Hot From The Oven

San Francisco Oven at the Las Palmas Marketplace has only been open a few weeks, but word of the new eatery has already spread.

A full parking lot Saturday afternoon was a clear indication that El Pasoans wanted to see for themselves what the fuss was all about.

San Francisco Oven is one of those fast-food, sit-down hybrid restaurants where you place your order at the counter but your food is delivered to your table.

On this particular Saturday, I invited my mom to lunch.

The first thing you notice when you walk in is a giant billboard menu with tons of choices -- pizzas, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts.

I had already heard some buzz about the brick-oven pizzas, so I knew I definitely wanted to try one. Off the "Bay Area Favorites" list, I chose the eight-inch pizza rustica ($5.45) made with San Marzano red sauce, pepperoni, sausage, capicolla ham, roasted roma tomatoes, mozzarella and romano cheeses, and fresh basil.

For $1.95 more, you can order a soup or salad and make it a pizza combo (the soup by itself costs $3.50). My mom is a huge fan of clam chowder, so she wanted to try the Pier 39 clam chowder. According to the menu, it was made famous in the Fisherman's Wharf district.

We could have easily shared the pizza, but wanting to try something else we also ordered the turkey focaccia club sandwich ($6.75), which is sliced turkey, crumbled bacon, tomato, red onion and field greens on focaccia bread with mayonnaise.

While we waited for our meal, we looked around and appreciated the decor. The Golden Gate Bridge is simulated in the restaurant with a railing above a row of booths. There are also black-and-white photographs of San Francisco displayed at most of the tables. They were nice touches.

Our food came out fast. The pizza was piping hot-- you could still see the steam rising -- but I had to have a bite. After a few breaths to cool off the piece I'd bitten off, the flavors started to settle in. It was so good. I loved the combination of the spicy pepperoni, ham and sausage with the coolness of the fresh tomatoes. The second bite was even better.

At first, my mom couldn't identify the interesting flavor in her clam chowder, but we eventually realized it was bacon. Once she knew what it was, she enjoyed it. I'm not a huge fan of clam chowder, so I just took a small spoonful and decided it was good.

The downside came with the sandwich, but not because it tasted bad. It had more to do with the temperature -- it was ice cold. The bread was chilled, which made it a little tough to chew, and the turkey was so cold that it was almost tasteless. It was such a stark contrast to the flavorful, steamy pizza. The sandwich couldn't even come close. It was served with a side of pasta salad (penne with olive oil, bits of feta cheese and spices) that was tasty.

The highlight was at the end. At the counter, a glass case with delicious desserts calls your name. At first, I resisted ordering one, but the girl at the cash register smiled when I went up for a second time to order a cannoli ($1.95).

The crispy pastry was filled with the most delicious mascarpone cheese and chocolate chip bits. It made me wish I had ordered two instead of splitting just one with my mom.

Signs at the cash register announced a second San Francisco Oven opening soon near UTEP on El Paso's West Side. That will be a great lunchtime addition to those of us who work Downtown.

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