According to the rules, the dough must be made with 00 flour (a finely ground style of wheat flour), natural or brewer\u2019s yeast, salt and water, no more, no less. The dough must be mixed by hand or a low-speed mixer, and the rounds must be made without the help of a rolling pin.<\/p>\n
The pepperoni pizza at Good Neighbor in Sacramento on Jan. 29. HANNAH RUHOFF Sacramento Bee file <\/p>\n
Even the oven is proscribed: A dome-shaped wood-fired oven is the traditional version, but the AVPN does offer a list of certified electric ovens. They must get hot enough, around 900 Fahrenheit, to cook the pizza in just 60 to 90 seconds.<\/p>\n
The two original styles of Neapolitan pizza are Margherita, which has San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella di bufala and basil, and marinara, which is the same tomato sauce with olive oil, garlic and oregano \u2014 no cheese.<\/p>\n
The finished pizza should have a thin crust with a puffy cornice around the edges, spotted with charring. It\u2019s not uncommon for the center to be a little underdone and loose.<\/p>\n
We have no true AVPN-certified pizzerias in the Sacramento region, but we do have several that can qualify as Neapolitan in style. Good Neighbor\u2019s chef Zach Schechtman makes what he calls \u201cNeo-Neapolitan\u201d pies in the restaurant\u2019s wood-fired dome oven.<\/p>\n
Zach Schechtman, Good Neighbor\u2019s executive chef, grates cheese over a pepperoni pizza at the Sacramento restaurant on Jan. 29. HANNAH RUHOFF Sacramento Bee file Where to get it<\/p>\n
Masullo<\/p>\n
Address: 2711 Riverside Blvd., Land Park<\/p>\n
Phone number: 916-443-8929<\/p>\n
Website: masullopizza.com<\/a><\/p>\n Good Neighbor<\/p>\n Address: 170 R St., midtown<\/p>\n Phone number: 916-758-6194<\/p>\n Website: goodneighbor916.com<\/a><\/p>\n Flour Dust Pizza Co.<\/p>\n Address: 5080 Foothills Blvd., Roseville<\/p>\n Phone number: 916-773-5080<\/p>\n Website: flourdustpizza.com<\/a><\/p>\n Benji\u2019s Woodfire Pizza<\/p>\n Address: 7530 Auburn Blvd., Citrus Heights<\/p>\n Phone number: 916-801-7163<\/p>\n Website: benjiswoodfirepizza.com<\/a><\/p>\n When Neapolitan pizza made the leap across the Atlantic, it took root in New York<\/a>, according to the Museum of the City of New York. The Big Apple\u2019s pizza is similar in many ways to Neapolitan, but it tends to be sturdier, with a well-cooked crust that can be picked up and folded. The real deal should also have a slick of orange oil that drips satisfyingly as you eat.<\/p>\n Anyone who\u2019s spent any significant time in New York is familiar with the slice shop, small pizza joints barely big enough for the oven and a counter to sell slices from. They\u2019re a fixture of the city\u2019s fast and cheap dining scene, right up with bagels, knishes and dirty water hot dogs. These are the places you pop into before kicking off your night out \u2014 or after you\u2019re winding down.<\/p>\n Giovanni\u2019s New York Pizza<\/p>\n Address: Locations in South Land Park and East Sacramento (see website)<\/p>\n Website: giovannisnypizzeria.com<\/a><\/p>\n Uncle Vito\u2019s Slice of N.Y.