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Pizza War on the Avenew? Bye Isobune

Please pardon my obsession with the comings and goings of restaurants in town and on the Avenew in particular.  It's my compensation mechanism so I don't obsess about the amazing number of hair and nail salons we have.  Or the lack of any real music venue downtown.

On tomorrow night's Planning Commish docket is an application for Rise Pizza to go into the space long occupied by Isobune.  Isobune and its authentic plastic display food in the front window have been in that spot for as long as I can remember.  That might go all the way back to 1983 or so when I first started going to the Sly Fox, the Bombay Bicycling Club, the Bit and Goa Poang!

Rise's story is a beehive wood-fired oven and this is apparently their first location.  They will need something special to compete with Blue Line, Pizza My Heart, Delfina's and Il Fornaio in the "pie wars".

Isobune

April 13, 2016 Update:  Here is the sign indicating the end of a 33 year run for Isobune.

Isobune done

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42 responses to “Pizza War on the Avenew? Bye Isobune”

  1. primary resource

    Joe, as a lot of my clients now are restaurant operators, I spoke with this group a few months ago.
    My family owns several nice restaurants, and we were one of the first KFC franchisees, based on our work as poultry and hatchery farmers and ranchers before that (agrarian values).
    Competition usually benefits the consumers.
    I can introduce the readers to Omid directly, if you have any questions for him.

  2. Jennifer

    I recently learned that Isobune patented the “boat” (bune) mechanism in their S.F. Japantown location in 1982 and opened their second location here, in 1983. That’s a good, amazingly long run, in the days when the idea of raw fish was probably repulsive to those used to the standard fare in the suburbs, at the time. LOTS of robust competition these days in the sushi department. I count about 4 others in the Burlingame-Howard Avenue areas, and probably a couple more, on Broadway…..and many more in San Mateo.

  3. Joe

    Thank you both. It seemed like it was newsworthy to me and you have reinforced that!

  4. Occasional Contributor

    Speaking of food wars- how about a war of the sandwiches? Did anyone notice Ike’s opening at the Which Which location?

  5. primary resource

    Restaurant wars are more like…movie productions.
    There are a lot of people that aspire to make movies, whether as actors or as writers/producers.
    And, thousands of people “go for it”, and perhaps dedicate their entire lives and all of their life savings to their artistic passion. And, in a sense, they believe that it’s their only opportunity in life to make a living for their family.
    And, most new restaurants fail in the first 12-18 months.
    And, then you get smart, well educated, or perhaps already successful and corporately organized and experienced teams with plenty of private or even public equity that research these “Indy” trends, and crush it with clean, successful concepts.
    And, very occasionally, among the fray of the mostly haphazard, but “all in” Indies, you can a concept and a management and culinary and customer service team that also crushes it.
    Now, I’m a free market, pro competition, pro private property rights guy, but…Burlingame can do better than the “Rise Pizzeria” guys.
    And, the city gov’t should not have oversight into which concepts should best be placed into each property, like some wannabe Mall Operator.
    But, Sorry, folks. Hire a better broker/marketing team for that space and move on.
    Part of the challenge with The Ave, is that there really aren’t that many pedestrians with that much average household income vs. the rent rates. For $8-$10/sf Gross, I’d rather open on Union Street in the Marina, or from Union Square to the Financial District to SOMA.
    So, I hope that the landlord crafts a good lease for themselves, and then let it ride. The market will quickly decide the fate of “The Rise”.

  6. foodie in b’game

    We need another mediocre pizza joint like Seattle needs another coffee shop. Blue Line is decent. Delfina’s disappoints if you compare it to the Noe location’s food. Il Fornaio and Pizza my heart? those are one step above Dominos.
    With sushi, other than Sakae, B’Game is sorely lacking on quality. Too bad, we should be able to to do better.

  7. resident

    I agree and I really agree about Deflina’s. The good part about Rise coming is at least it will help keep the prices of mediocre pizza in line.

