Gualala Pizza & Bakery

An actual bakery anchors the morning: doors open at 6am with morning buns and pastries, cookies, eclairs, Dreyer's ice cream by the scoop, and milkshakes. Regulars also rate the coffee — the shop bills it as the best in town and will make it just about any way you want. After the hot kitchen closes at 4pm, the bakery, ice cream, and coffee are what's on.

Pizza is the headliner, all made to order:

• The Gualala — the house "Monster" pie: every meat and every vegetable over marinara
• The Carnivore — all-meat: pepperoni, sausage, salami, Canadian bacon
• Prima Vera — all-vegetable: garlic, onion, green peppers, mushrooms, black olives, Roma tomatoes
• The Greek — spicy, with feta, pepperoncini, artichoke hearts, and crushed red pepper
• Your Creation — build your own with marinara, pesto, or ranch and up to five toppings

On the Mexican side, order at the counter from a deep bench of meats — asada, carnitas, chile verde, barbacoa, chorizo, lengua, plus salmon and snapper — in tacos, burritos, plates with rice and beans, enchiladas, chile relleno, or a chimichanga. The salmon and fish tacos cross over onto the appetizer menu too.

• The hot kitchen closes at 4pm, even though the doors stay open until 7pm (6pm Sunday). Come before 4 for pizza, Mexican, and sandwiches; after that it's bakery, ice cream, and coffee only.
• Opens early at 6am — it's a genuine morning stop for pastries and coffee, not just a lunch spot.
• Call ahead for take-out at (707) 884-4055; there's no email or online ordering, phone is the way.
• Counter service, casual — eat in at the mall or take it to go.
• Special-order pies are available if you plan ahead.
• Local tip (Wander): grab a pie or pastries and take them out to the Gualala bluffs for an ocean-view meal