VinDivine

PRO: They sell it by the slice, good if you’re in a hurry
CON: One slice is about all you’d want, and they don’t serve beer

Yeah, you know. We’re always on the hunt for killer thin crust ‘za. VdV is insatiable in our quest to find the best pies and slices out there. And some nay sayers would say we’re pizza snobs. Well, we don’t wanna clog our precious arteries with anything but the best.

So we’d heard tons about the wicked-good slices at Arinell’s. “Yo, bro ya want real NY pizza in SF ya gotta try Arinell’s, bro” and all that. Well, bro, maybe ya wanna actually go to NY, try Ray’s, Original Ray’s, Sbarro or just about any other corner pizza joint and Shut Your Pie Hole.

Sorry, there was no need to get all in your face. ‘Cuz you, dear reader, didn’t even talk up Arinell’s in the first
place. Some other wanker did. I think his name was Alex, now that I think of it…I mean, we’re not even talking about comparing a by-the-slice place with the upper echelon of pizza establishments like Lombardi’s or John’s on Bleeker or any other of the dozens of joints (or Tony’s or Pizza Nostra in SF).  OK, I think I’ve framed the review well enough at this point, so let’s commence reviewing:

I’d walked by this place about a zillion times and as much as I like holes-in-the-wall, just kept on walking right by. But
when I went on the Arinell’s hunt, I realized that was the place. Classic stop-in-grab-a-slice-and-go. Love it. There’s some decent places like this all over town. They have the base pie made, then add your toppings, throw it in the oven for  a few and voila, it’s pizza. But I’d heard on more than one occasion that Arinell’s
was different and ‘da bomb.

So I make like all the other folks in the hood, pull my skull cap down a  little low, throw up my hoodie, make sure at least one
tattoo is showing, and approach the little counter and pizza window and bark out an order for a plain slice. Cool, friendly dude behind the counter happily obliges. This little place is a pizza joint. And I mean that in a good way. Down and dirty, kittens!

Small place, room for about 6-7 bar stools facing either wall and that is that. Basic menu posted on a old wooden sign on one wall and a sign on the other wall stating they never use MSG, sugar or even salt  (except for in the dough leavening process). I do like the scene. 

Well, the ‘za came up in a jiffy, served on paper. First, it was a generous slice of pie. About a 1/4 of an entire medium pie. And it didn’t have grease that soaked the entire piece of paper, it was actually pretty dry. Prolly ‘cuz I didn’t add pepperoni.  And it only cost $2.75, which I thought was awesome. But at first glance, I could already tell ya the verdict though. And no, I am NOT being a snob! It looked like any other slab of semi-thin crust you’d get at just about any other pizza joint anywhere.

Then, the bite. The crust was too chewy for only being 1/8″ thick, and had a slightly stale and flavorless taste (can you have a flavorless taste?).  The sauce and cheese, you ask? Hmmm. Really, ‘OK’ is about all I can muster up. Nothing special. No ‘bada bing’. So in addition to looking and smelling like an average pizza joint pie, it tasted like any other average pizza joint pie.

So bottom line, if you’re in the hood with the munchies and hankerin’ for a slice, go for it. Or if you’re in the hood, shitfaced drunk and need some soakage, mange! Or if you can eat carbohydrates with sheer abandon and not pack on a single ounce, enjoy. Or if you really don’t know great NY pizza, knock yourself out – ignorance can be bliss! OK, that was snobby. Hint: maybe try adding pepperoni or something, maybe that would give it the zing it needs.

Oh yeah, cash only, bitches! But at $2.75 hopefully that won’t put the big hurt on your wallet. And if it does there’s an ATM
right out front.

VdV Rating: 2

Hours:
Mon-wed 11:30a-10p
Thus-Sat 11:30a-12a
Sun 1:30p-10p

Arinell Pizza
509 Valencia (betw. 16th & 17th)
San Francisco, CA
(415) 255-1303

PIZZA!