As of Thursday, New Star Shines in Albany

Before gourmet pizza hit Solano Avenue, we had Café Vin, in the 1980s, making yeasty, thick-crusted pies that were heavy on tomato sauce and cheese.

Then came Cheeseboard on Shattuck, with its radical toppings and diversion from mozzarella to goat and other cheeses.

Later, Zachary's at the east end of Solano, drew a dedicated following with its deep dish hearty pies.

Now Albany is poised to host a new contender in the world of exceptional pizza with Little Star Pizza, which is scheduled to open Thursday night on Solano. Its two San Francisco restaurants, one in the Mission district on Valencia Street and another in the Western Addition, have won over the taste buds of their many patrons.

Little Star co-owner Jon Guhl said he wants to "bring something unique to Albany. We also want to provide a nice dining experience with good service."

The new restaurant will open July 29. The ribbon cutting ceremony, hosted by the Albany Chamber of Commerce, will take place the first week of August. Stay tuned to Albany Patch for details.

Establishing its neighborly intentions from the start, Little Star will host a benefit for Albany schools on Aug. 2, though it typically will be closed Mondays.

The ambience of Little Star's Mission district restaurant is neighborhood chatty, drawing both families and a hip young crowd. Guhl said he plans to continue this on Solano, with a 17-seat bar in an upper section where beer and wine will be available; the rest of the dining area spans a lower section that will seat more than 48. There will also be outside seating.

Mike Foley, general manager of the Divisidero Street location, said the Albany restaurant will have a retro-chic, art-industrial look, with recycled wood-paneled walls painted different colors, exposed wood tables, a concrete floor, dim lighting and wrought iron work on walls.

Allen Cain, executive director of the Solano Avenue Association, said the business is welcome on the street, and that the association is "more than excited" about the opening.

He said Little Star likely will draw people from outside the area, "introducing them to and reminding them that such a wonderful place like Solano exists."

Little Star will be one of many independent businesses on the strip, Cain said, describing Solano as "the last stand for independently-owned business, in that it has the largest concentration of 'mom and pop' proprietorships in the area."

Cain said the association has been concerned with a high number of vacancies within certain "micro-districts," which he attributed in part to excessive rents.

"We are thrilled that Little Star Pizza will call Solano Avenue home, and are now more hopeful when it comes to the remaining vacancies," he said. "A pizza establishment of this type is categorically a 'positive' place, typically with an upbeat vibe and families eating pizza, and we suspect Little Star will act as a social venue and not just a pizza place."

See our review of the Mission district Little Star here.