Jupiter

I don’t go out for pizza often. I’m not sure why that is – I mean, I love pizza. But in any case, when I do find myself at a pizzeria, my expectations are high, probably from pizza deprivation.

Downtown Berkeley’s Jupiter isn’t strictly a pizza joint; it’s a brewery too, and a lively one at that. When I visited on a Saturday evening, my dining group and I were seated at their beautiful outdoor patio, right by the live band. If you can get over needing to occasionally yell to be heard over the music, sit outdoors. It’s lovely.

But on to the pizza. (I had a great Caesar salad too, but let’s be real. It’s all about the pizza.) Jupiter’s pizzas are named after Greek gods, and I had the Triton. The Triton includes Sicilian sausage, sweet onions, basil, mozzarella, and marinara sauce, served on a honey wheat crust baked in a brick oven. The crust may have been on the thicker side, but it was deliciously chewy and helped mop up all the savory marinara. I only wish my pizza had less onion, but I was too distracted by all my other favorite toppings to really complain.

Jupiter gets packed so go early or be prepared to wait for a table. It’s popular with the college crowd, the family crowd, and the pizza-loving crowd, which is basically all of Berkeley, so be prepared. Maybe you can use your waiting time to think about why you don’t eat pizza more often. I know I did.