You don’t need a special day or even an excuse to do it. It’s something we all do. Some people do it before bed, some at midday, and more than you think do it cold in the morning. It’s perfectly normal. Eating pizza is a national pastime. In San Diego’s beach communities, there are a variety of pizzas to choose from – from healthy cauliflower crust to Detroit-style sheet pizza to old school Italian hot pies – you’re going to find a slice of love. With National Pizza Day this weekend on Feb. 9, San Diego Community Newspaper Group decided to highlight some of the local pizzas that our readers may enjoy. PACIFIC BEACH Powerhaus Wholesome Pizza & Eats
Powerhaus Wholesome Pizza & Eats really packs a culinary wallop, serving wholesome pizzas, superfood smoothies, nourishing wraps, unique salads and Kombucha on tap. A variety of pizzas to meet customers’ health needs are offered including high protein crusts, two gluten-free options, a traditional garlic herb made with organic flour, and a unique and crispy cauliflower crust.
Powerhaus uses only wholesome, nutritious, all-natural and organic ingredients. Dairy is grass-fed, and all meats used are naturally-raised with plant-based, vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.
“At Powerhaus Wholesome Pizza & Eats, we serve an elevated and health-driven take of the craveable foods you love,” said pizzeria owner Anisha Blodgett. “Our pizzas are made with nutritious, natural, organic, grass-fed, and farm-fresh ingredients. We provide vegan, gluten-free, and macro-friendly options to meet your health needs. Visit our beach-themed restaurant in Pacific Beach. We’re here to feed the yogi, adventurer, and athlete in you to nourish your body and power your soul.”
The eatery is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Powerhaus Wholesome Pizza & Eats
1550 Garnet Ave.
858-886-7666
powerhauspizza.com. Square Pizza Co. For something a little different, Square Pizza offers thin-crust Boston Beach Pizza, Upside-down Sicilian, and Detroit Style pies. The pizzeria owners grew up in the North Shore of Boston, where there’s a style of pizza called “Beach Pizza,” which they decided to bring to San Diego. But they didn’t stop there, on a trip to Brooklyn they tried pizza where cheese went down first, then sauce on top. It looked and sounded different, and they loved it. Then they included Detroit’s favorite sheet pizza that has a soft yet crispy bottom dough, caramelized cheese around the edges and house-made sauce on top. All three styles are available, along with gluten-free options, for an amazing pizza experience. “We took the best of local favorites from Boston, New York, and Detroit and put our spin on it to make great pizza,” said Fred Santos, Square Pizza Co. owner. Square Pizza Co. 4508 Cass St. 858-412-4469
squarepizzaco.com. Marino’s Italian Restaurant
A classic, sit-down, family-run, time-honored classic Italian restaurant in Pacific Beach, Marino’s Italian Restaurant is considered by many to be a hidden gem.
“Our family-owned business has been serving PB since 1954,” said restaurant spokeswoman Camille Gordon-Kling. “Our pizza dough and sauce has been made the same way, by hand, for the last 66 years. Try it with sausage, made in house, or fresh veggies.” 
Hours at this old-school neighborhood venue offering traditional pizza and various pasta dishes in vibrant, colorful surroundings are 4 to 9 p.m. daily.
Marino’s Italian Restaurant
4475 Ingraham St.
858-490-0168. Mamma Mia There are few things that are better than fresh, made-to-order thin-crust pizza pies – and Mamma Mia’s Italian restaurant has some of the best. The quaint eatery masquerades as a small home-style cottage but inside smells of baked bread and homemade pasta. Some of the more original pizzas on this their menu include the Cotto E Funghi Pizza with ham and mushrooms, the Polpette Pizza with meat sauce, meatballs and provolone cheese along with the Ligure Piza with pesto, mozzarella cheese, and sautéed shrimp. Mamma Mia’s pizza is not only delicious but also light! In fact, you could be eating a great, Italian-style pizza with only under 800 calories (ask chef Cinzia Mezzetti or her staff for more information). They also offer gluten-free options. Mamma Mia Italian
1932 Balboa Ave
858-272-2702
mammamiasandiego.com MISSION BEACH Rosaria Pizza
Here is a trendy spot for pasta and sandwiches, as well as innovative options including their Vietnamese-style pizza. The restaurant is committed to making its customers happy with one of the best-tasting pizzas in San Diego. Rosaria prides itself on serving the Mission Beach community and its visitors. Only the freshest ingredients are used and the cooking stove provides the latest in technology contributing to just the right amount of crisp in the end product of dough and bread.
“We have a Vietnamese sweet and spicy pulled pork pizza that we’re famous for,” according to Rosaria cooks. “It’s saucy and spicy, we use chili powder flakes, and very interesting. Once you try it you go, ‘Oh, my God.’”
