I forgot about Golden Boy - yeah, theirs isn't too bad! Front Room pies used to rock my world - but it's been many years since I've been to one. (The one that was near Laguna Honda [long gone now] was my favorite place to take other pizza cynics w/o any preface. I would justify going there by saying I got a discount for knowing the staff [which normally guarantees crummy food piled high, right?] - and then just wait for their reaction of surprise.)

SF is just lousy with mediocre pies. The standard California practice of just piling on more stuff (you name it - burger, burrito, pizza - if it's street food, we have to doll it up...) in the hope of creating some flavor is just sad. If we made pies like we prepared, say, sourdough or grilled fish [that is, simply], we'd probably do OK.

Speaking heretically here, Chicago & Providence seemed to be the only places with pizza reputations that AREN'T ridiculously overrated. (For example, for the serious drop in flavor between fresh & reheated slices in NYC, you may as well be defending Krispy Kremes. [Yes, I tried John's...and Ray's...and a number of other ostensively 'best' places - next trip, I'm trying more of Brooklyn's pies....] And Italy? A different thing entirely - it would be like comparing Mission-style burritos to...pretty much anything in Mexico [or burritos anywhere else in the US].)

I have found it much easier to stick to cuisines that we can do well - then, in the occasional desperate state for pizza, that typical SF slice goes down a lot easier.

I went to Golden Boy last weekend. It was OK, nothing worth a special visit. Nice divey atmosphere, though.

Still searching for a replacement to Papadoro's... I am now going through all of the menus that have been stuck on my door and trying new places at random.

Last night I tried Verona (at 30th st. and Church). Pie was a little too cool upon delivery. It took 40 min on a Weds night. A little expensive-- $18 for a 14" with 3 items. Sauce reasonably good. Cheese unexceptional. Crust very tough and hard to chew. Oh, and the driver "didn't have any change."

#1 Georgio's (3rd Ave/Clement)
#2 Front Room (California/Hyde)
#3 Cable Car Pizza
#4 North Beach Pizza

For slices, I like Nizario's at Geary and 2nd or Za at Hyde/Union.

Best New York pizza in SF, as others have noted, is Arinell's. They have a store in Berkeley, too. I have yet to try Tomatso's in North Beach, but I have heard it compared to John's of Bleecker Street.

Arnell's is a Valencia and 16th. That's pretty good stuff. Get off the BART at 16th and Mission, its a few blocks west and a quarter block south.

My bad -- fruit cake!!

;)