17.228 Vodka Sicilian Pizza

Cycle 17 – Item 228

Post 6,072

21 (Fri) Aug 2026

Vodka Sicilian Pizza

4.0

from Artichoke Basille’s Pizza

(in the car, then the hotel room)

-Emeryville, California, USA-

with DJ

Feathering the (Kid’s New) Nest: Day 3 of 9

In Emeryville.  Having sent DJ off to college last fall (see generally 16.228 Korean Beef Short Rib with Vegetables Wraps) – after his freshman year, he’s moved out of the dorms and rented an apartment – I’m going back this fall to help him furnish it.  Though my parents didn’t do this for me, and I don’t recall any of my friends’ parents doing it for them – Gen Xers are famously independent in such matters – DJ seemed hopelessly lost on what needed to be done and utterly incapable of getting it done.  Still, I’m always happy for an excuse to visit Berkeley.

LUNCH

Seoul Gomtang is a Korean restaurant.  In addition to gomtang, the menu offers a wide range of soups, mostly beef; but as most Korean restaurants in America, they also offer standard dishes like bibimbap etc.

Located on the corner of Telegraph Ave and MacArther Blvd, on the upper boundary of Koreatown Oakland.

After a morning of shopping at IKEA, we had lunch before heading back to DJ’s apartment to unload.

Banchan (3.0): legit.
Gomtang (3.0): actually seolleong, but good by any name.

MEMORY LANE

In the spring-summer of 2003, I spent a couple months living in Emeryville while taking the Princeton Review course for the bar exam at UC Berkeley Law School (Boalt).  My cousin ES, then a grad student at Cal, was in Korea for the summer, so she let me stay at her place.

Pacific Park Plaza, a high rise condo in Emeryville, previously the only large building in the city.

That was the last time that I’d been in Berkeley until visiting with my family in 2023 (see generally 15.182 Top), almost exactly 20 years later.

The view from her living room, Berkeley Marina in the distance.

Mornings were devoted to studying and taking practice exams, followed by classes in the afternoon, then relaxing in the evenings with great food and drink.

To signify discipline, I’d shaved my head (digital camera, 7 years before my first iPhone).

Watching nothing but the Food Network on television, I was constantly inspired to cook.  What a blast.

Chinese Broccoli in Oyster Sauce (3.5): still my favorite thing.

I took the bar exam in June, and passed.

DINNER

Artichoke Basille’s Pizza is an Italian-American restaurant.  Specializes in pizza, only 5 varieties (at this location): Artichoke + Margherita + Pepperoni + Meatball Parmesan + Vodka Sicilian.  Part of a chain, founded 2008 in New York, currently with 12 locations: 7 in New York, 3 in New Jersey, 1 in Berkeley, 1 in Oakland.

Located on the corner of Durant Ave and Bowditch St, a couple doors down from Top Dog (see generally 15.182 Top).
No tables – everyone eats outside, on the street.

The afternoon trip to IKEA wiped us out.  It wasn’t just the shopping and loading, but more the unloading and hauling up to DJ’s apartment on the second floor.  And we’re still jet-lagged.

Rather than go out for dinner, we were very content to grab pizza – from DJ favorite place, which hadn’t existed back in my day – and eat it at the hotel.

With a glass of actual vodka on the rocks.

On the way, I took a bite of the Vodka Sicilian slice and nearly crashed the car, it was so shockingly good.  The tomato cream sauce, made with vodka (see generally 12.080 Penne alla Vodka), was the most unctuous pizza sauce that I’ve ever experienced, a perfect balance of creamy and tangy and umami.  Nothing else but mozzarella and Pecorino Romano, anything else would just get in the way.  One of the best pizzas in my life.

I told DJ to stop eating it so that I could take a proper photo under better lighting at the hotel.

Artichoke (2.5) + Meatball Parmesan (2.5)

(See RESTAURANTS IN USA)

(See GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See BOOZE)

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