Piraat Pizzeria & Rotisserie

Piraat Pizzeria and Rotisserie was restaurant that our family walked in to literally as we were searching food after a long 12 hour flight. Everyone was jetlagged, hungry and we decided that next restaurant we came across was it! It turned out to be a neat little "mom and pop" Italian place tucked away along Sutter St. The tables were laid out canteen style covered with the proverbial red checked tablecloths. Nothing fancy, but clean and rustic. We arrived at the odd hour of 2pm on a Sunday. The place started out deserted initially but filled reasonably with locals over the time we were there. The menu has a great selection of pizzas and calzones with handful of pasta dishes tucked away at the end. Lunch comprised of a pizza, two chicken dishes, minestrone soup and spaghetti. We ordered a house special pizza with pepperoni, Italian sausage, salami with red sauce. The medium sized pizza was delicious and a generous helping that even a ravenous 17 year old teenage boy struggled to finish. It certainly is one of best pizzas we have had. It could have easily been shared by 4 people with average appetites. My daughter's Piraat wings (fire roasted chicken wings) turned out to be extremely tender chicken pieces marinated in a spicy tomato-based sauce and roasted to perfection - a must try for any chicken fan. My herb roasted chicken served with mash and vegetables was nice but nothing special. The minestrone soup was a tasty clear vegetable soup that did its job warming me up. However, my husband's Spaghetti Napoli with Bay Shrimp with red sauce was superb. The dish was simple and hinged on the homemade sauce which was based on a marina base, tomato and basil thickened with cream. I would certainly recommend this as the definitive dish at Piraat. There was also a desert menu which has the usual favourites of tiramisu and chocolate mousse cake but we were too full to give that a go. Lunch with a coffee and 5 soft drinks came up to US65.54 with service tax. The menu is well priced in the range of US4.00 -8.00 for appetizers, salads and sandwiches, US7.00 - 18.00 for pizzas and the pastas average US11.00. The staff were attentive and efficient, and the food was brought to the table in a timely manner.