Cent ‘Anni: Pizza Therapy at Pizzicato in Bankers Hill

Veggie Pie (Courtesy photo)

Serving up tasty pizzas with upbeat and attentive service in a friendly, fun and all inviting atmosphere, Pizzicato is a nice and quick casual option for dining out.

President and owner/partner Travis W. Sheffer with co-owner and partner Kirk Reding operate Pizzicato in both Encinitas and Bankers Hill.  “We are very happy to be a new addition to the Bankers Hill community,” said Sheffer. “We have been welcomed by everyone with open arms and hope to make a strong community presence for years to come.”

Pizzicato is a franchise that started in Portland, Oregon. The menu is pretty constant with slight changes periodically. “Although pizza is the specialty of the house, the salads are just as incredible,” said Sheffer.  “We do have a few secret recipes, like our Caesar dressing and our dough.”

Arugula & Pear Salad (Courtesy photo)

The griglia salad offers an excellent combination of flavor with its mixture of salad greens, roasted eggplant, zucchini, sweet peppers, artichokes, goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.  On the sweeter side of things, I thought the arugula and ripe pear salad tossed with candied walnuts, Gorgonzola cheese and balsamic vinaigrette was better than dessert. Pair salads with whole roasted garlic cloves, Gorgonzola cheese and grilled focaccia bread.

The Quattro Formaggi with sausage and mushroom is a popular favorite, boasting Gorgonzola, fontina, mozzarella, chevre, whole roasted garlic cloves, Italian sausage, mushrooms and fresh basil. A zesty option is the barbeque chicken pizza with Roma tomatoes, roasted peppers, onions, cheddar, mozzarella and barbecue sauce. If you like meat, opt for the Molto Carne with Italian sausage, pepperoni, prosciutto, mushrooms, tomatoes and black olives.

There are six beers on draft and a good selection of bottled beers as well. Selections stem from several local brews (Stone IPA, Coronado Red, Mission Amber), some Oregon beers (Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Widmer Hefe, McTanahans, Drop Top), to some great fitting imports (Moretti (Italian beer), Stella Artois). The wine list is short but sweet, with great tasting wines at a very reasonable price. House wines are Pinot Grigio and Montepulciano as well as a nice Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay for all under $6 a glass.

Fresh Mozzarella Panini (Courtesy photo)

Pizzicato has specials every day. “We’re not striving to be a bar, a hangout would be nice. We are planning to get a couple TVs for customers to watch games and hang out for happy hours, and hopefully order lots of pizza,” said Sheffer.  “We would like to continue gaining presence in the community, spreading the good word, and serving quality food with a smile.”

Pizzicato Bankers Hill is located at 2420 Fifth Ave., San Diego, CA 92101 (619) -232-9000, www.pizzicatogourmetpizza.com.

Maria Desiderata Montana is an award-winning food and wine journalist, editor, and published author based in San Diego. She gained an appreciation of European cuisine from her parents, who were born and raised in Calabria, Italy. Visit her website at www.sandiegofoodfinds.com.