As my college career comes to a close, so too does my time at The California Aggie. Two-and-a-half years ago, I started as a sports writer here so it’s easy for me to draw a comparison between my last days at The Aggie to an athlete retiring. Many athletes have made it a point to retire at the top of their games: Jim Brown, Barry Sanders and Sandy Koufax to name a few. So in the shadows of those legends, I am attempting to do the same.
With that in mind, it’s become clear that there are few things I do better than eat food. So Aggie Features Editor Adam Loberstein offered me the chance to make my last article in The Aggie a food review.
In my time here at Davis, I’ve heard via word of mouth of a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant with amazing pizza known as Village Bakery.
Village Bakery is located at 814 Second St. But you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled; it’s easy to miss. The entire bakery itself is probably not much larger than a typical classroom, and the front area doesn’t offer much room for customers.
If you plan on eating your food at Village Bakery, go on a nice day so you can sit at one of the tables outside. Otherwise, get your food to go because the bakery offers only three small tables inside.
Village Bakery opens at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday and at 11:30 a.m. Sundays. On those early mornings, the bakery offers an array of breakfast foods, including croissants, pastries and a variety of muffins.
But the real crown jewel of Village Bakery isn’t unveiled until 11 a.m.: the pizza. The bakery serves New York-style pizza both whole and by the slice. Whole pies are available either ready to eat or take-and-bake.
Since I was visiting the bakery by myself and was on my way to class, I opted for pizza by the slice. Village Bakery offers three different pizzas by the slice: cheese, pepperoni and vegetarian, priced at a college student-friendly $2.25, $2.50 and $2.75, respectively.
I opted for a slice of pepperoni, and then realizing that I would need more to feel full, I ordered a slice of vegetarian (you know, to be healthy). As I took my two slices and prepared to eat, I noticed that the grease had begun soaking through the thin paper plate. Needless to say, the pizza is fairly oily, so be sure to grab some napkins before digging in.
My slice of pepperoni was great, the cheese and meat coming together nicely with the tomato sauce on the thin crust. But the real surprise was the vegetarian slice. The pizza’s blend of veggies, including whole olives and zucchini, was fantastic, and the high quality of the ingredients overall was undeniable.
While there are only three choices when it comes to pizza by the slice, Village Bakery offers a bevy of other specialty pizzas for those looking for a whole pie, ranging in price from $14 to $18.50. Selections include the Greek pizza with Kalamata olives, feta, tomatoes and basil and the Chicken pizza topped with chicken breast and roasted onions on a white garlic sauce.
Aggie Arts Editor Nicole L. Browner, a frequenter of Village Bakery, recommends looking at the other ingredients on the menu to make your own unique combination. Her pie of choice is a pesto garlic sauce base with delectable eggplant, roasted garlic and onions, greened with spinach and reddened with bell pepper. For those of you who can only hope to be as creative as Nicole, you can check out the menu on the wall inside and do your best.
If you hate to get up to find food, Village Bakery also offers delivery service Monday through Saturday until 8:30 p.m. for an extra charge of $3.
Davis is not a city in short supply of pizza restaurants. But for those looking to add quality and uniqueness to their pizza, Village Bakery is the place to go. The prices are reasonable, but tasting the pizza makes it seem like it should cost a lot more.
It’s a place like Village Bakery that makes me want to come out of retirement and stay in Davis for just one more year. Michael Jordan, anyone?
EDDIE LEE can be reached at editor@californiaaggie.com.
