SacFoodies

Paesanos

by SacFoodies

As gloomy weather descended upon Northern California, I was in the mood for something warm, hearty and comforting. For me, Italian food is always a wise go-to. To satisfy this craving I decided to stop by a long-time Sacramento favorite, Paesanos, and treat my mom to dinner (insert Best Son Ever award here).
Paesanos’ inviting atmosphere was immediately a relief from the dreary rain drops falling from the sky. We arrived shortly after happy hour, but I still decided to indulge in a lovely glass of wine as we took in the eclectic art that adorns the walls.

We started with my favorite appetizer on the menu, the Bocce Balls. These crisp yet fluffy pieces of rolled pizza dough are superb. They are placed on a plate filled with garlic butter, parmesan and basil—every garlic lover’s dream. They were so good, they were gone as quickly as they arrived.

For our dinner, we decided to do it family style and share our entrees. First, the delicious Tortellini Formaggio: cheesy little tortellini’s of goodness tossed in a pesto cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and topped with parmesan cheese. Tortellini is usually my pasta go-to, as is anything smothered in pesto. Paesanos has found the perfect blend of deliciousness by keeping their sauce perfectly creamy and satisfying. Asparagus, shrimp, chicken or soy-ginger skirt steak can be added to any of their pasta dishes for an extra kick.

Secondly, we settled on quite possibly my favorite food choice ever: pizza. As a recent college graduate, I must say, I have done my fair share of pizza sampling; But the Pizza at Paesanos is truly something special. After much indecisiveness, we settled upon the Greek, a truly divine pie topped with garlic (see a trend?), roasted peppers, red onions, spinach, black olives, mozzarella, feta and my favorite pizza topping of all time, artichokes. It wasn’t just the perfectly crisp and light crust paired with the toppings that made this pizza a standout; it was the touch of fresh lemon squeezed on top that made it a real home run for me.

Paesanos is a great choice if you are looking for something that always satisfies and won’t break the bank (our entire meal was under $35). In addition, you can be sure that you will get outstanding service with a smile. Both our waitress and hostess were wonderful.

With locations in midtown, Elk Grove, or Davis one can find a location in the Sacramento area that’s right around the corner!
Paesanos
1806 Capitol Ave.
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 447-8646

Galleto Ristorante, Modesto

by SacFoodies

By Jenna Buhagiar, Vanessa Smith and Shelly Kessen
As with many business professionals, lunch meetings are a usual occurrence for us around here, whether we are in Sacramento or on the road. While our business takes us everywhere from San Diego to Atlanta and even Miami, we often find ourselves traveling down 99 to our southerly neighbor of Modesto. How often to do we travel to Modesto? Well, earlier this year we even raved about the Happy Hour specials we found at one Modesto establishment. However, the more common circumstance of our Modesto foodie experience centers on the business lunch, because even in the middle of the work day, food is our top priority.

Enter: Downtown Modesto’s Galleto Ristorante, an ivy-covered building on the corner of 11th and J Streets. A spacious interior gives way to a wonderfully secluded outdoor patio, with ambiance that instantly transports you to Italy, as does the menu. From the panino and insalata specials (pictured above) to the unbeatably beautiful Margherita Pizza, Galleto’s is a Modesto mainstay worthy of any business lunch.


Galleto Ristorante
1101 J Street
Modesto, CA 95354
(209) 523-4500

Asparagus and Ricotta Pizza

by SacFoodies

The SacFoodies have written about OneSpeed Pizza in the past, but being new to the area I recently made my first visit with some friends and loved it! I ordered a salad, which was delicious, but I admittedly spent most of the meal stealing pizza from my fiancé. Can you blame me? If you have ever been there, then you know the OneSpeed pizzas are full of fresh and unique ingredients.

With this experience in mind, I was so excited to find a recipe in this month’s Real Simple that reminded me of the wonderful pizza served at OneSpeed.  Now you can make gourmet pizza in your own kitchen! Of course if you feel like relaxing and letting someone else do the work, head over to OneSpeed for the real deal.


Recipe: Asparagus and Ricotta Pizza

Ingredients

  • 1 pound pizza dough, at room temperature
  • Cornmeal, for the baking sheet
  • 1 pound asparagus, halved crosswise and lengthwise
  • 5 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups ricotta
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups baby arugula
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 400° F.
  2. Shape the dough into 4 rounds and place on 2 cornmeal-dusted baking sheets.
  3. Dividing evenly, top the dough with the asparagus, mushrooms, and garlic, then add the ricotta, Parmesan, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
  4. Season with the salt and pepper.
  5. Place in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, switching the pans halfway through, until the crust is golden brown and crisp. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the arugula with the lemon juice, the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
  6. Top the pizzas with the arugula just before serving.
  7. Makes 4 servings.

