Life’s too short to eat bad pizza.

This is basically the mantra of Original Pete’s Restaurants, who have been serving praiseworthy pizza to the greater Sacramento area since 1987. While I have childhood nostalgia for Original Pete’s, I had not yet patronized their newest incarnation (in 2006, they partnered with Firestone Walker Brewery, created handcrafted brews and opened Pete’s Restaurant & Brewhouse). To remedy the situation, I recently visited their Granite Bay location.

Scanning the menu, I realized that, while both Original Pete’s and Pete’s Brewhouse menus are extremely similar, the latter is slightly more sophisticated, and features several dishes with decidedly pan-Asian flavors, such as seared ahi tuna and curry chicken. However, that nostalgia kicked in we chose to begin our meal with the delicate calamari. It arrived lightly battered and fried to golden perfection, served with a zesty cocktail sauce and that ubiquitous fresh lemon wedge.

Next up: BBQ chicken salad, served with Pete’s own BBQ sauce drizzled over the top of sliced grilled chicken breast, chopped lettuce, sweet corn, black beans, diced Roma tomatoes, scallions, tortilla strips and pepper jack cheese, all tossed with ranch dressing. And, of course, no experience at any of the Pete’s restaurants would be complete without that famous pizza, so we also chose the 10” Veghead pie—a mélange of fresh artichoke hearts, black olives, zucchini, mushrooms, yellow onions, bell peppers, feta cheese and garlic purée, topped with chilled and diced Roma tomatoes. Pete’s pizzas are hand-tossed, New York-style with fresh whole milk mozzarella and topped with Pete’s famous red sauce, which only uses all-natural tomatoes, free of added hormones or preservatives. (Garlic ranch, BBQ or pesto sauce is also available upon request.)

And don’t forget (although how could you?) it’s called a brewhouse for a reason: Pete’s fare is complemented by an extensive beer and wine list (check the decoratively framed chalkboards behind the bar for current offerings).
Pete’s goal is simple: good food and good beer. Life’s too short for anything less.

Pete’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, 5540 Douglas Boulevard, Granite Bay, 916-797-4992, petesrestaurantandbrewhouse.com.