The wood-fired pizza oven at Build bakes pizzas in a matter of minutes. All photos: Emilie Raguso
Come along with Nosh as we explore East Bay restaurants in photographs. This week we focus on Build Pizzeria Roma, at 2286 Shattuck Ave., in Berkeley. The creative toppings, stylish interior and attentive service made this a place we’d love to visit again. If you’ve tried the spots we feature, please let us know about your experience in the comments below. (Photos by Emilie Raguso.)
The restaurant is spacious but reservations are always good for groups.The Bitter Old Man, served here on the ice ball. Build gets huge blocks of ice once a month, then cuts them down with saws and, finally, hand-shapes them. According to bar staff, spirits-driven drinks work best in this manner. The ice ball costs $1.50 extra, and certainly adds some visual drama to the table.Tossing pizza dough behind the counter at Build.A customer watches as her pie comes together.Build staffers work together to assemble customer-driven creations.Build serves hand-crafted pizza: your way.The restaurant has plenty of room for groups, and was packed on the Friday night we ate there.The Build bar includes about 40 different ingredients, including different types of meats, cheeses and vegetables.The Tartufo pizza is one of the restaurant’s few set options. It has a bianca foundation that features house-made garlic butter, olive oil, wild dried oregano, sea salt and mozzarella, and is topped with mozzarella and roasted mushrooms. It’s finished with baby arugula and Il Foreto truffle pecorino and truffel oil ($14.95).We made this ourselves.This was the Build salad, which may no longer be available, but was a “do it yourself” option to which you could add any number of ingredients. The menu now offers four salads: mista, caesar, spinach and caprese. Prices range from $6.95 to $9.95.The classic Italian butterscotch budino dessert – topped with mascarpone cream and sea salt ($8.95) — a perfect end to the night.Build also offers Straus Family Farms organic ice cream in chocolate, vanilla or swirl options.The stylish bar at Build.Fresh ingredients are key components of the cocktail menu.The wood-fired pizza oven at Build.Build has created a lively corner at Bancroft Way and Shattuck Avenue.
The restaurant invited Nosh to try its offerings with a complimentary meal for two.
Emilie Raguso (former senior editor, news) joined Berkeleyside in 2012 and covered politics, public safety and development until her departure in 2022. In 2017, Emilie was named Journalist...
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