gioia pizza date night

one of our 12 dates of christmas this year was

a roomie date night to try gioia pizza on polk street..

complete with a visit to the gingerbread house at

the fairmont hotel after! this was the best, most 

festive night out with joe & becca, and bonus:

we discovered a favorite new pizza spot.

there are, of course, lots of famous pizza places

in san francisco. gioia sets itself apart because

of the unique flavors and combinations they

put on their pizza. i love a classic authentic

margherita pizza, but gioia gives you something

different: well-made pizza with flavors you 

haven't experienced before. it operates like a

farm-to-table restaurant, only it's pizza! the menu

rotates constantly which is amazing because it's

it's always different, but you have to know it 

could change the next time you go :)  it's worth 

it for the freshness and uniqueness though!

the setting, the wooden tables, the wreaths,

the menus printed on crinkly butcher paper,

the lighting, the water served in milk bottles...

this is my kind of place. i loved it the second

we walked in. it's in the best location too!

the boys loved the famous meatballs...one item that

stays on the menu constantly - and for good reason!

pretty sure becca and i are still talking about

this life changing zucca ricotta pizza.

it was the best pizza flavor i've ever had.

 that burrata was so flavorful i couldn't even talk

while eating it. just had to enjoy the creaminess

and flavor. good thing we were with our favorite

italian to remember to order this for the table! :)

 i can never resist a beet salad, and the kick of 

spice + citrus in this was a game-changer.

 could go for another one of these right now! ^^

 the mushroom pizza here^^ 

doesn't this just scream freshness + authenticity?

that cheese, those mushrooms, the crust...all

of these are not your typical ingredients.

 we will be back to this spot, especially with 

these two pizza connoisseurs. it's right on

polk street and couldn't be higher recommended.

 after filling up on the greatest meal, we walked up

lots of hills {past the cutest decorated apartment

buildings} and had a festive little outing to the

fairmont hotel by our apartment on nob hill,

because i had heard about the amazing displays.

 i'm a little in love with this hotel...i walk by

it every morning and it's my favorite in the city.

 ^^ so festive & cheery!

 and, the famed, giant {real} gingerbread

house in the lobby. what could be better?! ^^

 you can walk all through it, see the train go around,

see elves pop up, write letters to santa, and mostly 

smell the best gingerbread scent all through it.

 tempted to take a bite......

 we sat in the lobby for a little bit

just taking in the best scene... ^^

i really can never enough of this city,

but especially at christmas time. ^^

cheers to pizza, the holidays, good friends, 

and life size gingerbread houses!

xo

ps: one more day to enter our holiday giveaway here!!