Bay Area tech entrepreneur Ethan Agarwal tells Axios he's joining the crowded race for California governor as a Democrat "who believes in capitalism."

Why it matters: At least a dozen candidates are running to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, but no one has emerged as a clear frontrunner. Agarwal has a steep uphill climb but could get a boost from his myriad Silicon Valley connections.

• He has already lined up fundraising events held by such local luminaries as Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan, DoorDash co-founder Stanley Tang, and Tribe Capital co-founder Arjun Sethi.
• He also has local bonafides, having founded and sold two startups (fintech company The Coterie and digital fitness platform Aaptiv) that raised over $100 million from VC firms like Andreessen Horowitz.

Zoom in: Agarwal's pet issue is ending the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), a state environmental regulation he believes has strayed far from its original intent — instead becoming a silver bullet blocking new construction.

• "We're losing people to other states because our housing and energy are too expensive — those are infrastructure problems that have been allowed to get out of control because CEQA gets used maliciously."
• He also bemoans other rules and fees that have cost California everything from film productions to autonomous vehicle testing.

The intrigue: Agarwal draws a bright line between his politics and those of fellow Democrats like Elizabeth Warren and Zohran Mamdani.

• "We have some things in common, like being pro-choice and believing in gun control and LGBTQ rights and immigration. But I fiercely support capitalism and meritocracy, and believe California could use some business and tech acumen to fix things in a way that other candidates in the race won't."
• His platform includes changing CEQA so that projects are presumed approved unless a local community opts in to the review process, moving the state capital to San Francisco or Los Angeles and mandating free, on-site teacher housing for new schools.

The big picture: Nearly 4 in 10 California voters are undecided on the governor's race, per a recent poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies.

• Former Congress member Katie Porter holds a small lead (17%), followed by Republican Riverside County sheriff Chad Bianco (10%) and former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra (9%).

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Tony's Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco has been ranked as the third best pizza in the U.S., per 50 Top Pizza, a prestigious Italian pizza guide.

The big picture: Run by chef Tony Gemignani, the flagship North Beach restaurant has consistently racked up pizza awards since opening in 2009.

• Tony's slipped to No. 3 this year in the U.S. category, edged out by second-place winner Pizzeria Sei in Los Angeles, known for its unique Tokyo-style pies.
• New York City's Una Pizza Napoletana — formerly based in San Francisco — remained the first-place winner for the third year in a row.

What they're saying: "Tony Gemignani has been the prodigy of American artisanal pizza," 50 Top Pizza wrote in its ranking of the local pizzaiolo.

Zoom in: The menu at Tony's includes everything from American favorites like New York and Detroit to Italian staples like Sicilian and Neapolitan.

Nadia's thought bubble: Lines to dine at the highly coveted spot had already started forming before its noon opening on Tuesday. The number of options were almost too much to take in for a lone weekday lunch diner, so I popped by the Slice House next door for a bite.

• The fast-casual spinoff is the go-to hack — ideal for a quick slice or ordering takeout from the Tony's menu when the restaurant is too packed or you don't want to wait.
• I ordered the special — Webb's Double Sausage ($7.50) — with tomato sauce, mozzarella, two types of sausage, crispy pepperoni and red onions. Not only was it delicious, but part of the proceeds also benefit children in palliative care.

💭 Shawna's thought bubble: I loved going to Tony's as a kid with my family and trying all the different pizzas there. It was truly my introduction to quality Italian fare.

💭 Claire's thought bubble: I've tried lining up for Tony's plenty of times with no luck. Knowing they make some of the best pizza in the world, it's now my mission. (But maybe I'll start with the Slice House!)

If you go: Tony's is open daily, hours vary, at 1570 Stockton St. Find the Slice House at 1556 Stockton St.

Tell a pizza lover

🏗️ A Potrero Hill affordable housing project is finally breaking ground after being in development for five years. (KQED)

🍽️ Celebrity chef Michael Minna is teaming up with Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry to open up a new bar called The Eighth Rule in Union Square this fall. (SFGATE)

I was waiting in line to eat at a famous ramen shop the other day when the neon yellow lights caught my eye.

• It's rare to see these types of game arcades in America compared to countries like South Korea and Taiwan, so I had to poke my head in.
• The arcade is filled with a range of prizes, from adorable plushies of all sizes to tech gear and keychains.

Yes, but: No one can convince me that these types of claw games aren't rigged, so I did not actually partake.

• I did enjoy watching people try their best — though most gave up out of frustration after a few tries.

👀 Send your best guess for where I was at! Bonus points if you can identify the specific floor.