<\/p>\n Address: 1800 15th St., Richmond Grove<\/p>\n Phone number: 916-382-4419<\/p>\n Website: unclevito.com<\/a><\/p>\n Johnny\u2019s NY Pizzeria<\/p>\n Address: 2830 Sunset Blvd., Rocklin<\/p>\n Phone number: 916-626-1487<\/p>\n Website: johnnysnypizzeria.net<\/a><\/p>\n Bicycle Thief<\/p>\n Address: 122 East Main St., Grass Valley<\/p>\n Website: bicyclethiefgv.com<\/a><\/p>\n Slice shops<\/p>\n Marilyn\u2019s Pizza Slice<\/p>\n Address: 2011 J St., midtown<\/p>\n Phone number: 916-860-1212<\/p>\n Website: marilynspizza.com<\/a><\/p>\n Pieces Pizza by the Slice<\/p>\n Address: 1309 21st St., midtown<\/p>\n Phone number: 916-441-1949<\/p>\n PinsaWhat it is<\/p>\n A style specific to the Lazio area outside Rome, pinsa differs in that the dough is made with wheat flour combined with soy and rice flours, giving it a lighter, chewier texture and more puff. Pinsa is typically oval in shape. Pinsa was invented by Corradi Di Marco<\/a> possibly as early as 1981, and trademarked in 2001. Di Marco manufactured a legend that it had its roots in ancient Rome<\/a>, but later confessed that was not true.<\/p>\n We have just one producer of pinsa in the Sacramento region, Bambina\u2019s, and it\u2019s far from common in other areas as well. Bambina\u2019s also produces Neapolitan-ish \u201cBambina style\u201d and Sicilian style pizzas, and is looking to roll out a Roman al taglio style in the next few months.<\/p>\n Bambina\u2019s Pizza and Pasta<\/p>\n Address: 1610 R St., midtown<\/p>\n Phone number: 916-476-4583<\/p>\n Website: bambinaspizza.com<\/a><\/p>\n What it is<\/p>\n Naples is in Campania, the shin of the boot of Italy; Apulia is the heel. The Apulian style, specifically the city of Bari\u2019s Barese, is ultra-thin and crisp. It\u2019s lightly topped and made with type 1 flour, somewhat coarser than the 00 used in Neapolitan, making it more rustic. Sacramento has just one place that makes Apulian pizzeria, and in fact we are one of only a handful American cities that has one. Dodici brought in a pizza chef from Bari to consult train the staff.<\/p>\n Dodici Pizza<\/p>\n Address: 400 12th St., Alkali Flats<\/p>\n Phone number: 916-754-2649<\/p>\n Website: dodici-pizzeria.com<\/a><\/p>\n Much akin to a focaccia, Sicilian-style pizza is a thick, fluffy, bready crust<\/a> that fills a sheet pan. As with similar puffy-style pizzas as grandma and Detroit (see below), tomato sauce is typically applied on top of the cheese to avoid sogginess in the crust and to prevent burning the cheese on long bake times. Alongside its New York-style pies, Pizza Supreme Being sells \u201csquares\u201d of Sicilian-style pizza. Besides its Sicilan pizzas, La Porta also does a Detroit style and \u201cpizza di Toscana,\u201d with a slightly thicker crust than Neapolitan.<\/p>\n Pizza Supreme Being<\/p>\n Address: 1425 14th St., downtown<\/p>\n Phone number: 916-917-5559<\/p>\n Website: pizzasupremebeing.com<\/a><\/p>\n La Porta Restaurant & Bar<\/p>\n Address: 1860 Howe Ave., Arden Arcade<\/p>\n Phone number: 916-696-6881<\/p>\n Website: laportarestaurants.com<\/a><\/p>\n Similar to Sicilian, grandma pizza is typically smaller, the size of a small sheet pan<\/a>, with a thinner crust in the center. Though this may seem like some kind of American adaptation, this style is in fact very common in Italian home kitchens.<\/p>\n Where to get it<\/p>\n Pizzasaurus Rex<\/p>\n Address: 2322 K St., midtown<\/p>\n Phone number: 916-476-5712<\/p>\n Website: eatpizzasaurusrex.com<\/a><\/p>\n Detroit styleWhat it is<\/p>\n A unique form of deep-dish pizza, Detroit style gets its signature form from flare-sided dark metal pans<\/a>, according to the Detroit Free Press. The blue steel pans were originally \u2014 according to legend \u2014 used for auto parts. The thick, bready crust is topped with cheese all the way to the edges, where it creates crispy bits known as frico. Toppings are added, and sauce is ladled on in parallel stripes across the top. A new Detroit pizzeria, Frico, is expected to open at 1429 Broadway in May or June.