Pizza crust used at Rosaria is just right, not too thick or thin. There is also a deep-dish pizza choice on the menu. A total of 13 different styles of pizza are available. The eatery also offers pastas, chicken wings, sandwiches, and salads. 
Rosaria Pizza
3741 Mission Blvd.
858-488-7220
rosariapizza.com. Gabbiano Pizza Pizza toppings include pepperoni, Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, salami, ham, meatballs, fresh garlic, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, black olives, jalapeno peppers, pineapple, fresh tomatoes, anchovies, turkey, extra cheese, pepperoncini’s, genoa salami, Cotto salami, artichoke, chicken, and bacon.
Pizzas come in 12-, 14- and 16-inch sizes. There are also an 8-inch pizza for one and by-the-slice options. Seating inside is limited but patio seating outside is available. Besides its pies, is known for its delectable sandwiches
Gabbiano Pizza
2912 Mission Blvd.
858-488-4010. Round Table Pizza
In 1959, Bill Larson opened the first Round Table Pizza in Menlo Park where he envisioned a gathering place where you could “share a little pizza with someone you love,” which is why Belmont Park is the perfect place for the latest shop. Families can ride the Giant Dipper roller coaster, bumper cars, or Liberty Carousel working up an appetite for King Arthur-themed pizza with gold-standard ingredients, nobly topped to the edge, and classic recipes, hand-crafted in the same manner for almost six decades. Try Guinevere’s Garden Delight, Montague’s All Meat Marvel or King Arthur’s Supreme.
Round Table Pizza
3146 Mission Blvd. 858-228-9292
roundtablepizza.com. Luigi’s At The Beach It might surprise most people to hear that a slice of pizza at Luigi’s At The Beach on Mission Boulevard is $6.50. But it’s even more surprising to be presented with a slice of pizza that’s bigger than your torso. While it might induce a food coma, the oven-baked pizza, made from scratch, is worth every penny. The New York-style slice is fresh and perfect to fold and bite. Whether it’s a regular cheese slice or topped with anchovies and broccoli, one slice of this Mission Beach delicacy could feed a family for a week.
Luigi’s At The Beach 3210 Mission Blvd.
858-488-2818
luigisatthebeach.com. LA JOLLA Bernini’s Bistro
This local favorite has been a community staple for 22 years offering a wide variety of woodfired pizzas. Whether you’re filling up on your greens with the Nature Lovers pizza — drizzled with caramelized onions, grilled zucchini and jumbo white beans — or catering to your inner carnivore with the prosciutto, Canadian bacon sausage and all the other toppings that come with Everything But The Kitchen Sink, there’s something for everyone at Bernini’s. 
Owners Hamdi and Reyhan Gumustekin have been making pizza for over 29 years, first starting in Vancouver, British Columbia after Hamdi immigrated to Canada with $500 in his pocket and an engineering license from Turkey. 
The La Jolla couple has been in the restaurant business ever since, and they say they have their regular customers to thank — and their unique oven.
“We have one of the top ovens here,” said Hamdi. “It came from Italy, and it rotates the bottom of the pizza slowly so it cooks perfectly even.”
“But we’re also blessed with the nicest customers,” said Reyhan. “A lot of our regular customers have turned into friends.”
Bernini’s Bistro
7550 Fay Ave.
858-454-5013
berninisbistro.com Piazza 1909
This Italian spot brought back a historic La Jolla beach house first built in 1909 that was dubbed “The Brodiaea.” Now restored to the classic yet contemporary setting it’s known for, owners Roberta Ruffini-Ceresoli and Stefano Ceresoli opened the restaurant in 2015, naming it after the Italian word “Piazza,” which describes an “open space in the center of public life.”
Naturally, their pizzas mimic the couple’s Italian roots with savory combinations like Crudo & Rucola’s mozzarella, tomato, parma prosciutto and arugula or Cotto & Funghi’s mozzarella, tomato “cotto” hame and mushrooms. 
Piazza 1909
7731 Fay Ave.
858-412-3108
piazza1909.com Pizza Pronto
Boasting as one of the first pizza shops ever in La Jolla, Pizza Pronto offers freshly made pizza in classic styles for both Cheese Lovers (a delicious blend of ricotta, feta and mozzarella) and Meat Lovers (a yummy combination of pepperoni, ham, bacon and sausage) as well as some more unique options like the Philly Pizza, Chicken Bacon Ranch or Mushroom White. And of course, you can’t forget the must-have homemade red sauce.
The eatery also has a variety of salads, pastas, wraps, sandwiches and even kabobs on its menu.
Pizza Pronto
7556 Fay Ave.
858-459-9000
pizzaprontolj.com.