Family Dining: North Marin Pizza Places

May 16, 2007
Posted by pamela |
Pizza!Maybe everybody’s idea of family-friendly dining is pizza. While there are plenty of big chain pizza joints throughout Marin, there are a few smaller, more distinctive places that are worth seeking out. These are a few of our favorites in Novato and San Rafael:

We like Mary’s Pizza Shack in San Marin Plaza in Novato. Sure, it’s a chain, but it’s a local one. Started by the late Mary Fazio (yes, there was a real Mary) up in Boyes Hot Springs, near Sonoma, in 1959, Mary’s has expanded all over the North Bay. The busy Novato branch has friendly service, pretty good pizza, and a great selection of wine and beer. Plus it’s open and noisy, and therefore just fine for families with kids.

Another favorite, this time off Smith Ranch Road in San Rafael, is Mulberry Street Pizza. Their pizzas are unique creations (we like the Greek pizza with green olives, pepperoni, and feta cheese) you won’t find anywhere else. Their top selling pizza “For the Love of Mushroom” won the 2005 Food Network Challenge: Pizza Battle; they’ve also been awarded the “Best Pizza” by the Pacific Sun’s Best of Marin 2007 readers’ poll.

Also in San Rafael, near Scotty’s Market on Del Ganado Road in Terra Linda, is Lo Coco’s Pizza. Lo Coco’s has been there seemingly forever, and is always busy. Service is good and the pizzas have quite a following among area locals.

I’m sure there are more out there that we haven’t tried. Feel free to leave a comment and share your favorites with us.

One place I wish was still around is the long-gone Marin Pizza Pub, which used to be on 3rd Street in San Rafael. Long time Marin residents will remember it as the place for birthday parties, with its pinball machines and primitive video games, movie projector showing cartoons, bubble machine, and of course the mighty Wurlitzer theater organ. I don’t remember the pizza being all that great, but it was pretty much secondary to the experience of going there.
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Pizza Parlors and Nostalgic Ramblings

On May 16, 2007 jamberry (not verified) wrote:

mmm...I love the greek pizza at Mulberry's! Their stilton and red leaf salad is also excellent. Here in Ignacio, we like Round Table, especially their new artisan pizza with prosciutto (they also deliver). The most economical (and still quite tasty) solution is Papa Murphy's take and bake in the shopping center off DeLong that has Safeway, Big Lots, etc.

Thanks to your closing paragraph, I just had a flashback to my childhood best friend's fourth-grade (?) birthday party at the Marin Pizza Pub. I had totally forgotten about that place--can barely remember it now, but know it was a fun time :) While we're on memory lane, there's also Pinky's in Montecito (correct me if it's not still there) which is where the San Rafael high kids (that I once was) used to hang out. And Swensens ice cream parlor (my friends worked there) was right next to it. I worked another door down in the former cheese shop at Trader Joe's back when it first opened. Tasting all those cheeses was my dream job :)

Pinky's is still there.

On May 16, 2007 andrew wrote:
Pinky's is still there. There were two in Novato—one in Ignacio (it's a church, of all things, now), and one over by the post office. Both are gone now.

Pizza Pub, now that place was magic. I remember the organist being a little on the creepy side, but I liked to wander around by the ranks of pipes and all the assorted geegaws like drums, a piano, and of course the disco ball, although we didn't call it that.

Perhaps I need to write a second blog post about wallowing in Marin childhood nostalgia (especially) since I talked Pamela into adding the Pizza Pub bit in the first place)...

Growing up in San Rafael, I

On May 17, 2007 jamberry (not verified) wrote:

Growing up in San Rafael, I was completely oblivious to Novato until my senior year when we moved north, so I wasn't aware of the other Pinky's locations (or else I've forgotten them). Funny thing, though, for a few years I attended the church that used to be there (it's been replaced by another).

If you start the nostalgia blog, count me in (my husband, too). Maybe they'll make a movie out of it, like Napoleon Dynamite but with a West Coast feel ;)

Have you seen this site?

On May 17, 2007 andrew wrote:
www.marinnostalgia.org. I only just ran across it the other day. The main content is kind of sparse but the forum is really where it's at! I'll probably blog a bit about bygone Marin attractions of the 70s and 80s, so check back.

It seems to me most people always seemed to be completely oblivious to Novato. I think a lot of people in Marin just assumed it was part of Sonoma County. ;) I'm also getting sick of trying to convince co-workers in San Francisco that it's really not up by Santa Rosa or Ukiah.

Yep

On May 18, 2007 jamberry (not verified) wrote:

I had bookmarked that site last week when I found it on the Marin IJ blog, but thanks for the reminder to go back and explore. I've left my mark...or gloppy ice cream fingers, that is ;)

I actually like that Novato is the least "Marin" of all the cities here. I think it has the best of both worlds, if you know what I mean. It's especially nice for raising a family.

Mary's Pizza Shack

On June 5, 2007 Denise Pepp wrote:

I have always loved Mary's Pizza Shack. The food is great and my kids love watching the pizza makers make pizza (and of course the free breadsticks). The Novato restaurant was just remodeled and looks great. Try the Pesto bread sticks. Yum!