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Feature

September 9, 2015

Is Howies dough worth your dough?

By CLAIRE BUGOS
and ABIGAIL WANG
Executive Editor and Opinion Editor
If youre a crust-lover, you will absolutely be a Howies lover. With its light
and elegant pizza creations and array
of meal options such as burgers, salads,
sandwiches and breakfast items, the
newly-opened Howies Artisan Pizza is
well-equipped to serve a truly quality
American meal.
On our latest mission to uncover the
best new restaurants in Redwood City,
the Raven Report decided to put Howies
to the test.
The first Howies was founded in Palo
Alto by Howard Bulka, and the second
Photo by Claire Bugos
restaurant was opened on Jefferson Ave.,
Howies Baked Potato and Prosciutto Arugula pizzas were light and fresh. You
nestled between the post office and a
should be able to eat half a Howies pizza and not feel like a bomb just blew up
tanning salon in Redwood City. Howies
in your stomach, said Howard Bulka, owner and chef at Howies Pizza.
seems to be situated in a location particularly vulnerable to noisy traffic and brellas and an overhang to protect din- crispy potatoes seasoned with herbs and
annoying pedestrians. Once we were ers from the elements while enjoying salt, and garnished with bacon pieces. It
seated in the outdoor
the warm California was just as visually appealing as it was in
courtyard,
however,
taste (feel free to foodgramwe did).
climate.
we noticed that the If you are the person who feeds
Because we didnt The earthy potatoes were just crunchy
semi-enclosed feeling the crust to your dog, you must
think we could possi- enough and allowed for the herbs and
of the seating area not give Howies crust a try.
bly eat more than one cheese to come through to create a balonly kept the cars out
pizza together, we or- ance of flavors.
of view but also restricted the noise to dered a half-Baked Potato and half-ProMaybe the heavenly taste of the baked
whatever was produced by the banter of sciutto and Arugula pie. This is a great potato pizza simply set the standard too
the many families and friends that filled option if your party is small and you high because the Prosciutto and Arugula
the restaurant. The decor was clean and want to try more than one kind.
Pizza ($23) pizza was not the winner. The
simple and the space was softly-lit and
The Baked Potato Pizza ($19) was arugula had a fresh and zesty taste and
well-equipped with space heaters, um- topped with a creamy white sauce, there was just enough of it to satisfy each

Q&A
with Howard Bulka,

bite, but the pizza lacked something to

counter its slightly bitter flavor. The prosciutto was delicious but the pieces were
huge and had to be eaten more or less
in one bite, making eating look slightly
barbaric. Definitely not a good choice
for date night. However, we still enjoyed
this pizza because of the freshness and
quality of the ingredients which left us
feeling satisfied but not bloated.
The real star of the show in both pizzas, however, was the crust. If you are the
person who feeds the crust to your dog,
you must give Howies crust a try. It harmoniously balances soft and fresh with
satisfyingly crunchy. Crust-shunners,
move over.
Overall, our adventure to Howies was
worth the while. The service was great
the hosts and waiters were friendly and
prompt. The biggest complaint of ours
came from our wallets. The cheapest
pizza option (tomatoes and cheese) costs
$16 and most of the sandwiches are
priced upwards of $11. As soon as we
saw that carrot and celery sticks cost $4,
we knew that this is the kind of restaurant you beg your parents to take you to
(and pay for).
Howies is a family-oriented restaurant, and caters to this with family-style
seating and simple, well-done food.
Whether its your weekly pizza run with
friends, a family night out, or to quit
your crustless life, Howies is the place to
be, so start saving.

owner and chef

How did Howies end up in

Redwood City?
Even though the menu has
grown and expanded here in
Redwood City, the heart of the
restaurant is still the pizza and
were good at it. Weve been
[making pizza] for a long time
so we kind of worked out the
bugs in Palo Alto six years ago
and we are able to just bring it
forward here without too much
commotion.
What makes Howies unique?
What I respect about food
is simple things done impeccably well. That is kind of the
banner Ive carried into battle
all these years when Ive been
a cook and a chef. Ive lived in
the world of more complicated
food, more contemporary food,
more avant-garde food and I
can do that...but my heart and
my passion is that simple things
are better than more complicated things done well.
Every dish, every plate of
food is a meditation on that
product so if its pizza, a hamburger, or a martini I begin by
asking myself basic questions;
What is it that makes a great
pizza?...Pizza is such a loved

food...most people eat pizza at

least once a week, its almost
like a hamburger, its such a
popular American food and the
question is why?...Its freshly
baked bread, melted cheese, its
a fabulous variety of textures
There are strong flavors, there
are subtle flavors and tart flavors and sweet flavors and all of
it has to come together in a way
thats really harmonious.

Photo by Claire Bugos

What is the process to make a

pizza?
We worked on [the pizza
dough] for a whole yearit began with a natural sourdough
starter on my countertop in my
home kitchen. I was making
two pounds at a time and now
we make dough 300 pounds at
a time.

uct. Overtime, chain pizza places really took over the world.
One thing I discovered is
less is more, a pizza is really
about balance, it is a delicate
thing. You should be able to eat
half a Howies pizza and not feel
like a bomb just blew up in your
stomach. Every bite should lead
you to the next one.

How did you become involved

in the pizza business?
When I was your age every
neighborhood had a pizzeria.
The neighborhood pizza is really where artisan pizza was born.
It was somebody making pizza
from scratch everyday, somebody who really cared about
their customers, and cared
about the quality of the prod-

What advice do you have for

aspiring chefs?
To be a really good chef, to
get into [this] world you really
have to spend a decade working. For me it was the best time
I ever spent...when I really reflect on it, everyday I was in
whites with a knife in my hand
or a saut pan in my hand, I was
happy.

Howies at a glance
Food
Ambiance
Price
Location
Variety
Service
Pizza Any Way You Like It
Pizza Margherita
Salmon Burger
Prosciutto Benedict

Wedge O Salad

Fresh pastries on weekends

$16.00
$18.00
$13.00
$13.50
$11.00
$3.50

Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Dinner 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
837 Jefferson Ave, Redwood City