<\/p>\n Where to get it<\/p>\n Sette Pasta House<\/p>\n Address: 6851 Douglas Blvd., Granite Bay<\/p>\n Phone number: 916-872-1266<\/p>\n Website: settepastahouse.com<\/a><\/p>\n Motorhead Pizza<\/p>\n Address: 3281 Swetzer Road, Loomis<\/p>\n Phone number: 279-252-9211<\/p>\n Website: eatmotorheadpizza.com<\/a><\/p>\n Chicago deep dishWhat it is<\/p>\n The Windy City\u2019s most famous export puts the pie in pizza pie. A buttery dough, halfway between pizza and short crust, lines a pie pan or skillet, and is then filled with cheese, meats and tomatoes on top. Though the pie has multiple origin stories<\/a>, according to National Geographic, it is undeniable the resulting dish is dense, gooey and deeply gratifying.<\/p>\n Across the city, Sacramentans know Zelda\u2019s Original Gourmet Pizza is the hottest place to get an authentic Chicago deep dish pie. Founder Zelda Breslin launched her shop in 1978, after gaining culinary pizza training at a Chicago pizzeria.<\/p>\n Breslin died in 2006<\/a>, according to previous Bee reporting, and her family took over the restaurant in her stead. In 2024, the family sold the restaurant to Jon Stevenson and Beau Cornell, who have been running the still-popular shop for just over a year.<\/p>\n Stevenson and Cornell believe Breslin was one of the first people to bring deep dish to the Sacramento region, and possibly the entire state of California.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s strangely a divisive pizza, because people have very personal tastes about what pizza is, what it should be,\u201d Cornell said. \u201cIt\u2019s like a love-it-or-hate-it kind of thing, but the people who love it are rad.\u201d<\/p>\n Chicagoans have a deep reverence for the thick, unique pizza style, and Cornell and Stevenson said visitors from the Windy City have claimed Zelda\u2019s is the most authentic version of the pie in California.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the same recipe, that hasn\u2019t changed (since opening in 1978)\u201d Cornell said. \u201cWe would\u2019ve been fools to change the recipe.\u201d<\/p>\n Zelda\u2019s Original Gourmet Pizza<\/p>\n Address: 1415 21st St., midtown<\/p>\n Phone number: 916-432-3871<\/p>\n Website: zeldasgourmetpizza.com<\/a><\/p>\n Tavern styleWhat it is<\/p>\n Another style originating in Chicago, this thin-crust pizza features a crisp, buttery crust<\/a> typically topped with tomato sauce and a blend of mozzarella and provolone cheeses. Unlike most other pies, tavern style is cut \u201cparty style,\u201d crosswise in a grid as opposed to wedges.<\/p>\n Chicago Fire<\/p>\n Address: Locations in midtown, Folsom and Roseville (see website)<\/p>\n Website: chicagofire.com<\/a><\/p>\n Indian fusionWhat it is<\/p>\n Indian fusion pizza places have exploded throughout the region recently. One spot, Tandoori Pizza, was even founded by UC Davis alumnus Tejinder \u201cTJ\u201d Singh<\/a>, who grew it to a national chain. Local influencer Jerry James Stone recently did a taste-off<\/a>, and among his friends Curry Pizza House prevailed, with San Francisco-based Bollywood Pizza coming in second for flavor.