Slice Advice: 30 Perfect Pizzas in Roseville, Folsom, and El Dorado County
What would life be without pizza?
Birthday parties wouldn’t be as easy, soccer and baseball teams would have to find a new place to hold end-of-year parties, and we’d have to actually cook dinner on the night before Thanksgiving. We owe so much to the Italians for bringing this amazing creation into our lives. Since we can’t formally thank the creators of the modern pizza, we can show our gratitude to the following local restaurants who continue to share this masterpiece with us. In no particular order, here are some of the best places to get some pie in our area.
Bene Ristorante Italiano
423 Main Street, Placerville, 530-303-3415, eatpizzabene.com
ORDER THIS
Garlic and More Garlic: Fresh garlic, roasted garlic cloves, mozzarella and tomato sauce.
IN THE KNOW
All pizzas are made with caputo flour from Napoli and all pasta is freshly made in house using their Italian Bottene Pasta machine.
Boulevard 41
4364 Town Center Boulevard, Suite 134,
El Dorado Hills, 916-235-2337, boulevard41.com
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Firewood Smokehouse: House-made red sauce, Blvd blend cheese, Chicken, Bacon, topped with fried onions, drizzled with BBQ sauce, and garnished with micro cilantro.
IN THE KNOW
They have 41 beers and wines on tap. Open a tab, put on a wristband, and start pouring. Above every tap is a digital screen that includes the beverage name, type, brewer, description, and price per ounce.
Wally’s Pizza Bar
4079 Cameron Park Drive, Cameron Park, 530-677-5205, wallyspizzabar.com
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Basecamp: Pepperoni, Italian sausage, roasted peppers and onions, along with a four-cheese blend, topped with portabella mushrooms.
IN THE KNOW
Gluten-free options available. Every Wednesday is Local Heroes Day. Retired and active military, nurses, teachers, firefighters, and police receive a complimentary small salad, personal pizza, or appetizer. (If you choose wings, you receive a half order.)
Papa Gianni’s
3450 Palmer Drive, Suite 1, Cameron Park,
530-672-2333, papagiannis.net
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Margherita: Mozzarella, marinara, and basil.
IN THE KNOW
Their sauce, Italian sausage, and meatballs are all house-made—so are the Italian desserts!
Sienna
1480 Eureka Road, Roseville, 916-771-4700;
3909 Park Drive, El Dorado Hills, 916-941-9694, siennarestaurants.com
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Chipotle Chicken: Chipotle BBQ sauce, cheddar and Monterey jack cheese, roasted corn, bacon, green onion, heirloom cherry tomatoes, and chipotle aioli.
IN THE KNOW
Both locations offer wine dinners where they pair food and wine throughout several courses. Check their website for details.
Lazy Dog
238 Gibson Drive, Roseville, 916-727-6321; 300 Palladio Parkway, Folsom, 916-378-4660, lazydogrestaurants.com
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Black + Blue Pizza: Cajun chicken breast, smoked bacon, mozzarella, caramelized onions, blue cheese, green onions, and tomatoes.
IN THE KNOW
Bring your dog for some outdoor patio dining. They even offer a man’s best friend menu: plain brown rice, grilled chicken breast, or a grilled hamburger patty, and a complimentary bowl of water.
Rock-N-Fire
1010 Riley Street, Folsom, 916-673-9474, rocknfirerestaurants.com
WHAT TO ORDER
The Boss: White alfredo sauce, 3-cheese blend, Genoa salami, pepperoni, spicy sausage, black olives, sautéed cremini mushrooms, tomatoes, and red onion.
IN THE KNOW
They offer gluten-free crusts and dairy-free cheese. Save room for dessert because they make a dessert pizza that is topped with brown sugar butter, cream cheese syrup, caramel syrup, chocolate syrup, and raspberry syrup.
Sacramento Pizza Co.
2700 East Bidwell, Suite 500, Folsom, 916-673-9754, sacpizzaco.com
WHAT TO ORDER
Healthy Pizza: Gluten-free crust, basil pesto, mozzarella, fresh cut tomatoes, mushrooms, green bell peppers, red onions, and spinach.
IN THE KNOW
$5 Mondays: Buy a fountain drink and get a 10” pie for $5 between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Dominick’s Italian Market & Deli
8621 Auburn-Folsom Road, Granite Bay,
916-786-3355, dominicksmarketdeli.com
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Jersey Boardwalk Pizza: House made tomato sauce, sausage, fresh red and green bell peppers, onions, herbs, and mozzarella.
IN THE KNOW
Dominick’s isn’t just pizza. You can visit their Trattoria and Bar for lunch and dinner where they offer pizza, of course. Next door is their Italian Market and Deli for meats, sub sandwiches, and more.
