Pizzeria Delfina is one of the few high-end pizzerias in San Francisco open for lunch. I took advantage of this yesterday, where only few were dining and got a nice sidewalk table. Right away, we were served a few snack-able breadsticks from La Cocina Community Kitchen. In short order, our pizzas arrived and my Pizza Margherita was one of the best pizzas I've had in the Bay Area. I'm impressed when a pizza can be wet, yet the crust done just right where you can hold a slice of it steadily. A very artfully balanced pie. Bonus: photo of me taking the above photo. Pizzeria Delfina 3611 18th St San Francisco, CA 94110 415-437-6800

With only one style of pizza per day, Arizmendi Bakery sometimes draws a line out the door -- even in rain such as when I visited there this last weekend. The sign posted outside read "Early Girl tomatoes, balsamic vinaigrette with parsley and parmesan cheese." While about half of the line were there for other baked goods, half were there for slices or taking whole pizzas home. A banner, "make loaves, not war" hangs over the kitchen. I made a rookie mistake: they do not take credit cards and the three bucks in my pocket wasn't going to cut it. I was close, however: for two slices it's only five dollars -- tax included. There's only about eight places to sit down, so you make friends quickly if you're looking for a seat. On the slices I ordered, the sourdough crust had a crisp edge to it but very chewy. The whole thing was on the sweet side of things, and the almost-juicy flavor of the tomatoes certainly popped out. It felt like eating a treat, but wasn't as sweet as a dessert pizza. Two slices was certainly enough for me -- a steal for five bucks. Regardless with how honest I was with myself, I left feeling I had just ate something healthy. How often does pizza make you feel this way? Arizmendi Bakery 1331 9th Ave San Francisco, CA 94122 415-566-3117