After enjoying a splendid musical production of “The Lunchbox” at the Berkeley Rep, based on one of my favorite films of the same name, I did the only logical thing afterward:

I stuffed myself silly with pizza.

After all, it was only a short stroll away from the theater to Rose Pizzeria, which the New York Times named in 2024 as one of “The Best Pizzas in America.”

Owners, married couple Gerad Gobel and Alexis Rorabaugh, also opened a second location this spring, this one in San Francisco.

The original Berkeley location is tiny, so it pays to make a reservation in advance if you can. Otherwise, you’re in for a wait.

After the matinee production, it was still sunny and warm enough to enjoy an early dinner on the compact back patio, especially with a Le Fizz ($12) in hand. Think non-alcoholic spritzer, citrusy bright with the taste of orange, and garnished with an orange slice.

The “Spicy Caesar Salad” ($14) isn’t that spicy despite the presence of Calabrian chili in the dressing. But it’s a powerhouse of umami, what with Shared Cultures miso also in the creamy dressing. If you choose to add anchovies ($4), a good number are added. It’s a sizeable salad, too.

The warm gigante beans ($17.50) is a treat with the big buttery beans served warm in a pool of olive oil, pickled artichokes, salty bits of sheep’s milk feta, and a shower of fresh parsley and red onion.

It comes with a slab of warm, chewy focaccia to dunk into all that seasoned oil. Should you have leftover beans to take home, they make for a great little lunch the next day, too.

The pizzas measure 14 inches in diameter, and are made of naturally leavened dough featuring just-milled flour. That means pizzas with sturdy crusts, good chewiness especially along the rims, and a developed, slightly tangy flavor that makes you want to enjoy every last bite.

The Champion ($26) stars roasted mushrooms scattered all over the top in a white-sauce pizza. There’s melty mozzarella that melds with cream, leeks, black pepper, and Pecorino to create almost a cacio e pepe-like taste in pizza form.

The Old Faithful ($26) may be listed with goat horn peppers along with the descriptor of “spicy!” on the menu. But after consulting with our server who assured us the peppers added a fruity warmth and were not nearly as spicy as jalapenos, we went for it.

I’m so glad we did, too, because this fennel pork sausage-studded pizza with mozzarella, Pecorino, and Sicilian oregano was delicious and balanced with the gentlest bit of heat on the finish. I especially loved the tomato sauce on it that was so concentrated in sweet-tangy tomato flavor that it was almost like tomato paste.

You can’t get much better than first-rate pizza and a show on a lazy Sunday. Do yourself a favor and see “The Lunchbox” before it closes on July 12. It will make you laugh. It will make you cry. It will make your heart melt.