The line grows longer at Blaze Pizza on a cold November night in Davis, CA as personalized pies are prepared, lined up, and then pushed into the bright, flaming oven that is lighting up the night. The concept of the latest pizzeria in Davis could be summed up in two words – ultimate customization. With over 20 toppings to choose from, each person creates their pie a little bit differently, according to their own likes and dislikes. Whether customers sit down to enjoy their creations or hurry out with their hot, fresh boxes to take home, it’s clear that it’s not only the pizza toppings that differs among these patrons. Everyone in the room sits in small clusters with different company – husbands, wives, children, co-workers, friends, and so on. A young couple carry out a pile of 6 boxes for a hungry party, two others sit close together on a first date and share a pie just for two. But for the group of three nestled in the corner of Blaze, it is a family affair.
Katherine, a UC Davis student, sits down at a small table near me with her mother and an older gentleman who is bringing the napkins and drinks to the table. I soon learn that he is the girl’s grandfather, and he introduces himself as “Grandpa Joe.” At 78 years old, he is fit and lively, with a wide grin on his face. Why, you ask? He explains that he is happy to be visiting his family here in the area for the Thanksgiving holiday from his home in Southern California and wanted to see where his granddaughter lived and studied. Katherine chimes in, “I showed him some of the campus and my apartment, and then we decided we wanted to get a quick bite to eat before heading out of Davis for Thanksgiving.”
The pizza is in the center of their group, but the center of attention seems to be the conversation. He asks her about her friends and her classes, and she asks him about the movies he has seen lately. Slowly, the pieces of pie begin to disappear from their plates as the conversation carries on. Grandpa Joe, who claims to be “a meat lover”, customized a pie for his family to share topped with all kinds of sausage and red sauce. Katherine reaches for the pizza with chicken, bacon, and artichokes. I ask them what they thought of Blaze and pizza in Davis in general. Miranda says she orders pizza a lot at home, because she works and it’s a quick and easy dinner. “My kids are always excited when I walk through the door with a hot pizza.” Katherine says that Blaze has become a favorite of her and her roommates, and has attended some club fundraisers here as well. “Especially since you can put anything you want on it, it’s the perfect choice when deciding where to eat with my friends.” Three generations, all sharing a slice of the same pizza pie, but more than that, they are enjoying a slice of life.
The same thing can be said for many of the pizzerias in Davis, eleven to be exact, and soon to be twelve. Pizza seems to be a cross-generational favorite, which grandpas, mothers and daughters alike can enjoy.
In Italy, pizza holds a special place in the culture. It is a pride and joy, from its creation to its consumption. Hot Italian will soon be opening in the Davis Commons shopping center, specializing in Italian-style pizza and paninis. It has become a favorite in the neighboring capital city of Sacramento, and is now marketing to the Davis crowd. Their mission, according to their website, is to “build a place where pizza brings people together to celebrate Italy’s new generation of art, music, design, food, sports, and wine.” UC Davis graduate and founder of Hot Italian, Andrea Lepore, and co-founder Fabrizio Cercatore are bringing their unique brand to Davis, and perhaps filling a missing piece in the community.
CIAO Italian Club at UC Davis, which meets regularly for coffee and conversation while celebrating Italian culture, will certainly enjoy this new place to gather. Carmen Castaldi Gomez, professor in the Italian department at UC Davis, certainly agrees that Davis needs some more affordable and authentic Italian options. For her, even the cult-favorite of Woodstock Pizza or the frequented spot Village Bakery are “fairly straightforward examples of Americanized pizza.” She says that great Italian food is hard to find in the area, and is at times disappointing because restaurants often overdo the basic, Italian recipes while charging too high prices. She adds that she is familiar with Hot Italian and appreciates that it “maintains the culture of pizza as a staple, not a delicacy. The pizza itself is excellent in quality but the atmosphere is relaxed and fun.” Time can only tell if this will become the new favorite place to hang out and grab a slice in Davis, but it is certain that it will bring with it an Italian following.
Margherita Heyer-Caput is also a professor in the Italian department, leading leads the Florence Quarter Abroad Program. Being a native Italian, she says that she usually prefers to cook at home, but with Hot Italian arriving she certainly will enjoy their authentic options. I asked her about the Italian community in the area and as to why it is not stronger, and she offers that “one reason for this phenomenon could be the lack of Italian restaurants and pizzerie that are cultural venues of aggregation and feature authentic, contemporary Italian cuisine.” Hot Italian will hope to change that with the opening of their pizzeria, the twelfth in Davis, but the first where you can grab an Italian-style slice for a great price. I guess it’s time to “manja!” or “eat!” as any true Italian would say.