After the loss of the beloved California Pizza Kitchen just over a year and a half ago, a new pizza restaurant has arrived in the Town Center. Marin Pizza, an independently-owned restaurant, has opened for business directly across from Blue Barn and Starbucks.
After opening their doors on March 23, Marin Pizza has quickly become the newest exciting spot for pizza lovers in Marin. The beautiful, inviting exterior is hard to miss, with a large outdoor seating area big enough to fit a party upwards of 20 diners. Rustic tables line the patio, accompanied by matching metal chairs and silverware. Once inside, the high ceilings, with brown beams and low lighting, create a tranquil ambiance. With both high bar stools and comfortable booths, the interior seating options add to the friendly environment that is ideal for everyone. The restaurant attracts all ages, from a fun build-your-own pizza option to a sleek wooden bar with wine and beer on tap for the adults.
What really keeps everyone entertained are the seven flat screen TVs that line the brick walls, which can be viewed from any seat in the restaurant. On top of playing nightly sports games, the restaurant displays its individuality with a constant feed of action-packed GoPro footage from adventures and stunts around the world.
The menu is filled with dozens of classic pizza recipes which can be nicely paired with the restaurant’s two green salads, the Marin House Salad and the Classic Chicken Caesar. Everything in the house is “farm fresh,” a pledge to use only organic, all-natural ingredients.
The best deal in the house is the build-your-own pizza, priced at $10.95, with a gluten free option for an extra $2. When walking through the door, the employees immediately greet the customer with a friendly hello. The journey begins at the start of a Subway-like food assembly line. The employees prepare a 10-inch pizza dough and walk down the line as they assemble your meal. From the tomato sauce, to the cheese, to a variety of 20 toppings, the choices for your pizza are endless. Once completed, the pizzas are put in the oven for a quick two minutes. The whole process is very efficient, lasting less than ten minutes from start to finish. Once the delicious pizza came out, it was everything I could have wished for, from the soft crust to the melted cheese. It blended smoothly with my toppings of chicken and crispy bacon. To top off the mouth-watering pizza is a small Three Twins ice cream mini-fridge, filled with a variety of mini cups and ice cream sandwiches. If that is not enough to satisfy your cravings, the restaurant also offers house-made cookies which are a perfect post-pizza dessert.
Not only does the taste of the pizza and proximity to Redwood offer a great quick lunch for students, it’s also an optimal gig for a part time job. Senior Mari McMullen was recently hired as an employee at Marin Pizza.
“It’s a super friendly environment. A cool aspect is the farm to table initiative and the sustainable farm fresh product, especially because I am in sustainable agriculture,” McMullen said.
At 10 inches, the pizza is the ideal portion size for a single person; it’s just the right amount of food to fill you up, but not stuff you to the brim. Overall, with its unlimited toppings and soft crust, on top of the close proximity to Redwood and convenient price, the pizza was terrific. It all blended together to make each bite better than the last.