New Glory Craft Brewery
5540 Douglas Boulevard, Granite Bay,
916-872-1721, newglorybeer.com
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Pesto: Pesto, three cheese blend, roasted tomatoes, red onions, pine nuts, and pesto drizzle.
IN THE KNOW
If you like to partner your pizza with a good beer, New Glory brews their own and their beer menu is constantly rotating, adding three to five new beers a week.
Visconti’s Ristorante
2700 East Bidwell Street, Suite 700, Folsom, 916-983-5181, viscontisristorante.com
WHAT TO ORDER
Meat Combo: Pepperoni, salami, sausage, beef, linguica, ham, and Canadian bacon.
IN THE KNOW
They use imported meat, cheese, and wine and offer party trays. They’re famous for their cannolis, tiramisu, and anything parmigiana.
Heyday Café
325 Main Street, Placerville, 530-626-9700, heydaycafe.com
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Truffle Chicken Pizza: Garlic cream sauce, free range chicken breast, caramelized onions, brie, and white truffle oil.
IN THE KNOW
End your meal on an Italian note with affogato or gelato.
And don't forget to try their wines from across the world.
FLB Entertainment Center
511 East Bidwell Street, Folsom, 916-983-4411, flb365.com
WHAT TO ORDER
The Works: Sausage, bacon, ham, pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, bell peppers, and onions.
IN THE KNOW
So much more than pizza; FLB has bowling, a sports bar, and casino. Check their website for specials and pricing.
Strings Café
25035 Blue Ravine Road, Suite 120, Folsom, 916-983-8815, folsomstrings.com
WHAT TO ORDER
Veggie Pizza: Italian cheeses and zesty red sauce topped with broccoli, mushroom, artichoke, bell pepper, olives, red and green onion and roma tomatoes.
IN THE KNOW
Kids under 10 eat free on Sunday and Monday after 4 p.m. with each adult entrée purchase. Every Wednesday is All-You-Can-Eat Pasta Night, after 4 p.m.
Ciro’s Pizza Café
241 Blue Ravine Road, Suite 100, Folsom, 916-983-5757, cirospizza.com
WHAT TO ORDER
Marvin’s Gardens Classic Vegetarian: Ciro’s classic red sauce, fresh garlic, mozzarella and Monterey jack cheese, zucchini, black olives, mushrooms, bell peppers, red onions, tomatoes, and artichoke hearts (pineapple on request).
IN THE KNOW
You can choose your crust: original, extra thick, Chicago deep dish, Neapolitan thin, super thin, and gluten-free.
Their Goofy Stix are their most popular appetizer. (Home-made dough, brushed with garlic, Italian herbs, butter sauce, topped with mozzarella and Monterey jack cheeses, then sliced, twisted and baked.)
Old Town Pizza
150 Sacramento Street, Auburn, 530-888-7600; 120 Church Street, Roseville, 916-668-7655, otpizza.net
WHAT TO ORDER
Margherita: Thin crust, red sauce, fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and fresh basil. (also available on gluten-free crust)
IN THE KNOW
Get the breadsticks! Hand-made pizza dough stuffed with mozzarella cheese and fresh garlic, served with a dipping sauce. They offer gluten-free crusts and have pizza slice (cheese or pepperoni) lunch specials from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Rosati’s Sports Pub & Pizza
5140 Foothills Boulevard, Suite 110, Roseville,
916-797-7492, myrosatisroseville.com
ORDER THIS
White Pizza: Fresh garlic, tomatoes, sautéed spinach, and olive oil (no pizza sauce).
IN THE KNOW
Their daily special is tempting—purchase any 18” pizza and get a free 12” thin crust cheese pizza. Gluten -free thin crust is also available.
Selland’s Market-Café
4370 Town Center Boulevard, El Dorado Hills, 916-932-5025, sellands.com
WHAT TO ORDER
Combination: Tomato coulis, mozzarella, salami, pepperoni, sausage, red onion, mushroom, green bell pepper, black olives, and parmesan.
IN THE KNOW
They serve brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and the menu includes breakfast pizzas aside from benedicts, avocado toast, mimosas. They also offer a gluten-sensitive menu.
Via Roma Pizzeria con Cucina
1230 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 600, Rocklin, 916-663-6141, via-roma-pizza.com
WHAT TO ORDER
Pescatore: Shrimp, scallops, capers, garlic, artichokes, and herbs.
IN THE KNOW
Three course dinner specials on 12” pizzas. Extensive wine list including Italian wines. The restaurant is on the small, but intimate side, so it’s best to make reservations before you go.
Campelli’s Pizza
7480 Foothills Boulevard, Roseville, 916-784-8440, campellispizza.com
WHAT TO ORDER
La Fiesta: Seasoned taco meat, olive, onion, jalapeño, tomato, cheddar cheese, and fresh lettuce.
