California-style pizza is also known as gourmet pizza. There’s no such thing as a traditional topping for gourmet pizzas. The lack of specificity enables you to explore and get innovative. You can use anything from eggs and goat cheese to artichoke hearts and chicken. California-style pizza‘s origin can be traced back to the late 1970s, when a chef named Ed LaDou was trying out different pizza recipes in an Italian restaurant, Prego. After different experiments, he cooked a pizza with red pepper, pate, ricotta, and mustard and then served it to Wolfgang Puck, who absolutely loved it. As the story goes, this pizza style was simultaneously also invented by the chefs at Chez Panisse in Berkeley. Either way, the state, and the entire country benefits from their delicious creation. It’s now famous worldwide due to its unique flavors, and the influence Wolfgang Puck has on the culinary culture.

Best Pizza Delivery in Santa Clara

Seniore’s Pizza takes on the vibe of a simple Italian café. The pies at Seniore’s Pizza are straightforward and lovingly made, with a bready depth to the crust and freshness to the tomatoes. There’s a ton of pizza choices at this sleek spot, which also offers takeout and dine-in service options. All the options come on a pillowy, fluffy crust with lots of charred bubbles. The neighborhood favorite is the Seniore’s Special Pizza, draped with pepperoni, bell peppers, and crowned with fresh tomatoes, which gives it a sweet and hot combination. You can get a range of toppings, from classics like onions to less-common choices like salami. Known for pizza and an extensive wine list, this romantic Italian date spot also serves up delicious pasta, burgers, and chicken wings. Don’t miss out on the deep-fried cheesecake for dessert. It’s just the right amount of decadent.

Best Pizza Takeout in Santa Clara

Premier Pizza is a laid-back pizzeria offering specialty pies and beer in a cozy atmosphere. This pizzeria which operates in Rivermark Plaza brings something different to the pizza scene in Santa Clara. Some of their pizzas have strong Neapolitan leanings — puffy crust, minimal toppings, and lightness — but not Neapolitan, per se. Their selection of pizzas, some with uncommon toppings, tends mostly towards the California style. If you’ve been meaning to try a California-style pizza, add the Doc’ O Pizza to your takeout order. It has artichokes, black olives, and sundried tomatoes over mozzarella cheese and a pesto sauce. Premier Pizza also features many pizza options with chicken. If this is too crazy for you, feel free to build your favorite pizza suited to your taste. The focus here is on pizza, but Premier also offers chicken wings and breadsticks as starters and a selection of beverages.

Best Pizza Near Santa Clara

Sunnyvale

Four miles from Santa Clara, Sunnyvale is headquarters to some big tech companies like Yahoo, Fortinet, and Juniper Networks. It is also home to some elite pizzerias like Round Table Pizza located on Old San Francisco Road. They offer pizza in five different sizes, and you can’t go wrong with the Wombo Combo Pizza with Italian sausage, artichoke hearts, and tomatoes.

San Jose

San Jose is a large city in Northern California surrounded by tech companies and scenic rolling hills. San Jose does not fail to impress with its pizzerias. At King Kong NY Pizza, you can order gourmet and veggie New York-style pizzas with topping combinations like pepperoni, sausage, olives, and mozzarella cheese. There’s also a selection of calzones, sandwiches, and beverages.

Mountain View

Northeast of Santa Clara, Mountain View is most famous for being home to the Google headquarters, Googleplex. Mountain View prides itself in providing excellent facilities and services that meet the needs of the town’s residents and visitors. Stop by Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria anytime you’re in the area. The standouts at Amici’s include the New York Cheese Pizza, though you really can’t go wrong with a classic Sicilian pizza, either. The pizzeria offers regular crust and has especially good pizza for vegans.