Gaslamp
Catering starts at $5/person
Neighborhood: Linda Vista
Neighborhood: North Park
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: North Park
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: Rolando
Category: American (New)
San Diego, CA
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: Normal Heights
Category: Pizza
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My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
