My husband and I have been enjoying Vito’s pizza (from the White Rd. location) for a decade or so now. Having lived in New York, and New Haven before that (the other great pizza capital of the country), we’ve had some great pies in our life. We’ve also had pizza in Italy, although that’s a whole different critter.

In our opinion, Vito’s makes the most satisfying New York style pizza we’ve found in the Bay area. Their crust is properly made with high gluten flour, which makes it chewy and crispy instead of bread-y. The inch or so of crust showing outside the toppings is nicely risen with a good crunch to it, but still tender and chewy. Under the toppings the dough is properly thin but not soggy. The sauce is delicious, with a strong tomato flavor and plenty of oregano. It tastes like homemade sauce that has been cooked down for hours, sweetening the tomatoes. We always ask for extra sauce, because for our taste the sauce is just a bit skimpy otherwise.

There’s not a big selection of toppings, and they are pretty traditional – no artichokes, just the basics. Being vegetarian, I can’t speak for the meat toppings. But the plain cheese pizza is just so perfect that toppings are almost superfluous anyway.

The staff are friendly and make you feel welcome, although even their demeanor is more New York style than Californian. After a few visits, though, they’ll treat you like family. When we first started going there, it was still run by Vito. He has since passed on, but we are sure he is still proud of the pizzas they are turning out today.

The decor is old-school, with leatherette seats at the booths and sports playing on the big screen. Don’t expect romantic lighting or tablecloths, but it’s fun just to relax, get a pitcher and eat big slices with stringy cheese right off the pan in the center of the table. Or get your pizza to go – if you ask, they will even half-cook it for you and not slice it, so you can reheat it at home. But it’s not about the atmosphere anyway, it’s about the great pizza!

My husband and I have been enjoying Vito’s pizza (from the White Rd. location) for a decade or so now. Having lived in New York, and New Haven before that (the other great pizza capital of the country), we’ve had some great pies in our life. We’ve also had pizza in Italy, although that’s a whole different critter.

In our opinion, Vito’s makes the most satisfying New York style pizza we’ve found in the Bay area. Their crust is properly made with high gluten flour, which makes it chewy and crispy instead of bread-y. The inch or so of crust showing outside the toppings is nicely risen with a good crunch to it, but still tender and chewy. Under the toppings the dough is properly thin but not soggy. The sauce is delicious, with a strong tomato flavor and plenty of oregano. It tastes like homemade sauce that has been cooked down for hours, sweetening the tomatoes. We always ask for extra sauce, because for our taste the sauce is just a bit skimpy otherwise.

There’s not a big selection of toppings, and they are pretty traditional – no artichokes, just the basics. Being vegetarian, I can’t speak for the meat toppings. But the plain cheese pizza is just so perfect that toppings are almost superfluous anyway.

The staff are friendly and make you feel welcome, although even their demeanor is more New York style than Californian. After a few visits, though, they’ll treat you like family. When we first started going there, it was still run by Vito. He has since passed on, but we are sure he is still proud of the pizzas they are turning out today.

The decor is old-school, with leatherette seats at the booths and sports playing on the big screen. Don’t expect romantic lighting or tablecloths, but it’s fun just to relax, get a pitcher and eat big slices with stringy cheese right off the pan in the center of the table. Or get your pizza to go – if you ask, they will even half-cook it for you and not slice it, so you can reheat it at home. But it’s not about the atmosphere anyway, it’s about the great pizza!