  8. Bruce Dickinson

    Wow, I guess there must be a lot of dough in the pizza biz, given how many are opening. Sorry for the bad pun, seriously, the pizza scene in Burlingame has a lot to be desired with Blue Line probably being the only thing unique, Delfina being slightly above average, and the rest pretty much inedible. Then again, the Dickinson bar is a little higher given my dining standards, but every once in a while I like to indulge in some hearty comfort food.
    There seems to be a lot of me too (or two) restaurants, which is odd, as wouldn’t one want to offer something different? Two Burmese places!?! Two pan asian (Coconut Bay and Straights)? Two Indian places? Three sushi places. Multiple italian places, including that garbage food from Il Fornaio. Then you have Trapeze and the tapas place next door (can’t remember the name), where I can’t really tell what restaurant I’m in, they look so much alike.
    What about including some BBQ, a real steakhouse, a seafood specialty joint, a pub with real pub food, a regular Chinese place? When you’re like the 5th pizza joint, ya gotta wonder isn’t that just pretty much a zero sum game at that juncture? Unless, the pizza place, being a mostly “cash” biz run by Italians happens to run “other, more lucrative” family businesses, ya know what I mean?

  9. fresh BBQ anyone?

    Bruce, I’ve got a prospect that wants to open a BBQ restaurant, with freshly smoked meats in the front window. Overcoming concerns about the on-going smoke is the main hurdle.
    I enjoy the wood fired grilling as I walk past Il Fornaio. And, we all love the chocolate in the air…
    Does the community feel like supporting this concept? If so, please let “me” know.

  10. Bruce Dickinson

    Excuse my French but WTF? You go on dumb harangues “attempting” to insult the beloved Bruce Dickinson, but now you want me to do business with you!?!? Guy, you are either on drugs or, on the other hand, maybe you need some!

  11. HMB

    There used to be a bbq joint on the Ave some 20-odd years ago. They made a good pork sandwich — bun was always perfectly toasted. I’d definitely go for some good ‘q.

  12. hillsider

    Bruce, let’s crowdsource what Kent needs. Is Xanax enough or does he need something with a heavier hit?
    HMB, I don’t remember that joint. What was the name of it? I love the idea. Sure beats the heck out of grilled cheese as a main product.

  13. HMB

    I think it was called Firehouse — if I’m not mistaken there was another location on Clement in the city. All I ever ate there was the pork sandwich, it was so good. The bbq joint I really miss was a little hole in the wall on ECR in San Mateo. The owner was from my hometown in Texas. (Can you believe a Texas gal would eat pork over beef?) He even sold the Frito pie like you’d get at the Friday night HS football games. (He went to the rival school!)

  14. HMB

    Yeah, hillsider, I was shocked to see The Melt reopen. Anybody can do better than that at home — even a kid.

  15. Happy Holidays

    Bruce, that’s the hilarious thing about your incessant hubris…you always think that people see you as the center of attention. And, no, I’d never do business with a jerk like yourself. Actually, I was asking, “the community”.
    Hillsider, nope I’m drug free. I haven’t even tried 99.5% of drugs, ever, sorry to disappoint your blind negativity. None needed.
    Happy Holidays.

  16. fred

    Firehouse Barbecue was located at what is now the Loft. That building had three storefronts back in the ’80s. Beside the pork sandwich they had really good hot links and baked beans. The ribs and brisket were so-so. You can sill find Firehouse BBQ sauce for sale at some grocery stores, one alarm, two alarm and three alarm for spice levels. Three alarm sauce and the hottest hot links and you paid for it the next day.

  17. Samiselfie

    Bring back CHICKEN CHICKEN. I and many people loved that place. Just walking past their window seeing the wood burning rotisserie with all those chickens made me think this is dinner.
    We really do need a good BBQ JOINT. Enuf with all these pizza pie places.

  18. Rise People

    When is Rise taking over Isobune’s location?

