From stoner's delight to Instagram hit: Cheese-dusted pizza crusts are popping off in the Bay Area

Pizza with shredded Parmesan lovingly dusted along its crust is becoming an increasingly familiar sight on Instagram. These pies look like they’re surrounded by a fluffy ring of snow. The chefs responsible for the micro-trend say the reasoning is pretty simple: Cheese + Crust = Good. Craig Murli, whose blistered pies at June’s Pizza tend to sell out within 30 minutes, said the cheesy wisdom came to him during his West Oakland restaurant’s first day of business. He was making a pizza for a friend who happened to be very, very stoned. As a joke, Murli grated a bunch of Parmesan over the crust — and the friend freaked out with delight. Murli decided it was a great move for sober people, too. Murli already knew he’d grate Grana Padano and Pecorino Romano on every pie, so bringing the cheese all the way to the edges was a subtle variation that he began on June’s second day in business back in March. He also reasoned that, as a takeout-only business, it makes sense to fill the edges of the square box with more cheese. “When you finish eating, you can squish the crusts with leftover Parmesan and then you have…
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