You don’t have to venture very far from Clapham Common tube to find great food and drink. Fields, Mama Lan and The Dairy are a stone’s throw away, and you’ve only got to stumble down a a few stairs to get to the cosy WC wine bar. But if that all sounds like too much effort, you’ve now got the option to chow down as soon as you exit the station at Joe Public, a new “California-style” pizza slice joint from the savvy folk behind Brickwood and the adjacent WC.
“What makes a pizza place Californian?”, I hear you cry. Well, according to the Joe Public website, “California-style pizza uses more toppings and newer, fresher ingredient combinations”. Hm. Is that a style? At least Chicago put some effort in to theirs. Wikipedia on the other hand says:
California-style pizza (also known as California pizza or Gourmet pizza) is a style of single-serving pizza that combines New York and Italian thin crust with toppings from the California cuisine cooking style. Wikipedia
Sounds like pizza to me. Most importantly though, classifications aside, Joe Public is a wonderful little pizza joint in a brilliant location. There’s some smart indoor seating, as well as al fresco tables (with heaters) looking out on to Clapham Common. They’ve got their own beer cans, wine on tap, and slushy cocktails. And they have some really interesting bases and toppings on the menu which keep you going back for yet another slice. For example:
– Pesto base, feta, sweet potato, spinach, pine nut, beetroot – £4.50
– Olive tapenade base, artichoke, mushrooms, ham hock – £4
– Sweet potato base, lamb shank, purple potato, feta, mint and coriander yoghurt – £4.50
All the pizzas are also on offer in monster 20″ format, and gluten free bases are available on request. They are also cleverly tapping in to the commuter crowd by opening up as early as 6.30am on weekdays for bacon / sausage butties, slices, and coffee to go.
It’s a dangerous addition to my route home, especially as they are open til midnight every day. To tempt custom from further afield, they might want to consider adding some exciting beer taps – California-style. Just sayin’.
Mon-Fri 6.30am-12am, Sat-Sun 9am-12am
4 The Pavement, London, SW4 0HY
