1. Jinny’s Pizzeria

201 E. Fourth St., Santa Ana

714-492-5453

jinnyspizzeria.com

When Nathaniel Nguyen considered opening a restaurant at the 4th Street Market, pizza was the last thing on his mind. He wanted to create a barbecue menu. But food hall developer Ryan Chase had a hankering for pizza. Nguyen, who was running successful catering company The Prince & Pantry, switched gears and developed Jinny’s Pizzeria — a hybrid of his two favorite styles: California and East Coast. Having grown up in the Bay Area, he loved the seasonal toppings found at The Cheese Board Pizza in Berkeley. He also loves thin crust. Still, he wouldn’t dare call Jinny’s a “New York style” pizza when it opened. “We didn’t want to draw the comparisons,” he said. But, nonetheless, the crowds have spoken.

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In 18 months, Jinny’s has earned a legion of fans who swoon over Nguyen’s thin crust gourmet pizza by the slice. Like a typical New York walk up stand, Jinny’s sells large foldable slices cut from 18-inch pies. The hand-tossed pizzas come with scratch sauces. The best is the rich and creamy Béchamel. Try it with market vegetables such as wild mushrooms or with uncured bacon and fennel sausage. That’s my favorite. But it doesn’t really matter. Any combination works. Jinny’s makes about 30 different pies, all of which rotate daily. And, don’t forget the pasta. Jinny’s, which delivers within a 5-mile radius, packs up spaghetti and meatballs, rigatoni and fettuccine. One of the food stand’s signature pies is a pizza topped with spaghetti and meatballs. The off-menu item is available on weekends.