New Berkeley restaurant Sliver opened its doors today on Center Street, proving that pizza joints never go out of fashion — as long as they prove their mettle, of course. The new spot comes hot on the heels of Kensington pizzeria Benchmark, which opened last summer, and will be followed by the arrival of Jules Thin Crust pizzeria in Rockridge in March, and a new flagship restaurant now to be called Build, that will focus on Roman-style pizza slated to open on Shattuck this year.
Three former Cheese Board alums — Guillermo Willy Perez, Artemio Maldonado and Dwight Ferron — have put their hearts and souls into the new venture, and Sabá Ali is the general manager.
As tipped in Shop Talk, the restaurant takes over the space formerly occupied by Sportivo. The pizza of the day on opening day: wild mushrooms, onions and French goat cheese, with garlic, olives and fresh herbs. The salad was organic mixed greens with Romanitas, red bell peppers and red wine vinaigrette.
But there’s more than just food on the minds of the owners. The restaurant aims to give a percentage of its profits to various organizations working to end human trafficking. Every month, Sliver will host a presentation and awareness day on human trafficking with guest speakers and videos from people who are out in the field. In addition, monthly art exhibits will feature local Bay Area artists.
The front window advertises the mission statement: “To use the freshest and finest quality ingredients on our pizza as a means of promoting human health and empowering the fight against human trafficking around the world.”
Sliver is at 2132 Center St. Open from 11am-3pm for lunch and 4pm-9pm for dinner. The bar is open 11am-9pm with live music nightly.
Related:
Thin-crust pizza restaurant to open in Rockridge [01.10.13]
Benchmark: Wood-fired pizza comes to Kensington [12.11.12]
New Roman-style pizzeria to open in downtown Berkeley [11.16.12]
The best pizza in Berkeley? Our readers have decided [06.10.11]
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