  19. Peter Garrison

    Saw something really classy on the Avenue yesterday: A Japanese mother whose little girl had spilled some dry popcorn in front of Peet’s Coffee, took a napkin out of her purse, knelt down and picked up every one of the popcorn kernels and put them in the trash.

  20. Joe

    I just updated the Post with the goodbye letter from Isobune. It will probably take Rise awhile to add the beehive oven.

  21. Cathy Baylock

    They came to Burlingame Avenue right about the same time I began working downtown in 1983. They will be missed!

  22. Denise Donnelly

    Hey Neighbors,
    Costco sells an amazing outdoor wood fired “build it yourself” pizza oven from Italy. I googled it, but can’t find our model… I know my husband wouldn’t have paid 4K for it, as shown on their website. FAMILY FUN OFF THE AVE! (What’s will all the smoking on the sidewalk?!) Get your kids off of Pokemon and Starbucks! FIELD TRIP IDEAS! 1. Road trip to Costco to buy! See a food warehouse (!) 2. Build in your backyard w/real tools. 3. Go to Half Moon Bay (across from where you used to take them for hayrides) and load wood into the car. 4. Buy Il Fornaio’s dough by the balls (until they shut you off, like us!) 5. Ingredients at Mollie Stones (hi, Mark!) HAVE FUN!

  23. Joe

    Rise opens officially tonight just in time for the Holiday tree lighting and parade. Let the pizza wars continue.

  24. Joe

    I finally got around to trying Rise (after 6 months) and I must say, it was quite average. Not bad, just average. A bit light on the toppings, especially the Salsiccia white Italian sausage pizza with red and green onions. The onions where barely present. The burrata was also average and the chopped salad, well, pretty average.
    With Blue Line and Pizza My Heart in walking distance, this may be an uphill battle for Rise.

  25. resident

    Rise Pizzeria is setting their sights on transforming the downtown San Mateo train station space, formerly home to the Melting Pot restaurant, with plans to install a full-service kitchen, central bar and outdoor kiosk at the downtown transit hub.For Omid Zahedi, it started with a love of making pizza dough.
    In the months before his first son was born some eight years ago, Zahedi carefully refined his homemade pizza dough recipe, baking pies with Italian yeast and a select few ingredients on a pizza stone in his home oven. His wife Susan Payrovi remembers it wasn’t long before Zahedi had a wood-burning pizza oven delivered to their Foster City home with the expectation they could install it in the family’s backyard before putting it on a trailer they keep in their garage when it didn’t fit.Pizza fundraisers held in the family driveway soon led to a search for a restaurant space culminating in the couple’s Burlingame restaurant, Rise Pizzeria, which opened at 1451 Burlingame Ave. in late 2016.
    Now the pair is setting their sights on transforming the downtown San Mateo train station space, formerly home to the Melting Pot restaurant, with plans to install a full-service kitchen, central bar and outdoor kiosk at the downtown transit hub.

  26. Wino

    It’s just junk food. Sort of like eating 1/2 loaf of bread but with some sauce and medium grade toppings.

  27. Peter Garrison

    Their pizza dough and bread are great: light, slightly sour.

  28. Joe

    Today is National Pizza day so get out there and chow down. I recommend Centro above these others (Delfina, Rise, Blue Line). Blue Line is the best of the also-rans, but you can hardly hear yourself think in there when it is busy whereas the high ceilings at Centro (from its time as a hardware store and who knows what before that) make it very amenable to talking and eating.

  29. hollyroller@gmail.com

    How is it possible that VILLAGE HOST did not make the list.
    I like Escargot and Curried Yak on my pizza just like every other Red Blooded American Joe.
    Nevertheless,
    Village Host Pizza is the last Old School Pizza Parlor in California.
    In my opinion, the Best years of Pizza were 1963-1979.

  30. Laura

    Had Golden Boy Pizza tonight, it was great.

