Pollara Pizzeria

"Pollara Pizzeria is the couple’s latest restaurant venture, opening at Berkeley’s Fourth Street shopping district in 2019. The pizza shop was inspired by a trip to Rome and chef Gabriele Bonci’s style of pizza al taglio, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The pizzeria made fans with its slice options and wine selection, including a favorable review from former Chronicle food critic turned columnist Soleil Ho in 2021, as well as a shout-out for being a favorite establishment from natural winemakers Chris Brockway and Bridget Leary of Berkeley’s Broc Cellars." - Dianne de Guzman

"Pollara Pizzeria is closing as the owners are leaving the Bay Area and moving back to New Jersey." - Paolo Bicchieri

"First stop is Pollara Pizzeria in Berkeley, which serves Roman-style pizza and opened in the fall of 2019 on busy Fourth Street. It’s just a stone’s throw away from Broc Cellars and features a food menu — and notably, a very good wine list — that drew Brockway and Leary in. There’s the pizza, of course: rectangles of pizza al taglio that sit behind a glass case, which the couple often bring back to the winery for a meal. (Tip: For at-home dining, back at their El Cerrito home, their move is to order the pizza cold for easy heating.) Pollara’s pizza lineup changes according to seasonal produce, but Leary points to a kale lemon ricotta slice as her current favorite: “It’s kind of like a nice salad on it that makes you feel better and has really bright, lighter flavors,” she says — while Brockway favors the Diavola, loaded with fresh mozzarella, diavola salami, and a spicy tomato sauce. Beyond the pizza, Pollara’s sandwiches have become a favorite for the couple and their family, particularly the porchetta sandwich, which Leary says is excellent but perhaps lesser-known. “We love the pizza so much and then we saw that they did sandwiches,” Leary shares. “Now it’s everyone’s go-to.” The stellar wine list was also a later revelation — and eventually a serious draw — for the couple. “It’s kind of an unusual wine list, especially for Fourth Street,” Brockway says. “When this popped open, we didn’t really know about it until a little bit later, and then all of a sudden you notice the wine list — the Radikon, Donati, and sparkling [options] — and we just started grabbing bottles and taking them home.”" - Dianne de Guzman

"The Fourth Street Roman-style pizza restaurant is open Wednesday–Sunday from noon to 8p.m. for takeout (via online order or calling in) and for delivery on Caviar." - Luke Tsai

"Roman-style square pizza cut to order is the star of a new restaurant on Fourth Street in Berkeley. Pollara Pizzeria comes from Jon and Kayta Smulewitz, Berkelyside reports: It's a quick, casual sister spot to their full-service Italian restaurant, Dopo, on Piedmont Avenue." - Caleb Pershan