Opinion: Concord’s Pizza Scene Is in a “Sad State.” Here Are 4 Places Worth Visiting.

By Richard Eber

CONCORD, CALIFORNIA – As usual, I stuck my foot in my mouth commenting on Nextdoor about the sad state of pizza where I reside in the city of Concord.

The posting elicited many responses, pro and con, on the subject of finding this high-quality delicacy close to home.

If we subtract Rocco’s and Pizzalina, on the other side of the Walnut Creek border, plus DeVino’s along with Melo’s in Pleasant Hill, decent pizza is on the endangered species list near me.

Only Strictly To Go Pizzeria on 4702 Clayton Road comes up to my standards of excellence in Contra Costa’s largest city.

What Makes for Good (and Bad) Pizza, Anyway?

As it is not my policy to criticize restaurants that come short of my expectations, I prefer to discuss the attributes that comprise this mainstay of American life. When venturing out for pizza, it is important to me to consume a product that is much superior to Papa Murphy’s, Safeway Signature, or Costco–Sam’s Club offerings.

This entails:

Crust: The normal ingredients of flour, yeast, salt, oil, sugar, and water can be enhanced. Use of Italian “00” flour, yeast, and decent olive oil is recommended. Allowing several hours for the curing process creates the foundation of quality pizza.

Cheese: Low-moisture whole milk mozzarella is a must. It is best to prepare it from whole blocks rather than using less tasty pre-shredded cheese in bags. Other types of cheese that are important components of quality include feta, provolone, Gorgonzola, white cheddar, parmesan, etc. Achieving the best balance of these ingredients is the task of an experienced chef.

Meats and Toppings: This is one area where most local pizza kitchens fail. Pepperoni and smoked meats cut thin to Gillette standards are not the answer. They tend to make the pie greasy and lacking substance.

Trying to cut costs using low-end meats is a red flag in the pizza world. When it comes to veggies, they must be fresh and create more flavor. This means using Mediterranean black olives, decent mushrooms (not tasteless white ones), artichoke hearts, whole garlic, onions, and peppers. I also like fresh arugula and basil to top the pie after it emerges from the oven.

Red Sauce: Perhaps the most important component of a good pizza is arguably the most abused aspect by local restaurants. Most places use canned sauce sourced from food service companies.

Locally, one big bulk distributor’s label is considered the standard for most red, pesto, and Alfredo sauces. They tend to make one nostalgic for the creations of Chef Boyardee. The best red sauces for pizza come from blending costly San Marzano tomatoes, cloves of garlic, olive oil, and selected spices. If the end product is not up to par, drowning the pizza in sauce tends to make it soupy and less appetizing.

Volume of Toppings: Often, size doesn’t matter. In actuality, the template of pizza served in Italy consists of quality ingredients, enabling every bite to be savored. The best local business exhibiting these qualities was the now-closed Free Wheel Pizza in Clayton.

With this criteria in mind, below can be found the best places I frequent that meet my taste profile. There are several non-franchise restaurants I have not tried, but no one article can cover every worthy establishment.

The Best Spots for Pizza in Concord and Nearby

Strictly To Go Pizza, 4702 Clayton Road, Concord. This hidden gem, which lacks a sitting area to devour their excellent product, continues to surprise us with its high-quality pizza. Having served customers for over 40 years, what makes this business so special?

Owner Chris Kolve, who was educated at the HRC Culinary Academy in Sofia, Bulgaria, prepares everything from scratch. He makes red sauce from whole tomatoes, olive oil, and spices. This is combined with an array of seven different meat toppings he prepares each week. Molinari and Columbus fill in the rest of this category.

Edwardo Gomez has been making thin, yet soft-on-the-inside crust for Strictly To Go since 1982. All of this results in the best pizza in Concord.

Outside of the city limits, I like:

Rocco’s Restaurant Pizzeria, 2809 Ygnasio Valley Rd., Walnut Creek. This is my favorite (non–white tablecloth) Italian restaurant in the area.

For years, I have enjoyed their Caesar salad with extra anchovies, linguini with clams, and, of course, their pizza. Rocco’s appeals to families, date nights, and large parties in a festive atmosphere, including a full bar. They don’t accept coupons, but their daily specials more than make up for this omission. Rocco’s recently celebrated their 25th anniversary.

Pizzalina, 2064 Treat Blvd., Walnut Creek. When opening a couple of years ago, they had big shoes to fill replacing Sorrento’s, which occupied the spot for over 60 years. Mike and Jacque Baker have been up to the task with their tap room and high-quality pizza. I am especially fond of their tavern-style square dish made with Napoli tomato sauce and sausage prepared in-house.

The restaurant, which also features homemade pasta along with mainstay meatballs, gnocchi, rigatoni with vodka sauce, etc., is a popular locale, especially on weekends. Hopefully, the Bakers, who also own an Italian restaurant in Marin, will be able to maintain their current standards of excellence in the future.

DeVino’s Pizza & Pasta, 2221 Morello Ave., Pleasant Hill. Since 1993, Dave Sharretts, who learned the trade working at Melo’s, has been providing crowd-pleasing cuisine for his loyal customer base. They are best known for thin-crust New York–style pizza made with high-gluten flour. I am especially fond of their Hawaiian style (Canadian bacon and pineapple) and their Pizza Verde with pesto, pancetta, and fresh tomatoes.

DeVino’s offers above-average salad and pasta selections. They also have economically priced lunch specials that give customers a 10-inch pizza with three toppings and a soft drink for $15.00.

Melo’s Pizza & Pasta, 1660 Contra Costa Blvd., Pleasant Hill. Melo’s reminds me of a good friend whom I haven’t seen in a long time. Upon entering the premises, the alluring smell of Italian cuisine fills the air. Over the years, I find myself returning to this restaurant to enjoy their great pizza. It has stood out as being one of the best in the region for over half a century.

Family-owned Melo’s, with four branches from Brentwood to Livermore, offers a complete Italian menu of appetizers, pasta, pizza, and salads. I have never encountered a bad meal there and will no doubt return at a future date.

And so it goes with this voyage through my pizza world.

Disagreeing with these assessments is guaranteed under free speech provisions of the U.S. Constitution and Nextdoor, but such is life in the fast lane for those of us who review restaurants.

Get all of Richard’s food reviews. Join our free 925 News Newsletter.