For the sake of cuteness.

there is something so magical about little girls.  i have no idea what it is, but the cute factor gets dialed up to a zillion.  my nieces weren't doing anything, except just being themselves.  and i had the opportunity to shoot them.  see for yourself!

saltwater sandals!

now how could i post photos of my nieces and not include this little one.  although, she's not so little anymore.  she's only 11 and has bigger feet than me!  she sure does test my patience sometimes, but i do love her lots.  we're all being silly here...my niece and her 2 godparents.  i told you already, i'm the biggest dork there ever was.

p.s.

all photos were taken at my cousin's loft in the SOMA.  i was lovin' his brick wall.  it made the perfect backdrop for all of our family photos. 

Neapolitan Pizza Challenge :: Pizzetta 211

have you all forgotten about the great quest to find the best neapolitan pizza in san francisco? i know i did...guilty!  my 2 cousins from new york (queens and BK to be exact) decided to visit last week.  so naturally, i took that opportunity to resurrect the neapolitan pizza challenge from the dead, and head to pizzetta 211.  the pizza was ahhhhh-maaaazzzzzing.  yes it was!  fresh, light, non greasy....everything a neapolitan pizza should be.  plus, it was right around the corner from the salon that does digital perms.  this little fact is important because, one of my cousins was getting a digital perm (and i wanted to document it step-by-step...more on that in another post) and the other cousin had to grab lunch before she caught her flight back to the east coast.  the close proximity of the salon and pizzetta 211 allowed me to run back and forth between the 2 so that i could take my photos.  i know, i know...it's tough work to be a blogger ;-)

anyways, back to the the pizza challenge.  ready?  here we go.

store front

the charming area designated for the utensils, napkins, glasses, etc.
i particularly love the flowers.  it was a nice touch.

the perfectly seasoned and dressed salad.
who knew greens, salt, pepper, olive oil,
and balsamic vinegar could taste so good? 

the pepperoni was like no other.

this one lacked a little flavor
for me.  it could've used a little more zing.
maybe a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil,
salt and pepper on the arugula would've done the trick.

the tomatoes on this vegetarian pizza just exploded with flavor.

and now on to dessert.

a bowl of fresh strawberries on the counter.

sweet biscuits for their strawberry shortcake.

strawberry shortcake to-go.  perfectly put together in a
box for my cousin to enjoy on the plane ride back home.
check out that freshly whipped sweet cream!!!!

once again, as a caveat, i chose the restaurants based on yelp. each contestant had to have >500 reviews and at least 4 stars.

Pizetta 211 according to me (no john this time)

on a scale of 1-5, 5 being exceptional

crust: 4

sauce: 4

cheese: 4 

freshness of toppings: 5 (menu is seasonal)

SF experience: 4 (richmond district)

total score: 21

p.s.

next up: delfina, tony's, tommaso, pizetta 211, gialina, and berretta, zero zero, pizza hacker.