At its core, pizza is three items: cheese, sauce, and dough. Most places in SF do a good job with the cheese and the sauce. After all, we live in California, getting quality cheese isn’t difficult. And, good tomato sauce is pretty easy to find. Even the finest pizzerias in NYC or New Jersey use tomato sauce made from tomatoes that were picked and packed in California’s Central Valley.
Where most joints fail – and where Déjà Vu EXCELS – is in their dough. Déjà Vu’s dough tastes like something you would want to eat, like fresh from the oven breadsticks, and not something you want to leave on your plate. (You know how a lot of people leave the crust behind? I’ve never been that kind of an eater – I’m definitely a founding member of the clean plate club – but I can’t blame folks when it comes to most pizza slices in SF. A lot of them have lousy dough that results in a crappy crust not worth eating.)
Good dough should have a certain chewiness, an inherent elasticity that comes from the gluten in the flour. If your pizza crust is “powdery” and flavorless, it’s just not the way it should be. Arinell’s makes dough like this – no “toothiness”, no flavor, it’s flat and lifeless. MELTED CHEESE can cover a multitude of sins, but if your dough can’t stand up on its own, you’re eating sub-par pizza. But, if you start with good dough, if your foundation has got its own flavor, you’re way ahead of the pack, and Déjà Vu has definitely mastered the art of the dough.
My absolute favorite topping here is their SAUSAGE. It’s hard to put it into words, which is unfortunate given that I’m supposed to be a writer, but, I’ll try. Not only does their sausage have great flavor and spiciness, but it’s got the perfect texture. Don’t get me wrong, I like pepperoni, but if I have a choice between circular sliced meat or meat that is crumbled and hasn’t been put into a sausage casing, I’ll take the ground meat variety every time. I’d rather eat morsels of meat than slices of meat, and if you feel the same way, I would STRONGLY recommend your ordering the sausage at Déjà vu.
What they define as a “slice” is more like 1.5 slices at a normal pizza parlor. (Pizza parlor, right? Who the hell says THAT anymore? Man, you know I’m old skool.) So, while $4.61 sounds like a lot for a slice with one topping, if you figure it’s really like a slice and a half, suddenly, it’s not so bad.
The sausage slice in all its glory. This is what you should order. Vegetarians, try the Deja Vu slice or Pesto Delight.
The other thing you need to know about them, especially if you are in a hurry – like on your lunch break – is that they make your slice to order. I mean they LITERALLY create your slice from scratch, from the raw, stretchy dough. Each SLICE (not pie, but SLICE) starts out as dough and is stretched and topped with sauce, cheese, and whatever you asked for as a topping AFTER YOU ORDER IT. Which is COOL if you’re down with freshness and customization, but is sort of uncool if you’re on a tight schedule. I mean, for me, pizza is typically one of those “I see it behind the glass display case, I want THAT slice right there, they heat it up and I’m eating it within 3 minutes” kind of deals. But that is NOT how it works at Déjà Vu and you should know that going in. Your personalized slice, made from scratch when you order it, is going to take 10-12 minutes to be made, and it’s going to be MOTHERFUCKING HOT when it comes out of the oven.
What is the solution? PHONE AHEAD. Yes, as crazy as it might seem (to anyone from NYC, Northern New Jersey or Connecticut) you can literally call them up and say, “I want to order a SLICE with sausage, and I’ll come by and pick it up in 15 minutes.” That is really the best way to do it here. That way, your slice has a chance to “settle” in a little bit before you bite into it. It’s still fresh from the oven, but it’s not burn the roof of your mouth fresh from the oven, you know what I mean?
In summary: Déjà Vu is not a spontaneous kind of thing. It requires a little bit of planning, like, “We’re on the Bay Bridge, we’ll be driving past their shop in 15 minutes, let’s call ahead and order two slices to pick up, whaddya say, honey?” But it’s worth the effort. These guys are on my top 5 favorite pizza spots in SF. Get the sausage. Let me know what you think. Happy eating!!
PS: I’ve never gotten delivery from them, so I can’t comment on their delivery. I’ve never eaten anything here other than slices of pizza, so I can’t comment on their pasta dishes. But, I make pasta at home, I don’t order it from a pizza place.
Déjà Vu Pizza & Pasta
3227 16th Street (near Guerrero)
San Francisco CA 94103
415.255.1600
http://dejavupizzasf.com/
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