North Beach Pizza San Mateo at downtown’s busy intersection of B Street and Third Avenue arguably serves some of the best pizza and traditional Italian fare on the Peninsula. Also conveniently located a block from the Cinemark Theatre. A charming family trattoria with an inviting ambiance, friendly service and aromatic fresh sauces greeting guests even before they step over its threshold, this is an authentic find. But not to longtime regulars.

Since 1994 Adriano Ferreira has dished up house classics such as chicken parmigiana and prized pizzas. His brother Renato Gouveia took over on the first of 2018, determined to keep improving and innovating on the family legacy.