Palo Alto: Patxi's Pizza

I returned from Shanghai to NorCal on December 30, and celebrated the start of 2012 with Andrew in Palo Alto.  On New Year's Day we had dinner at Patxi's, which serves Chicago-style deep dish pizzas.  I'd had Patxi's once before, as dinner during my IHUM's movie screening of "Battleship Potemkin" back in 2006 (can't say I found it a fabulous film, but I am a fan of Russian literature).  However, I'd never eaten at Patxi's proper, so it was fun to finally eat there instead of just walking past it on my way to the gelato shop next door.

The restaurant was pretty empty when we arrived around 5:30, but tables gradually filled up, as did the entryway with people picking up to-go orders.  I had a glass of wine - I can't remember whether it was Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon, but it was quite good - and Andrew got  a "Pliny the Elder" beer.  Deep-dish pizzas take up to 45 min to prepare, which is something to try and remember for next time (the couple on our right ordered and then pulled out Kindles, haha). 

Here's our deep-dish pizza with sausage, peppers, and black olives:

Ready for consumption:

This was (not surprisingly) delicious, with a satisfyingly solid cornmeal crust and a good balance of cheese to sauce to toppings/fillings, and we had plenty of leftovers.  Patxi's and Applewood Pizza (in Menlo Park) would probably be my favorite pizzas in the Palo Alto area.