As an ode to the famous Green Goddess dressing that originated in San Francisco in 1923, Pizza Ponte, a family-owned pizza parlor in Oakland known for its by-the-slice menu, recently launched the Green Goddess Pizza for in-store and online orders.
Located at 4919 Telegraph Avenue in Oakland’s Temescal District, Pizza Ponte specializes in New York-style pizza and is co-owned by brothers Sayed Seyar and Sayed Spehar.
Handcrafted with homemade pesto, fresh spinach, minced garlic and a creamy white sauce, the Green Goddess pie is both hearty and zesty. Seyar said he puts fresh flavors at the forefront of each pizza he makes, which is why he only sources local ingredients.
Seyar is constantly experimenting with new flavors to push the boundaries in the pizza industry. “I made the Green Goddess Pizza to show that pizza can be both indulgent and nourishing,” he said. “It’s a celebration of fresh greens and bright flavors, proving that you can enjoy a slice that feels as good as it tastes.”
Pizza Ponte’s flavors are bold, but its crust is also a standout. The pizzeria uses a meticulous dough fermentation process to create a superior crust texture that complements the dressing’s pesto, spinach, garlic and sauce without being too heavy.
“At Pizza Ponte, we ferment our dough for 56 hours to produce a crust that is both light and incredibly crispy,” Seyar said. “Since green vegetables can be rich in flavor, we wanted to ensure that our crust is light and airy while still giving you that satisfying crunch.”
Customers can also enjoy their slice with Pizza Ponte’s signature spicy ranch dressing. The Green Goddess is served by the slice and by the pie. A slice costs $5.20, while a 10” whole pie sells for $15, the 16” for $28, and the 20” for $37.
The unique specialty pizza is sure to spark excitement among Bay Area denizens with a love of San Francisco’s history. According to NPR affiliate KQED, the original green goddess dressing was created by chef Phillip Roemer at the venerable Palace Hotel in honor of actor George Arliss, who stayed at the hotel while starring in a play called The Green Goddess.
“It is a favorite,” Renee Roberts, a longtime employee of the Palace Hotel, said in the KQED report. “There was a point when someone thought they could change it and took it off the menu. It lasted for, like, a day.”
