Arizmendi

This week I visited Arizmendi Bakery on Lakeshore Ave. to get myself a fresh Baguette piece to accompany some homemade soup. As it was the day before Valentines day, I also happened to pick up a wonderful set of tasty goodies for my sweet valentine and lovely fiancee. The Valentines day special was a chocolate cupcake filled with a chocolate ganache, and a heart shaped cookie, filled with a raspberry jam. Both were exquisite and very romantic, according to my beautiful bride to be, and the baguette piece I had was a perfect companion for my homemade soup. The great thing about Arizmendi breads are many fold, no pun intended.
The first thing you need to know is that Arizimendi tends to make things as they feel like it. There are a few regular items in rotation, including my favorite baguettes in the area as well as some incredible breakfast pastries- the Sweet Sallie being my personal favorite. There are many breads offered on a seasonal basis, however, and often these are the best for those interested in something different. I have found that professionals that do what they love to do when they love to do it often produce the best results, and Arizmendi is no exception. When this group of people do something they want to do, they get it done just right.
Which leads me to the next thing you need to know about Arizmendi- it is a worker owned cooperative. You can learn more about their story, why they are named Arimendi and what a day in the life of a worker-owner looks like here at http://www.arizmendibakery.org/. I suppose the fact that they have ownership of the bakery allows them to do what they feel like and lets them do it as well as they do, or both. In either case, it is really great to support this kind of an organization in my book.
The third and most important thing you need to know about Arizmendi is that it is the home of the greatest pizza available in the East Bay. By this humble writers standards, and despite the overwhelming opinion that it is Zachary's Pizza, Arizmendi tops the charts because of the amazing sourdough crust and wonderful fresh (and often locally grown) toppings. Another reason Arizmendi pizza is so fantastic is the menu changes daily, allowing a diversity of adventures for the palette of all pizza aficionados. There are toppings that are in regular rotation, just like the breads available, however, Arizmendi refuses to put anything that is not fresh or fantastic on their pizzas, so what you get is simply the best. If you are looking for your favorite meat covered pizza, please look elsewhere, as the one pizza that is available that day will always be vegetarian.
I cannot say enough great things about Arizmendi's pizzas, and undoubtedly will show up in a later entry comparing pizza in the East Bay and around the world. For now, just go and try it for yourself, and enjoy the flavors at Arizmendi.