Zero Zero - Pizza, San Francisco

826 Folsom St, San Francisco CA 94107
(415) 348-8800
Parking: street parking
http://zerozerosf.com
Hours: Mon-Thurs, Sun 11:30am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-11pm

Last Visited: December 23, 2012

Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 4 stars
Price: $$$ to $$$$

Fellow foodie, Yuwen, recommended Zero Zero heartily, and since a number of people I know have talked about it too with high praise, I have to admit, I had high expectations for Zero Zero.  We arrived a little before their opening time, but because it was pouring rain, the hostess was kind enough to let us in before the official opening time and we sat at the bar with another early couple to dry off.  It's an interesting setting with a bar when you enter, an open kitchen, and dining areas both upstairs and downstairs.

Zero Zero is well known for its pizza.  On weekends, they offer brunch items like Tuna Genovese (somewhat like a nicoise salad), Duck with Pancetta, and Roman Style Dumplings.

- Fillmore - Hen of the woods mushrooms, leeks, mozzarella, parmesan, pecorino, fontina, garlic, thyme - The crispy crust had a little bit of burnt crust, but not too bad compared to some of the photos I had seen before.  The mushrooms were flavorful and the blend of ingredients were very good together - not too strong and very cheesy.  The crust stayed crispy through most of the meal, and since we ordered another dish, I had leftovers. Very enjoyable - the pizza carried the four stars for Zero Zero. $16.95

- Skillet Fried Chicken Thighs with Semolina Waffle - Chestnut honey butter, bacon, and maple syrup - The chicken thighs were good - you could tell that the batter was well-seasoned, but frankly, I think I prefer the chicken at some of the fast food restaurants more.  I also liked the bacon, but wouldn't have minded it being a little more crispy.  The waffles were really crisp and golden, and the honey butter tasted really good.  The maple syrup was light and I wouldn't have minded having some more on the side.  I would have given the chicken and bacon a 3 star rating and the waffles a 4 star rating.  $12.75

- Soft Serve Caramel (Half) - The dessert menu is really enticing, offering a choice of ice cream, base (doughnuts, bread pudding, warm chocolate cake), toppings (caramel, candied coacoa nibs, hazelnut streusel), and specialty toppings (hot fudge, olive oil and sea salt, peppermint bark, bacon brittle, and more) offered separately so you can build just the perfect blend for your tastes.  You can also get plated desserts.  I was very excited to find out that they offered a half serving of soft serve (this isn't listed on the menu).  Since Yuwen highly recommended the caramel as one of the best she has enjoyed, I couldn't walk away without ordering it.  The soft serve is made with a Strauss Creamery base and definitely tastes smooth with the vanilla being ever so lovely in each bite.  I found the caramel to be a bit grainy - I don't know if this is normal, but the texture tasted a little weird.  Yuwen suggested asking for toppings on the side (you tend to get a tad more than if it's poured on for you).  Gotta love the half serving.  $3.50

San Francisco Surcharge here was $1 for two people.  Overall, I thought the pizza was very good and had great flavor.  There is room for improvement, but I was pretty happy with the experience. In 2013, it looks like prices have gone up by about $1 for the pizzas and the pizza ingredients have changed slightly (parmesan has switched out for grana padano).

While I enjoyed my meal, I had a bad experience when I left, which had nothing to do with the restaurant.  My vehicle had its hubcaps stolen from it in broad daylight.  My recommendation if you want to try this place is to park in a lot or to take public transit.  The area didn't have any signs of people whom looked like they were lingering in the area, but I know I had the hubcaps when I got there and when I got back, they were gone and I was only a few blocks away.