<\/p>\n Curry Pizza House<\/p>\n Address: Locations in Sacramento, Folsom and Roseville (see website)<\/p>\n Website: currypizzahouse.com<\/a><\/p>\n Bollywood Pizza<\/p>\n Address: 6601 Folsom Blvd., East Sacramento<\/p>\n Phone number: 916-758-8975<\/p>\n Website: bollywoodpizza.com<\/a><\/p>\n Tandoori Pizza<\/p>\n Address: Locations in downtown Sacramento and Elk Grove (see website)<\/p>\n Website: tandooripizza.com<\/a><\/p>\n If you could say there is a Sacramento-style pizza, it would be in the context of a broader category of pizzas that fit the farm-to-fork aesthetic. These pies are highly seasonal, driven by ingredients fresh from the farmers markets. Toppings can change daily. Crust style is less important than showcasing the glory of market produce.<\/p>\n Waterboy chef, Rick Mahan, is the standard-bearer of the city\u2019s farm-to-fork scene. It\u2019s on full display at his pizza restaurant and its daily special pizzas. Downtown\u2019s Majka Pizza\u2019s fresh touch was enough to garner it a nod from Michelin last year.<\/p>\n OneSpeed Pizza<\/p>\n Address: 4818 Folsom Blvd, East Sacramento<\/p>\n Phone number: 916-706-1748<\/p>\n Website: onespeedpizza.com<\/a><\/p>\n Majka Pizza<\/p>\n Address: 1704 15th St., downtown<\/p>\n Website: majkabakes.com<\/a><\/p>\n This story was originally published March 14, 2026 at 5:00 AM.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n Sean Timberlake<\/a><\/p>\n The Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n Sean Timberlake is the food and dining reporter for The Sacramento Bee. He has been writing professionally for nearly 30 years, and about food for 20. A variety of well-known outlets have published his work, including Food Network, Cooking Channel, CNN, Sunset Magazine and SF Weekly.\u00a0\n <\/p>\n![\"Bobby](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_LEDE_SAC_DMK_0228_3_1_HML7P3FD_L681286335.JPG\" "\\"IMG_LEDE_SAC_DMK_0228_3_1_HML7P3FD_L681286335.JPG\\"")
Bobby Masullo, owner of Masullo Pizza, takes the “Eileen” out of the oven at his restaurant in Land Park in Sacramento on Jan. 23, 2020. Named after Masullo’s mother who loves bacon, the Eileen is a pizza with mozzarella, crimini mushrooms, bacon, cream, sage and black pepper. DANIEL KIM Sacramento Bee file New YorkWhat it is<\/p>\n Giovanni’s Old World New York Pizza manager prepares pepperoni pizza for the oven in 2002. OWEN BREWER Sacramento Bee file Where to get it<\/p>\n
![\"Bambina\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_258_20241010_LS_Bamb_3_1_GNPH56LM_L851946473.JPG\" "\\"IMG_258_20241010_LS_Bamb_3_1_GNPH56LM_L851946473.JPG\\"")
Bambina\u2019s Pizza and Pasta owner Juanes Ramazzini holds three styles of pizzas: pinsa, Sicilian style and \u201cBambina style,\u201d on Oct. 10, 2024. LEZLIE STERLING Sacramento Bee file Where to get it<\/p>\n![\"Owner](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SAC_325_20241010_LS_Bambinas.JPG\" "\\"SAC_325_20241010_LS_Bambinas.JPG\\"")
Owner Juanes Ramazzini spins pizza dough on Oct. 10, 2024, at Bambina\u2019s Pizza and Pasta. LEZLIE STERLING Sacramento Bee file Apulian<\/p>\n![\"Manager](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SAC_427_260603_JV_Dodici_Pizza.JPG\" "\\"SAC_427_260603_JV_Dodici_Pizza.JPG\\"")
Manager Jackson Wells adds toppings to a pizza order at Dodici Pizza on March 6 in Sacramento. JOS\u00c9 LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com Where to get it<\/p>\n![\"Lauren](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SAC_467_260603_JV_Dodici_Pizza.JPG\" "\\"SAC_467_260603_JV_Dodici_Pizza.JPG\\"")