  31. Joe

    My apologies. Village Host should have been on the list of also-rans although I have not had the escargot there. I do recall a lovely little French place on California–near the idiotic horse chained to the sign–that had excellent escargot. Perhaps Fred remembers the name.
    In any case, holly, I think you think the best years of everything were ’63-’79. Right?

  32. Peter Garrison

    Name of the restaurant was, ahem, L’escargot.
    Understand the chained horse is some real estate mogul’s war prize.?

  33. hollyroller@gmail.com

    No,
    Pizza was the best between 1963 and 1979.
    There was a Pizza place in Pacific Manor-Pacifica.
    A Pizza place in the old Safeway/Thrifty/Shell Gas Station shopping center @ Sharp Park Road/Skyline Blvd./Westborough.
    I remember seeing over 100 Harley Davidson bikes filling the entire parking lot.
    That was some GOOD PIZZA.
    Good Ambience Too.
    Dear Joe, I have yet to experience the best years of my life yet.
    I guess I won’t find out until the end.
    Having the opportunity/privilege to contribute to this Web Site makes getting older easier, plus, I LMAO.

  34. Joe

    @Peter – Thanks, no wonder it came to mind when I think of snails in B’game. It was a lovely little restaurant and we could use more like it.
    @Laura – I have heard good things about Golden and should have included them even if they are a bit out of the way. Between all-time-fav Hot Wok, Nini’s and Golden Boy Pizza, the little section of North Amphlett is hopping. And they are just far enough away from Peninsula that the inevitable interchange may not take their locations.

  35. hollyroller@gmail.com

    Golden Boy Pizza in North Beach is AWESOME.
    Their presentation is Beautiful.
    If you have to wait for a Pizza, or friend, “Gino & Carlos” is right next door.

  36. Rick

    San Mateo train station is a bad location for a restaurant. Unless you are a national brand restaurant it will be difficult to pull customers into this area off of the main shopping area. At the end of the day, it is still a $25 pizza visit.
    The demographics of this area won’t support it in my opinion.

  37. Fred

    Its all about the dough$$$$$

  38. Laura

    @holly, Golden Boy, take out only, is now open on the Burlingame, San Mateo border, on Amphlett

  39. Bruce Dickinson

    Granted folks, Bruce Dickinson is no stranger to the finer things in life, including fine dining, so I would be remiss if I didn’t say that it’s not like yours truly gives out rave reviews like Halloween candy.
    Having said that, both RISE and Blue Line have dynamite pizza! Yes, while some pizza joints can be noisy, don’t forget, it’s pretty easy to take out and eat in the comfort of your own home! I do this (send out someone to pick up) quite often and of course there are many delivery apps.
    The nice thing about RISE is that due to wood fired oven, the pizzas take 7 minutes. Also RISE and Blue Line have items that aren’t pizza but are excellent as well.
    Really liking the upgrade in the Burlingame dining scene..was long overdue! Hopefully will have some staying power after the next economic downturn!

  40. hollyroller@gmail.com

    What are your thoughts on the up coming economic downturn?

  41. Visitor

    Per Goldman Sachs:
    7:54 AM ET Tue, 15 Jan 2019 | 00:50
    Goldman Sachs does not foresee any recessions in major economies in 2019 but low profit growth is on the cards in the U.S. and Europe, its chief global equity strategist told CNBC Tuesday.
    “It’s still our view that we’re not headed for recession in any of the major economies,” Goldman’s Peter Oppenheimer told CNBC’s Annette Weisbach at the Goldman Sachs Global Strategy Conference in Frankfurt.
    “At the end of last year, there was a particularly sharp downgrade in expectations for the U.S. and while there has been a big tightening of policy and financial conditions in the U.S. … We don’t see a recession, but we do see a pretty sharp slowdown,” he said, adding that markets had “got too far into pricing a deeper downturn than we expect.”

  42. hollyroller@gmail.com

    Thank you Visitor

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