Pizza Antica
I am always on the search for great pizza in Sacramento that is in addition to my never ending search for great Mexican food, a drop dead un-believable burger and the ultimate espresso. All of which sadly I can say I have found only good to slightly better then good. I have been waiting for Pizza Antica to open at Quarry Pond for months as I have many friends in the East Bay who swear to me that when in doubt you can go to their Lafayette location for a solid piece of pie. They also have a store in Mill Valley and another one in Santana Row (San Jose) in addition to a fine dining restaurant in Woodside. So without question the credentials are there or at the very least a lot of confidence. Quarry Pond as you know from my previous posts is a pretty spectacular setting and Pizza Antica sits nicely in the corner on the water. The interior is bright and sophisticated but still totally welcoming to diners of all ages (my two year old was one of my dining partners). The wine list is better then most restaurants around here with the obvious nod to Italian varietals, we started with two glasses of the 03 Rueda Naia Verdejo and antipasti. The antipasti is served with hand-pulled mozzarella (house made) and pickled fennel, roasted butternut squash, and heirloom fingerling potatoes roasted in olive oil and rosemary; there was also the usual suspects of roasted red peppers, olives, grilled sweet red onions, toasted French bread and aioli. For dinner we ordered two glasses of the Dolcetto, Renatto Ratti 04’ and settled on two different types of pizza. The first one was served with Grilled Radicchio, Local Goat Cheese, Pancetta and Pesto. The toppings on this pizza worked well together all though the crust turned out to be more then a little chewy and slightly burned in some spots. The second pizza's crust however was perfection with just the right amount of chewy/softness in the center but still that slight crunch on the outer most layers. The topping on the second one was Spicy Calabrese Sausage, Onions, Peppers and Parsley. Keep in mind that these are true Italian style pizza with a thinner crust so please don't go there thinking you are going to get a fat, doughy round table crust (I shudder at the thought). For dessert of which I really didn't have room for but felt compelled to try we had the Golden Delicious Apple and Huckleberry Crisp with Vanilla Gelato which ended up being simply divine. The service is VERY good, keeping in mind that they only just opened up on the 7th. She was very secure in her suggestions on various wines with certain dishes and had above average understanding of the menu, ingredients, methods etc... quite impressed to say the least. So is it mind blowing pizza? Ummm no but it is better then good. With that being said I am looking forward to going again soon and that speaks volumes and who knows it might reach excellent after I have given them a few weeks to actually get into a rhythm.
5540 Douglas Blvd. Suite 150
Granite Bay, Ca. 95746
T (916) 786-0400 F (916) 786-0442
Ann's 5/1/07 update:
After Jennifer's review and then the recent SacBee review, I decided I had to try Pizza Antica for myself. I worked with Gordon Drysdale briefly about 12 years ago in San Francisco, and he is one of the co-owners and the menu developer for the Pizza Antica restaurants.
We had the bruschetta topped with brie, baby turnips, and dried cranberries to start. It was a really unusual combination, and all of the elements were perfectly prepared. It needed a bit more zing though, like a drizzle of peppery olive oil or some spicier turnips. We got fantastic elderflower and sour cherry limeade sodas to drink. Not too sweet and very satisfying. Pizza was the Calabrese sausage, tomato sauce, and roasted peppers for one and the shaved broccoli, three cheese (including fontina), and caramelized onions for the other. The crusts were perfectly crisp and flavorful--some of the best I've had. The broccoli pizza was interesting but not quite in harmony. Maybe the broccoli would be better raw than cooked on this one. The sausage was just right for me, although my husband wanted more cheese. I thought it had a great balance of spicy and sweet.
For dessert, we tried the "most popular" strawberry shortcake, which was an unusual cornmeal cake served with sliced strawberries and real whipped cream. Aside from the fact that the berries were sliced and stored too long (or else they were frozen), the dessert was nice. I especially appreciated the real whipped cream, although could have done with a bit less sweet in the cake to balance the very sweet cream and berries.
Overall, we thought everything was technically excellent, but some of the dishes needed a bit of flavor balance to be outstanding. It's a bit of a drive if you live downtown, but a nice outing and definitely worth a return trip.
Comments
I'm getting a sense that great for you means great gourmet.
Personally I find Zelda's to be great pizza, and I'd say you can probably get the best Mexican food at a hole-in-the-wall like Xochimilco or Emma's.
Posted by: kit | February 21, 2007 11:18 AM
Not necessarily gourmet as much as authentic and well-made. Especially with Mexican food, having lived down south for much of my life I had the good fortune of being able to frequent some unbelievable taquerias. Pizza is more about the crust for me - quite honestly I lean towards really simple toppings. I haven't tried Zelda’s and I need to because it comes up again and again as peoples favorite.
Posted by: Jennifer | February 21, 2007 11:24 AM
It is definitely hard to beat SoCal taquerias, but I think there are a few that have a fighting chance. I'm not one for chains but Adalberto's Chile Relleno Burrito is fantastically good besides being heart disease wrapped in a flour tortilla.
Zelda's is by far the best slice of pie in our town, and the atmosphere is one of a kind. Ciro's is a completely different type of pizza but it's also one of my local favorites.
Posted by: kit | February 21, 2007 5:03 PM
I have written down all your suggestions, and can't wait to try them...it sounds like you have a pretty good idea of what is and what is not authentic and tasty in Sac.
Posted by: Jennifer | February 22, 2007 9:16 AM
I recommend La Fiesta in Folsom for good, SoCal-style Mexican. Their carnitas are incredible, so good I always say that I think they put crack in their carnitas! I'm from Chicago and am very pizza-picky. Zelda's is good if you like deep dish. Otherwise, I recommend two places in Folsom: Mama Nardi's for good New York-style and Chicago Fire for the closest to real Chicago-style thin crust cut into squares.
Posted by: cyndi | February 22, 2007 11:34 AM
I like Paragary's Bar and Grill (or Spataro's) for very good pizza.
Alonzo's on Stockton is the bomb for great carnitas tacos and pazole...and a mean bowl of menudo too.
Posted by: Melly53 | February 23, 2007 9:36 AM
I do agree with you Melly about Spataro's. It is my understanding that Kurt (Spataro) has a verachi (sp?) certification, which is a special "italian" way of preparing pizza and only something like three restaurants have it in the state of CA. I was impressed.
Posted by: Jennifer | February 23, 2007 1:45 PM
Dude, Kit, lay off the Zelda's. I know you're always looking for a midtown good-time, but there are much better pizzas to be had. Let the poor folks in Granite Bay have their day in the sun.
Posted by: sac-eats | February 23, 2007 5:54 PM
ooops..I posted about the Verace certification up above...under Dads.
Let's just blame it on menopause and forget it.
Posted by: Melly63 | February 26, 2007 12:37 PM
Just read this comment chain and have to pipe in. I am one of the minority in Sac that is not gaga over Zelda's pizza. To each his own, but my favorite pie is Luigi's.
Posted by: Teresa F. | May 3, 2007 3:50 PM