IN THE KNOW
Crust options include thin and crispy, gluten-free, and keto parmesan crisp. Ask about their make-and-bake parties for birthday’s, teams, scouts, and field trips.
Siino’s Pizza, Pasta, Grill
815 Twelve Bridges Drive, Lincoln, 916-543-0069, siinosrestaurant.com
WHAT TO ORDER
Californian Pizza: Pesto, chicken, bacon, avocado, feta cheese, and roma tomatoes.
IN THE KNOW
Wine Wednesday: $2 off a glass and ½ off a bottle (dine in only). Gluten-free pizza crusts and pastas available.
Pete’s Restaurant & Brewhouse
3003 Douglas Boulevard, Roseville, 916-400-0006, petesbrewhouseroseville.com
WHAT TO ORDER
Hawaiian Luau: Canadian bacon, pepperoni, mushrooms, and Hawaiian pineapple.
IN THE KNOW
Pete’s boasts 30 beers on tap, a wide variety of salads, burgers, pizzas, pastas and gluten-free options. Their garlic knots are famous and you can even have them stuffed with pepperoni and mozzarella.
Mountain Mike’s Pizza
717 East Bidwell Street, Suite 4, Folsom, 916-983-3331, mountainmikespizza.com
WHAT TO ORDER
Garlic Tuscan: Louisiana hot sausage, salami, black olives, garlic, green onions, and sun-dried tomatoes.
IN THE KNOW
Home of the legendary crispy curly pepperoni, they also offer a variety of wings, an open-faced pizza sandwich and desserts in the form of a pizza cookie and cinnamon dessert pizza.
Il Pizzaiolo
3640 Taylor Road, Loomis, 916-672-6556, ilpizzaiolowoodfiredpizza.com
WHAT TO ORDER
Salsiccia: Crushed tomatoes, sweet fennel sausage, peppers, fresh mozzarella, and red chili flakes.
IN THE KNOW
Pizzas are not available on Sundays, but they do offer a Sunday Supper from 4-8 p.m. You can choose from chicken dishes, pasta, and specials.
Steve’s Pizza
3941 Park Drive, Suite 100, El Dorado Hills, 916-939-2100, stevespizzaedh.com
WHAT TO ORDER
Mediterranean Gourmet: Fresh spinach, Greek peppers, red onions, black olives, feta cheese, tomatoes, and a sprinkling of fresh oregano with homemade pizza sauce.
IN THE KNOW
Whole wheat and cauliflower crusts available. Their sauce is house-made and sandwiches are made on fresh baked bread. Steve’s Pizza is available for fundraisers and catering events of all sizes.
Chicago Fire
614 Sutter Street, Folsom, 916-353-0140; 500 North Sunrise, Roseville, 916-771-2020, chicagofire.com
ORDER THIS
The “Abe Froman”: Extra cheese, extra sausage. Special Wisconsin Mozzarella and Chicago Italian Sausage (fennel, garlic or hot).
IN THE KNOW
Join their ChiFi Pie Rewards and earn points. You receive one point for every dollar spent and after you accumulate 360 points you receive a $30 credit on your next visit. You can also earn birthday rewards and surprise gifts.
Trademark Pizza
1485 Eureka Road, Roseville, 916-774-9922, trademarkpizza.com
WHAT TO ORDER
Veggin: Red Sauce, mozzarella, broccolini, roma tomatoes, white mushrooms, red onions, black olives.
IN THE KNOW
Choose one of their signature pizzas or craft your own with a wide variety of crusts, sauces, and as many cheese and toppings as you’d like. Gluten-free crust and dairy-free cheese available.
Danette’s Brick Oven Pub
2875 Ray Lawyer Drive, Placerville, 530-622-7420, danettesbrickovenpub.com
WHAT TO ORDER
Bacon Cheeseburger: Dijon marinara, seasoned ground beef, red onions, diced pickles, bacon, tomatoes, finished with house-made 1000 island dressing.
IN THE KNOW
They’re known for their pizzas, brisket burgers, and beers on tap. The Ghirardelli chocolate calzone served with whipped cream is a must for dessert.
Vaiano Trattoria
7160 Douglas Boulevard, Granite Bay, 916-780-0888, vaianotrattoria.com
ORDER THIS
Pizza Margherita: Mozzarella, homemade San Marzano style tomato sauce, and basil.
IN THE KNOW
They cater; so you can choose grab ‘n’ go options, personalized menus, and even have fully staffed events.
El Dorado Saloon and Grill
879 Embarcadero Drive, El Dorado Hills, 916-941-3600, eldoradosaloonandgrill.com
WHAT TO ORDER
Garlic Wild Mushroom: Garlic cream sauce, mozzarella cheese, arugula, scallions, cremini and portabella mushrooms, topped with white truffle oil.
