Said no one ever.

Not yet anyway.

I believe Sacramento has great pizza, just not enough of it. I remember interviewing a third wave coffee shop owner years ago. I was enamored by his approach to product/process and wondered what kind of saturation of fine coffee shops was possible in our city. This shop owner was passionate and wasn’t hesitant to share his approach to the business. At that time I counted less than 6 coffee shops of a similar caliber in town. I inquired, “how many 3rd wave shops could Sacramento support?” His answer. “70?” Since, we’ve doubled the number of fine coffee shops/roasteries and there is no end in site.

Pizza is no different now. There’s no reason to eat bad pizza any longer. You may be privy to the new food paradigm where authenticity rules the day. As a consumer you should be fist pumping the air. Basically, you’ll have a higher quality product (and experience) while paying the same that you would before for mediocrity. The burden is borne by the craftsmen. They’ll work harder and longer for less.

Grayson and Sonia Lee are craftsmen. The Lee’s are the co-owners of Il Pizzaiolo in Rocklin and another location about to open in Loomis. These stores are the 2nd and 3rd of the Pizzaiolo family with the first being the brainchild of Lee’s partners, Pete and Jacqueline Lostritto. The Lostritto’s own the original location in Colfax (opened in 2012) and co-own the new locations with the Lee’s. The Colfax restaurant has garnished much praise including a rare perfect 5 star yelp rating (after 60 reviews) and kind words from the dough-obsessed Bee food critic Blair Anthony Robertson. Their approach is simple. The dough, sauces, dressings, gelato, tiramisu, and croutons are all made in house. The prices are low, with a 12″ priced at $8. The pizza is Neapolitan style cooked in under 2 minutes at 800+ degrees. The ovens are built by Forno Bravo and named after Volcano’s, Rocklin’s oven is dubbed “Etna” and Loomis’ “Vesuvius”.