Marley G's
The owners of Scolari's seem to be taking the Bay Area by storm.
Alameda is quickly becoming one of my favorite neighborhoods in the Bay. They have the best dog park for one. And all those abandoned military warehouses make for great underground raves. But the food scene may be the best reason to visit Alameda.
On a recent Sunday afternoon, some friends and I braved the stormy weather to check out the Alameda vintage flea market. Browsing a cluttered marketplace always wakes up the appetite, so we wandered into a new pizza spot called Marley G’s. I don’t know if it’s actually new, but I certainly hadn’t been there before.
Marley G’s is owned by the same folks as Scolari’s, whose Taylor ham, egg & cheese I was recently praising. And lo and behold, the first thing you see when you walk in is a big welcoming log of Taylor Ham.
One of our traditional cultural practices in New Jersey is to bless each customer with the ritual log of Taylor ham. Just kidding. That should honestly be a thing though. Can you imagine a bunch of jabronis kneeled down in front of the alter but instead of candles with Mother Mary’s face, we just pray to Taylor ham? Hahaha.
Anyway, Marley’s won me over pretty quick with all the helpful signage.
Finally, someone has joined my cause to stop Big Ranch™, which has absolutely no place in a pizzeria. Peppercorn Buttermilk on the other hand sounds tasty.
I was also stoked to see chicken parm subs on the menu. This is an absolute staple of my childhood. Every pizzeria in New Jersey prepares excellent chicken, eggplant and meatball parm subs. I wrote about one such meatball sub from New Jersey last summer.
Obviously, I ordered the chicken parm ($15). My friends opted for a slice of pepperoni, one fancy Californian-sounding option, a lemon prosciuttos slice, and the daily special slice which is topped with fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, salami, and pepperoni. I forgot to get the prices on the slices, my B.
We also ordered an additional meatball parm sub, just in case ;)
The slices came out first and judging by appearance alone, they look very traditional (at least for North Jersey). I’m talking big hearty triangles with thin crispy crust.
The pepperoni immediately grabbed my attention for its exciting abundance of very small pepperonis. This is a good sign, because the most high quality pepperoni always comes in a thin stick.
Let’s take a moment to inspect the fold action on this bad boy.
Look at those crispy bubbles of crust. A perfect fold, structurally sound, ready to be taken to the streets if need be. And the taste was really quite good. Spicy pepperonis combined with a marinara that tastes fresh, bright, and effervescent… it’s everything you can ask for in a pepperoni slice.
Next to arrive at the table was the fancy pants lemon proscuitto slice.
Not gonna lie, I was feeling very skeptical about this one.
White pizzas are rarely my favorite because they tend to be a little… boring. This slice aims to solve that dilemma by “leaning in” as they say in the business world. Instead of settling for the classic recipe of ricotta cheese, garlic, parmesan and olive oil, they take things a step further with actual lemon slices. Just thrown right on top! It’s a bold move that I have never - in all my years of scarfing down pizza - seen before.
But the risk paid off: the taste is phenomenal. It’s sweet, tart, salty, and savory all in one bite. And the presentation is gorgeous. (Jesus, who am I? Must be spending too much time in California…)
Turns out a little burst of tart citrus was all the white pizza needed to shine. But we’re not even done yet… the way they drape the prosciutto over the top like a blanket on a princess is just *chef’s kiss.*
Finally, the slice of the day slice deserves mention as well.
Simple and rustic in approach, this slice bridges worlds between down and dirty pizzeria and top end California gourmet. The result is a simple but satisfying slice showcasing the freshness of the mushrooms and tomatoes (which are not even in season, they could be canned for all I know, but they taste good).
Other thoughtful touches at Marley’s includes a full suite of topping shakers: parmesan, garlic powder, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Many pizza joints in CA don’t have any of these. They just give you parm and red pepper in little paper packets like the peasant they think you are. It’s nice to see Marley’s attention to detail in offering the full set.
I was also pleased by all the Boylan’s soda they have in the fridge.
This is super authentic North Jersey. I didn’t even know you could get it out here. My favorite flavor? Creamy Red Birch Beer for life.
Now how about those sub sandwiches? (Read my lips: Not grinder. Not hoagie. Sub!)
The chicken parm regrettably came out a little burnt around the edges, but that’s just human error and not something I deduct a lot of points for. Overall, I’d rank this sandwich as good, but not great. Let me explain. They nailed it with the cheese and sauce (note how its all melty and strings across like a mozzarella stick). But the chicken portion was pretty skimpy - the single cutlet struggles to fill the bread. There were many chickenless bites on this sub, which is a disappointment considering it costs $15 ($5 more than it costs on the East Coast, but Alameda is gentrified to shit, so what are ya gonna do?). Nothing tasted bad here, they just need to refine their portioning a bit.
My two cents? Take those fat chicken breasts and slice them in half, horizontal-wise to make two thin chicken breasts. They fry up crispier this way, and two thinner cutlets stacked in the sandwich with cheese and sauce creates a pleasant layering effect.
For its part, the meatball sub redeemed any shortcomings of the chicken parm.
This one was full of meat, and the meatballs themselves were delicious. Moist, herbaceous, flavorful… everything you want from a meatball and more.
FINAL THOUGHTS
All things considered, I can firmly recommend Marley G’s pizza as an authentic Jersey-style slice joint that checks all the boxes. The slices are big, shaped like a triangle, have thin crispy crust, and excellent toppings. They also make both chicken parm and meatball subs, which have been sorely lacking out here in California. Bonus points for saying fuck you to ranch dressing.
WEST COAST: 9.5
EAST COAST: 8.5
As a bonus, here’s a rare photo of the author experience a moment of bliss at Marley G’s.