Lauren Titus, Lindsay Foletta, and Kathleen Gormley enjoy their lunch at Dodici Pizza in Sacramento on March 6. JOS\u00c9 LUIS VILLEGAS jvillegas@sacbee.com SicilianWhat it is<\/p>\n![\"Executive](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_SAC_CC_20240416_LaPo_3_1_CJP0JIVG_L830153513.JPG\" "\\"IMG_SAC_CC_20240416_LaPo_3_1_CJP0JIVG_L830153513.JPG\\"")
Executive Chef Juan Ramazzini, left, holds a Parma pizza while owner Aaron Parker holds a Sicilian-style Catania pizza inside of La Porta Restaurant & Bar in Arden Arcade on April 16, 2024. CAMERON CLARK Sacramento Bee file Where to get it<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_SAC_CC_20240416_LaPo_3_1_CJP0JIVF_L830153510.JPG\" "\\"IMG_SAC_CC_20240416_LaPo_3_1_CJP0JIVF_L830153510.JPG\\"")
A pizza cools down after being removed from the oven at La Porta Restaurant & Bar on April 16, 2024. CAMERON CLARK Sacramento Bee file Grandma styleWhat it is<\/p>\n Beau Cornell and Jon Stevenson, right, pose for a portrait at Zelda\u2019s, a historic pizza restaurant which they bought in 2024, in Sacramento on March 9. HANNAH RUHOFF hruhoff@sacbee.com <\/p>\n
The spinoccoli pizza, which is a deep dish pizza consisting of broccoli, seasoned spinach, mozzarella, feta, cheddar, and fresh tomato slices, at Zelda\u2019s in Sacramento on March 9. HANNAH RUHOFF hruhoff@sacbee.com Where to get it<\/p>\n
![\"Eric](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_20150908_PK_CHICAGOF_2_1_7E5PE3MH_L157710109.JPG\" "\\"IMG_20150908_PK_CHICAGOF_2_1_7E5PE3MH_L157710109.JPG\\"")
Eric Schnetz, who founded the Chicago Fire pizza chain, poses in the main dining room at his Chicago Fire restaurant in Folsom in 2015. PAUL KITAGAKI JR. Sacramento Bee file Where to get it<\/p>\n Paul Singh, the father of one of the owners of Tandoori Pizza at Downtown Commons, serves pizza on Oct. 15, 2025, to guests during the restaurant’s grand opening. HECTOR AMEZCUA Sacramento Bee file Where to get it<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SAC_6552_TandooriPizza_251015.JPG\" "\\"SAC_6552_TandooriPizza_251015.JPG\\"")
A Chicken Tikka pizza is pulled out of the oven during the grand opening of Tandoori Pizza at Sacramento’s Downtown Commons on Oct. 15, 2025. The pizza includes a creamy garlic sauce, mozzarella cheese, red onions, diced tomatoes, chicken tikka, green onions and cilantro. HECTOR AMEZCUA Sacramento Bee file California\/ingredient-drivenWhat it is<\/p>\n![\"OneSpeed](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SAC_xm200408oneSpeed06.JPG\" "\\"SAC_xm200408oneSpeed06.JPG\\"")
OneSpeed chef and owner Rick Mahan stands in OneSpeed\u2019s dining room in 2020. XAVIER MASCARENAS Sacramento Bee file Where to get it<\/p>\n![\"One](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/SAC_xm1101oneSpeedPizza018569.JPG\" "\\"SAC_xm1101oneSpeedPizza018569.JPG\\"")
One Speed Pizza\u2019s Rick’s pie \u2014 named after proprietor Rick Mahan \u2014 has mortadella, potatoes, caramelized onions, olives, chevre, fontina, Parmesan and salsa verde. XAVIER MASCARENAS Sacramento Bee file <\/p>\n
\n ![\"Profile](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/img-25-11-14-4EC66.jpg\")
\n <\/a><\/p>\n
![\"Profile](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/SAC_CamilaPedrosa_HA_01_05312024.JPG\")