IN THE KNOW
Their thin-crust, wood-fired pizzas are available from 4 p.m. onwards. They have live music every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
by Julie Hilton
WHAT’S YOUR STYLE?
New York: Big slices, light on the sauce, heavy on the cheese. The slices are so wide they’re sometimes folded in half in order to eat.
Neapolitan: Also known as Naples style pizza. It’s the original pizza that came out of Italy. It’s a basic pizza with raw tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, basil, and olive oil. It has a very thin crust with dough that puffs up around the sides.
Sicilian: Rectangular shape, thick crust, and soft dough. The tomato sauce is on top of the cheese to hold it all together made with onions, anchovies, and herbs.
Chicago Deep Dish: The crust is very deep and resembles a pie. It requires a longer baking time due to the layers of toppings, such as cheese and fillings of meat and vegetables. Toppings are assembled upside down to keep from burning since it’s in the oven much longer than other types of pizza.
Detroit: It’s similar to the Sicilian pizza but has a crispier crust and it originated in Detroit, not Sicily.
St. Louis: Originated in the 1960s, this pizza has a thin cracker-like crust and uses Provel cheese (a mixture of provolone, swiss, and white cheddar) instead of mozzarella.
Greek: Cooked in a shallow, heavily oiled pan, the crust is nearly fried but remains chewy.
California: This “Gourmet” pizza originated in the 1970s and consists of a thin crust with toppings from California cuisine—chicken, artichokes, avocado, and goat cheese to name a few.
Calzone: An oven-baked folded pizza stuffed with meats and cheese.
DID YOU KNOW…
The word “pizza” was first documented in Italy in 997 A.D.
The word and the dish made its way to the United States in the late 19th century, thanks to Italian immigrants. Slices of pizza were sold by peddlers for .02 cents a slice!
Modern pizza evolved from flatbread dishes in Naples, Italy.
Approximately 3 billion pizzas are sold in the U.S. every year. 12.5 million will be sold on Super Bowl Sunday. Halloween and Thanksgiving Eve are also popular pizza nights.
Pepperoni is America’s favorite topping, while anchovies are last on the list of favorites.
In Japan, eel, squid, and mayo are favorite toppings.
In Australia, eggs and bacon are top choices.
In Brazil, green peas are popular.
In Sweden, they top their pizza with bananas and curry powder.
The Hawaiian pizza was invented in Canada by Sam Panapoulos, who is Greek.
The most expensive pizza recorded was in 2017 at Industry Kitchen in New York City and is still on their menu today. Named the Guinness World Record 24k, it costs $2,700. Topped with Stilton cheese, foie gras, platinum Ossetra caviar, truffles, and 24k gold leaves. It’s only $2,000 if you don’t add 1 ½ oz. of Almas Caviar.
PIZZA PANCAKE
Recipe and photo courtesy of happinessishomemade.net, a blog by Heidi Kundin who resides in Placer County.
• 2 cups biscuit/baking Mix
• 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup pepperoni, chopped
• 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped and seeded
• 1/4 cup green peppers, chopped
• 1 cup pizza sauce, warmed
Pizza Pancakes are a quick and easy dinner idea that your whole family will love. Personalize them with your favorite pizza toppings for a delicious family dinner in under 30 minutes.
- In a bowl, combine biscuit mix and Italian seasoning.
- In another bowl, whisk eggs and milk until blended. Add to dry ingredients, stirring until moistened.
- Stir in the cheese, pepperoni, tomatoes, and peppers.
- Preheat griddle to medium heat and lightly grease.
- Pour ¼ cup batter onto griddle; cook until bubbles on top begin to pop and bottoms are golden brown. Turn, cook until second side is golden brown.
- Serve with warm pizza sauce for dipping.
Pro Tips:
- Prep the ingredients you want to mix into the pancake batter. Mix it up to suit your family’s taste preferences.
- Add an extra spoonful of shredded mozzarella cheese into the center of each pancake for even more cheesy goodness.
- Serving suggestions: warm pizza sauce for dipping and serve alongside a spinach salad.
DID YOU KNOW…
The first pizzeria in American was Lombardi’s in New York City. It was originally a grocery store but started selling pizza in 1905.
Saturday night is the most popular night to eat pizza.
The first frozen pizza was sold in 1962.
Thin crust is the most popular crust.
Las Vegas, Nevada, holds the World Pizza Games every year. Events include: Freestyle Acrobatic Dough Tossing, Fastest Dough, Largest Dough Stretch, Fastest Pizza Box Folding, and a Pizza Triathlon.
Samuel Morse, who invented the telegraph and helped develop Morse Code once described pizza as “species of the most nauseating cake…it altogether looks like a piece of bread that has been taken reeking out of the sewer.”
Q: Why are jokes about pizza not funny?
A: Because they are too cheesy.