Cugini - Berkeley, CA

Cugini remains authentic to its roots; serving only family recipes accompanied by chefs specials. Customers from all over the Bay Area come for the pizzas alone and swear that these pies are the closest thing to pizza a la Italy. Cugini's wood fired oven heats up to 700 degrees and burns evenly thanks to the oak and almond wood. The ingredients are the best, featuring seasonal vegetables and handmade sausages; the dough is house-made and allowed to rise slowly over the course of the day.

Cugini first opened its doors in 1996 thanks to a family collaboration between cousins, and hence the Italian translation: cugini.