SacFoodies

You're Gonna Want a Pizza This!

by SacFoodies

By Cheyenne Cameron-Pruitt and Laurel Harrison
October is National Pizza Month! We stopped by Pizza Rock for a pizza feast to kick off the month, and what a feast it was!
Laurel:
Even though I’ve lived in/near Sacramento since childhood, I had never been to Pizza Rock on K Street before last Friday. Because I’m a strict thin-crust pizza aficionado and I’ve found that many large pizza places don’t get them right, I tend to stay away from larger pizza joints on the whole. However, my friends and coworkers raved about Pizza Rock, so when SacFoodies was invited to sample some menu items, I was very excited especially since Pizza Rock’s Executive Chef, Laura Meyer, was at the dinner to talk about the different offerings.

Burratina di Margherita

The food at Pizza Rock exceeded my expectations by 1 gazillion percent. I was so incredibly surprised and pleased at the quality of the pizza, the inventiveness, and the culinary knowledge displayed by Chef Meyer.
We tried everything from classic Neapolitan pizza to Detroit “Blue-Steel Pan” pizza, with lots of happy dances in-between. Chef Meyer said it best when she told us that the ideal pizza should be light enough that you can eat, have a drink and go out dancing without feeling tired or bloated. And guess what, Foodie Friends? I ate the pizza, had a drink, and went out dancing – and it was awesome.

Cracker Thin Chicago Michigan Avenue

Personally, my favorite pizza of the night was the “Cracker-Thin Chicago Michigan Avenue,” a super-thin crust pizza with spicy pepperoni and crispy, bubbly cheese. Like I said – thin-crust pizza all the way, baby. I will definitely be returning to Pizza Rock in the future, and, thanks to Chef Meyer, have a great sense of the range Pizza Rock has to offer.
Cheyenne:
When SacFoodies got the invite to sample some of Pizza Rock’s menu to kick off National Pizza Month I was thrilled! I had only been to Pizza Rock once before, but the vibe and great food made the experience a memorable one. I am a pizza connoisseur, I like thin crust, hand-tossed, deep dish and wood-fire. If it is pizza, I will try it.

When we sat down for the tasting and saw the array of options that were coming to us, to say I was excited would be an understatement! Pizza Rock’s Executive Chef really puts her time, energy and passion behind each dish, and you can taste it! Pizza is a fine science, and I would consider her the Marie Curie of the Pizza Rock kitchen. We ate A LOT of pizza, but it didn’t leave me feeling weighed down or sleepy. Just satisfied with a delicious meal and ready for the rest of the night.

New Yorker

It was really hard to pick a favorite because at some point in the night each and every slice was my top pick. One of the most unique to me was the Detroit Red Top pizza. This pizza is cooked in a blue-steel pan (which aren’t made anymore, thank goodness Pizza Rock has a few!), with Cabot and Brick cheeses and Butter toasted Cheese corners. You read it right… There. Was. A. Cheese. Skirt. On. The. Pizza! They didn’t stop there though, the garlic oil, and two racing stripes of sauce finished off this creation. When the pizza came out, all of our jaws literally dropped because it looks like a monster of a meal, but the slices were light and airy when we bit into them and Oh, so delicious!

Detroit Red Top

Though it was hard to pick, my absolute favorite of the night and a Pizza Rock exclusive was the Sausage and Stout Pizza. This pie starts with a honey malted dough made with “Homeland Stout” from the New Helvetica Brewery, house-made beer sausage and mozzarella (the only pizza you will find this on), Caramelized Onions, Crushed Red Peppers, Beer Salt and a Sweet Stout Reduction. The sweetness of the honey merged so well with the stout in the dough, and those flavors paired perfectly with each ingredient. This pizza is going to be hard to beat for me. If you stop by Pizza Rock, you HAVE to try this one.

Sausage Stout Pizza

Pizza Rock’s menu is huge, and you will not be disappointed. Great drinks like the Sweet Home Alabama and the Fat Bottomed Girl (yes, that’s really the name) and delicious appetizers like the Coccoli (Think a hollow, savory donut served with burrata and prosciutto) round out the dining experience!

Coccoli

It’s the perfect time to stop by Pizza Rock to indulge in one of these beauties. Let us know which pie is your pick!

OBO’ Italian Table and Bar

by SacFoodies

The latest Selland Family Restaurant to open in Sacramento, OBO’ Italian Table and Bar, is located in East Sacramento next to the new Kru location. OBO’, which opened in June, follows suit with fellow Selland restaurants in that there is no formal table service – you order at the counter, take a number, and your food is delivered to your table when it’s ready. Randall Selland calls it a “non-committal” approach, and I’d have to agree.
I recently grabbed a table at OBO’ on a Saturday night when my husband and I felt like dining out, but just wanted something casual, yet not take-out casual. OBO’, like most Selland restaurants, fits this description perfectly. It’s a best of both worlds approach – I can still have a nice glass of wine and a delicious meal, but skip the formalities and often lengthier process of a typical sit-down restaurant if I’m not in the mood.

We shared two dishes, the Tagliatelle Poached Egg Pasta with prosciutto, lemon, butter, chives and topped with a poached egg, and the Bianca Sausage & Olive Pizza, featuring ricotta, fresh mozzarella, garlic, chili and castelvetrano olives. At $10.50 and $14 respectively, both dishes were not only delicious but reasonably priced as well. We paired our meal with a couple of glasses of Nebbiolo to round things out, because who can enjoy Italian food without Italian wine?
If you are a fan of Selland Family restaurants and haven’t tried OBO’ yet, I highly recommend you do so next time you find yourself hungry in East Sac. Meanwhile, I’ll be awaiting the opening of Selland’s Market-Cafe (and Bike Dog Brewing Co. next door) in my own neighborhood of Land Park, on the Broadway corridor.
OBO’ Italian Table and Bar
3145 Folsom Boulevard
Sacramento, CA 95816
916-822-8720

Farm to Office: May 5th

by SacFoodies

by Brandon Smith
It’s officially that time of year! The Downtown Farmers’ Market season is upon us. Thursday, May 5th kicked off the Capitol Mall farmers’ market and we were not going to let the dark skies and 40 percent chance of precipitation keep us from the food.
Here’s a look at what the SacFoodies opted for on our first day back at the market:
Four varieties of wood-fired pizza from The Pizza Company.

Brandon Pizza
Photo courtesy of Brandon Smith

“Spicy Chicken over Rice” from Gyro 2 Go.

Kris Chicken and Rice
Photo courtesy of Kris Caputo

The Capitol Mall farmers’ market takes place every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., May through September.
Check back next Thursday for more of our favorite “Farm to Office” finds.

SLICED: A Celebration of All Things Pizza

by SacFoodies

All things pizza



A celebration of all things pizza, you say? I, for one, LOVE pizza, (refer to “favorite food” in my SacFoodies bio), so I knew that I immediately needed to get the details on this Sacramento pizza celebration.
Over the next week or so, the SLICED Pizza Celebration will bring Sacramento pizza-lovers a wealth of opportunities to enjoy some of the best pizza the area has to offer, including slices from SacFoodies favorites like Federalist Public House & Beer Garden, Hot Italian, Masullo (my personal Land Park neighborhood pizza staple), Chicago Fire, Buffalo Pizza, Urbano and more.
From October 17th – 25th, these local pizzerias and more will be celebrating and demonstrating their craft for all to enjoy. From nightly specials, to chef competitions, instructional courses and even a bike pizza tour with Sac Brew Bike, there’s a pizza party for every personality, including the kids. Highlights include:

SLICED will be posting more details over the coming days on the SLICED event Facebook page, so be sure to check there for updates.