Coveted Pies (And A Priest!) At Una Pizza's Opening Night

Grid View

• The line was even longer than this when Una Pizza finally opened, about 10 minutes after 5 p.m. That's a pro camera man up front filming one of the soon-to-be customers.
• The first seating filed in and sat down obediently. Their wasn't much chatter happening as the Una team scurried about.
• In a bizarre and interesting twist, a priest gave a mini ceremony and blessing of the 5,000 pound tiled pizza oven from Naples
• Then Anthony stepped into action. The room is set up so everyone can watch him make every single pie, like it's a Broadway show.
• A few minutes later, the first pie emerged.
• Every single person in the room watched as the first pizza was delivered, a Margherita.

Maybe this Una Pizza Napoletana business has crossed your radar. After sending a mole to last night's opening ceremony, we can attest to the following: yes, the pizzas cost $20 across the board; yes, you are going to wait way longer than you want to for a 12" pie; yes, only pizzas (and booze) are served; and YES, owner Anthony Mangieri has a dead serious cult following. Our rep sat next to two religious Una followers who had traveled from the East Coast for this very opening. They happened to be former patrons of his original New Jersey pizzeria, back when customers helped Anthony out with the dishes after eating. Last night's Una baptism was just as dramatic as you would expect. We'll leave it to the gallery above to tell the story: the first Una SF seating, the first glistening pie and the impromptu blessing -- with a priest and everything -- that drew the crowd to a hush.

Una Pizza Napoletana Set To Sling Slices Like None Other [~ ESF ~]