On a recent Friday at 11:30 a.m., Alameda’s newly opened Pizzeria Pappo was serving up freshly baked pizzas to the lunch crowd. In the kitchen was John Thiel, who was the chef and owner of the well-regarded and popular restaurant Pappo from 2005 until its closing in 2021. Thiel carried the Pappo name, which means “to eat” in Latin, over to his new pizzeria—and diners were ready to do just that.

At the cozy West End pizzeria with a modern interior and a bit of art deco flair, customers were lined up at the counter, waiting to order thin-crust slices. Some folks were taking whole pies to go while others were trying out the Caponata, a large rectangle of thick crust pizza with eggplant, olives, and capers topped with a soft stracciatella cheese.
Like Pappo, Thiel’s new pizzeria features creative but classic menu items that are well executed with hearty portions and reasonable prices. A generously sized slice of the cheese pizza is $4.50 and the Pepperoni and Bianco (a white pizza with ricotta, mushrooms, lemon, and rosemary) slices are $7.50. Diners can add a salad or order pasta such as Spicy Vodka Fusilli. Chicken parmesan, panko crusted eggplant, and mortadella sandwiches are also available for $16 to $17.50, and there are gluten-free pizza options.

Fans of Pappo will be happy to know that the fried olives from the former restaurant have been carried over to the pizzeria. And kids of all ages will be happy to know that the pizzeria offers Strauss soft serve ice cream. There is also deliciously savory focaccia, sold in to-go bags for $10. Thiel recommends the garlic knots, an East Coast classic, and says that the Sausage and Peppers pizza is one of his favorites.
Thiel explains his transition from upscale restaurant to pizzeria, saying that while “the community was very supportive” of Pappo during the pandemic, the restaurant faced many challenges afterward. “Coming out of the pandemic looked so difficult—the climate of dining had changed and people’s behaviors had changed and it just seemed like a good time to go out on my own terms.”
After closing Pappo, Thiel decided to open Pizzeria Pappo. “I love pizza,” he says, “and it’s much more inclusive.” Many diners at Pappo were there for date nights and special occasions, but Thiel wanted his new restaurant to be more family-friendly. He became a father in 2016 and thought it would be fun to “recreate some childhood memories” and have a local pizzeria where families could hang out and eat.

“I like the idea of seeing kids and families in here… I look forward to baseball teams and soccer teams and being able to donate pizzas,” Thiel says. “It’s a vehicle to support the community and be a part of the community and feed the community.”
Thiel has extensive experience in the restaurant industry. Before opening Pappo he worked at Bay Area legends Bay Wolf, Delfina, and Zuni Cafe. He tells the Alameda Post that he started working as a dishwasher at a Thai restaurant when he was 14 years old. “And then I stayed in restaurants my whole life.” He attended the California Culinary Academy and has worked not only in kitchens but in “front of the house” positions, which include servers, bartenders, bussers, and hosts. “I wanted to get management experience,” he says. “I basically wanted to learn every job in a restaurant.”
To prepare for Pizzeria Pappo, Thiel studied at the San Francisco Baking Institute. He also did a lot of research on his own, tasting pizzas and reading books. “I noticed that some of the best pizzas came from a bakery,” he says. “In my opinion you have to have that relationship with the dough and the fermentation and the yeast.” He sums it up simply: “I’m trying to make the best pizza I can.”

Thiel’s preparation and meticulous research have paid off. The pizza crust is top-notch, a thin but sturdy bake that can easily handle the job of holding all the toppings and cheese. It’s the star of the pizza and has a lovely texture that’s chewy yet firm. When paired with a salad and a can of Alameda Soda Company cola, it may very well be the perfect lunch.
Pizzeria Pappo, at 709 Santa Clara Avenue, is open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dinner hours and online orders are coming soon.
Jean Chen is a contributing writer for the Alameda Post. Contact her via [email protected]. Her writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Jean-Chen.