Over the last few months that it’s been open, I’ve discovered that I’m not crazy about Hot Italian. Really, it’s not my bag. I find nothing about it appealing, other than the gelato and Peroni on tap. A very knowledgeable friend of mine begs to differ however.
Normally, I wouldn’t trouble you with a little friendly bickering, but I feel like he provides some insight into the whole pizza debate that is pretty valuable and worth sharing. So here, in the great tradition of the Socratic dialogue, is the Sacramento pizza argument. I will be labeled as ME while my friend will be labeled as Pierre:
PIERRE: Hot Italian has the best pizza in town, without a doubt. It’s the only true Neopolitan pizza.
ME: Are you on something? Every time I’ve been there, the pie has been bland, floppy, and not too inspiring.
PIERRE: Good Neapolitan pizza comes down to three simple factors- dough (flour type and water), tomato sauce, and toppings.
ME: I notice that flavor doesn’t enter into the argument here.
PIERRE: You’re missing the point. As for dough, Hot Italian has the best in the area by far; one has to travel to the bay area for crust like that (pizzaiolo, delfina, four and water etc). Now good crust is also a function of the oven, and the oven at Hot Italian is a phenomenal oven built in Campagnia for them and shipped to Sacramento (Hot Italian’s chef owner previously owned a couple pizza places in Italy).
ME: Ah so what you’re saying is that you hate America, that we’re too un-Italian to make good pizza.
PIERRE: Not at all, the Italians just have more experience at it. Notice when a pie comes out at Hot Italian you get small black scorched spots, like in the homeland- that’s from really good flour, that is artisanally milled (00 Molino Caputo flour) and thus has a gluten content in the range of 11.5-12.5%. The combination of a perfectly hot oven with this type of flour gets you that scorching that is to be expected from great Neapolitan pizza.
ME: Ok, math boy, with your gluten percentages and burnt dough. You’re telling me that burnt pizza crust is good? This is starting to sound like the time where you convinced me that the wax wrapper on Danish cheese is where all the flavor is.
PIERRE: I still don’t think you gave that cheese wrapper a chance. You just have to chew it a little more.
ME: Chew it? Like that fish scale pie you made?
PIERRE: It’s a northern Finnish delicacy. Anyway, the crust at H.I. is thin with a slight thickness on the edge, the cornicione. This should be very subtle and not a rope on the end of the slice when you grab it.
ME: And not stuffed with nacho cheese I take it? How un-American!
PIERRE: As for the sauce: theirs is perfectly suitable. Good flavor, good texture and not overtly sweet. It is also applied proportionately, and doesn’t overwhelm. And their toppings are very nice: local produce, high quality cured meats from the likes of Fra’ Mani. For example they use local farm-fresh eggs from Capay for the poached egg on their Stella pizza.
ME: Yeah, that sounds great and all, but how does it stack up to the other newer pizza in the area?
PIERRE: Honestly, I think OneSpeed is way overrated and Masullo is a mess.
ME: You are high on something, aren’t you? Masullo is the best pizza I’ve had in three years, maybe four. I love that place.
PIERRE: Oh, and the other thing I love about Hot Italian is that they name the pizzas after Italian soccer players.
ME: Nevermind, anyone who likes soccer is not allowed to offer opinions on anything.
PIERRE: I still think Zelda’s is a piece of crap.
ME: Now I remember why we’re friends.
The Sac Rag 
The best pizza in San Francisco comes from Milano Pizza in the Inner Sunset. Alternatively, any pizza consumed at 2am after a night out – Cable Car pizza in North Beach, for example I know of no worthy entry here in Sacramento. Not really worthy anyway. And I’m a big defender of the Sacramento restaurant scene. I’m consistently shocked, however, by our lack of quality Italian options.
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I have to agree with you on this one. Love Masullo’s, hate Hot Italian. Think their sauce is awful. You’re both right on Zelda’s.
