BERKELEY, Calif. — On the corner of Shattuck Avenue and Bancroft Way you’ll find BUILD pizzeria, a restaurant that focuses on traditional Italian food with a modern spin. The goal is to combine the past and present while also bringing a relaxed feel, said General Manager Jonatan Martinez.
The restaurant recently reopened after a small kitchen fire in which there were no injuries.
TEEN OBSERVER sat down with Martinez and Sous Chef Jonathan Popenuck recently to talk about the restaurant in such a culinary competitive area as Berkeley. Both said quality comes first, which means sometimes quality exceeds locality. An example is San Marzano tomatoes, which are not bought locally, but many of their ingredients are.
While the menu was created with the goal of keeping prices reasonable, they wanted to also be able to cater to students who weren’t able to afford it. Last semester for one day out of the week, BUILD hosted “Cal Nights.” On those occasions, students with their Cal IDs were offered a discounted menu.