Variations

I made one big square pizza and added chicken to bump up the protein content.

Recipe by Charlyne Mattox and Courtesy of Real Simple May 2011

Pizza Rock, Sacramento

by SacFoodies

by Brooke Burgess and Vanessa Smith
Like Sonny and Cher or Bonnie and Clyde, what is possibly a more dynamic combination than Pizza and Rock?  With plenty of buzz about the food, the awards – co-owner Tony Gemignani won the World Pizza Cup in Naples, Italy – and décor, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to check it out with some good friends on a rainy workweek.  Needless to say, we were not disappointed.  Located in Sacramento’s K Street Mall, this gourmet pizzeria is a spectacular assault on your senses.

The menu was surprisingly diverse, offering tantalizing fare from pizza to burgers to calzones.  The pizza aficionados in us appreciated the different pizza styles – Napolitana (super thin crust prepared in around 90 seconds in their 900° Wood Fired Cirigliano Forni Oven), Classic Italian and American (baked in a Rotoflex Gas Brick Oven with special sauces), Sicillian (focaccia-like crust baked in a Marsal Gas Brick Oven) and Pizza Romana (baked in a Cuppone Italian Electric Brick Oven).  The restaurant space was open and airy and the décor was wild – with a semi-truck hovering over the bar mixed in with an over-the-top take on the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

Overall, it was a fun lunch experience and we’d definitely go back for more!

Sarah Kindelt
While Sacramento is more than a stone’s throw from Italy, the Margherita pizza made it seem like we were just next door.  This is to me a staple of authentic Italian pizza – and Pizza Rock hit it out of the park. A thin, chewy crust, light tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and basil, and a little EVOO to finish it off. I’m told it only takes 90 seconds to cook, but according to the menu they only sell 73 of these a day.  So I guess the only solution will be to have my husband install that brick pizza oven I’ve always wanted. Oh and a nod to the website – while I was doing a little pre-lunch menu scouting, I much enjoyed the Beastie Boys background music.

Vanessa Smith
Give me pesto, on anything, anytime. I jumped at the chance to share The Primavera with Brooke upon our visit to Pizza Rock. It truly was one of the best pesto pizza combinations I’ve ever had, with the perfect blend of Mozzarella, Burrata and Shaved Piave cheeses, spinach, and garlic, topped with tomato slices and, yes, more cheese. Coupled with the Gorgonzola and Apple Salad, this lunch was delizioso! My Nona would be proud.

Brooke Burgess
With so many choices, it was very difficult to decide on just one pizza!  So I shared The Primavera with Vanessa and tasted a slice of the famous, limited-edition Margherita pizza.  Both were delightful.  The Margherita in particular took me back to a trip to Piazza Navona in Rome where I enjoyed nearly the exact same pizza (including look, feel and taste profile).  If you want an authentic pizza experience, I definitely recommend the Margherita pizza.

Chris Thompson
I’m a sucker for prosciutto and Italian sausage, so the combination in the Romano’s Original 1950 Stromboli got my vote. The sandwich was generous in portion and tasty, the mild peppers and cheeses were flavorful. The garlic had a little bite, which wasn’t advertised. But, overall a good selection.
Pizza Rock
1020 K Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 737-5777

Forget Batman and Superman, We Love Food Heroes

by SacFoodies

A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of attending An Evening with Food Heroes with fellow foodies Angela and Amy, hosted by Eventbrite San Francisco at Terroir Natural Wine Merchant. The event was timed with the release of Georgia Pellegrini’s book, “Food Heroes,” which documents her international travels in pursuit of true heroes of the culinary world.
While there were several impressive local vendors sampling at the event, two stood out above the rest. Before I sing their praises, I feel compelled to couch that statement with the obvious: I am a sucker for cheese and chocolate. My roommate and I even had an entire conversation once about what life would be like were we restricted to a diet of only foods that began with the letters C and H, and eventually decided that thanks to cheese and chocolate, we would likely survive.
“CH” diet and joking aside, Pizza Politana and Charles Chocolates really took the cake.

Pizza Politana is proof that simplicity wins in my book, every time. Warm slices of Margherita pizza with tomato sauce, basil, and fresh mozzarella fresh out of their signature wood-fired oven could not have been more delicious.

To satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth, Charles Chocolates offered Fleur de Sel Caramels, Signature Peanut Butterflies, Raspberry Hearts and more. You can imagine my surprise and delight when Charles Chocolates was featured on Groupon the following week. Let’s just say there will be more Charles Chocolates in my near future.
The best part? All proceeds benefited Chez Panisse Foundation’s Edible Schoolyard, a program that includes a one-acre organic garden and kitchen classroom project hosted at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School right down the road in Berkeley.