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Finally! People who share my view on Zelda’s. Worthless. I definitely enjoy Masullo and will give Hot Italian a shot.
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Have you ever had the pizza at Spataro’s or Paragarys? Have you seen their pizza “ovens”? Delicious. We still have not made it to Masullo..but I am pushing for tonight!
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CD, you crazy. Milano’s is the BIGGEST pizza in SF, but only the best if you like 3 pound slices of inexpensive, cheesy deliciousness. (Personally, I love it, too.) (Does Dennis still own it??)
Zelda’s ain’t pizza, it is a pie. Pretty good pie. Not pizza. And definitely on a downhill slide since the namesake passed on to the great pizza kitchen in the sky.
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personally I rank
1. pizza antica – granite bay – great topings and great crust
2. one speed – very tasty toppings and slightly chewy and thicker crust
3. tie masulla and hot italien. – crust was a bit soggy when i tried masulla’s and the flavors a bit lacking at h.i.
For deep dish I would make the trip to zachary’s in berkeley.
In SF I always liked north beach pizza
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hot Italian’s pizza is all right, bit of an over-rated review by Pierre. Golden Boy Pizza in SF has me for their brew and pizza.
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Talk about taking the restaurateur grape kool-aid.
Everyone should go to Masullo if you want to enjoy a neapolitan pizza. Go to HI if you want to sit next to a vespas or look at their expensive espresso machine.
I would drive the two hours just to get Zachary’s pizza-pie in berkeley. Seriously.
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Pizza Antica and Masullo are superior, easily, Masullo being the best TRULY Neapolitan in town – in fact, I’d say Masullo is as good as Cheese Board or Chez Panisse Cafe’s pizza in Berkeley, which is some of the best I’ve had in the East Bay (Little Star is overrated and I don’t think they do a real Neapolitan any more anyway).
Your friend never even says if he’s tried Masullo! If he hasn’t, this discussion is meaningless.
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I’ve tried both Masullo and Hot Italian, and I think that Hot Italian is more flavorful. But I’d eat at either one again if they weren’t too crowded.
Both places are too noisy.
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Hello friends,
I have eaten at Masulo and it took 45 minutes to get a pizza with ok crust, and terrible toppings. The mozzarella was mealy and low quality. As for pizza in the East Bay–PizzaAiolo in Temescal is benchmark in my less than humble French opinion and the just opened Rotten City Pizza in Emeryville is quite good with a low key atmosphere. As for the city, Pizzeria Delfina is benchmark, again in my humble French opinion, (and consequently the NY Times). But for down and dirty, incredibly authentic pizza go to Pazzia on 3rd (just off Folsom). Lastly, when at One Speed I am ordering gnocchi, salads and specials. The dough is chewy and when you grab hold of your slice it is as if there is a Little Cesar’s breadstick on the end of it; not good.
Avoir!
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Hot Italian is:
1. DELICIOUS
2. UMMMMM actually fun not stuffy and has actual REAL italian style
3. SO MUCH BETTER than the ridiculously over priced small portions and funky tasting sauce that Masullo offered
4. has the best Gelato in town
5. more than I could have wished for!!!
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Nice fake review, Vine. It’s funny that all the obviously-fake positive reviews of Hot Italian (not that all positive reviews of HI are fake, at all) take the time to bash Masullo. If the place can’t stand on its own merits, that’s a problem. Personally I’ve only walked past – the name & the atmosphere are enough to keep me from wanting anything to do with them. But that’s just me.
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Oh, and by “fake review”, I mean “review written by someone obviously connected with the business in question.”
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Vine, the small pizza at Hot Italian is exactly the same size & price as the one at Masullo, so WTF are you talking about? Have you even had both?
Plus, HI isn’t bad, but I don’t like oversweetened sauce and crust, so I’ll stick with the simpler, more rustic, more authentically Neapolitan Masullo.
HI does have great gelato though, that’s true. ANd not expensive either.
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