It’s a bit of a restaurateurs’ dream fulfilled to be able to open a successful restaurant on a busy foodielicious street like Union Street in Old Pasadena, but for Union, and now U Street Pizza owner Marie Petulla, lightning could easily strike twice.
Petulla has teamed up with Executive Chef Chris Keyser to create their combined ideal pizza, with a Midwest memory and an Italian New York-style pedigree.
As Petulla told Pasadena Now Thursday, “I’ve always wanted to open a pizzeria, and I’ve always kind of wanted a restaurant right next to my other restaurant. It was synergy, and it seemed really awesome.”
Owning a new artisan pizza shop allowed Petulla to truly indulge her own family pizza history.
Said Petulla, “I grew up in the Midwest, however, my father is first generation Italian from the East Coast, and he was a huge influence in my culinary experience.”
Watching him make bread at home on the weekends is a memory that burrowed deep in Petulla’s upbringing, she said. There, in her quest for a great pizza, was the past and a delicious future.
“(Keyser’s) dough recipe really is so reminiscent of what I grew up with as a child, from the flavor to the texture. His roots are east coast, as well. I think I always was chasing the pizza that I grew up with.”
“I feel like a lot of (restaurant owners) do that,” she added. “It’s like 50%, 75%, a hundred percent of people who open pizzerias are like chasing this idea of what the ultimate slice is.”
Both Petulla and Keyser have also chased the perfect pizza dough dream since they were young. For Keyser, it’s seemingly a mixture of science, religion and art.
While their pizza seems to resemble the popular Neapolitan style, they aren’t, he says.
As he describes the experience, “It should have a crack when you eat the pie. You’ll notice that there’s more of a chew, it’s more full, and it’s a much longer bake than the Neapolitan, which are usually baked around 90 seconds, give or take, where our pies are around six to eight minutes.”
And when you have a longer bake, that’s when toppings start to change, said Keyser, who explained that a longer bake also requires different toppings and cheeses.
“We’re finishing these pies with things that are more local. So conversely, he said, “even though it is California, it feels like New York style.”
That is now far more than anyone really needs to know about pizza. And there was a lot more happening before the first pizza even arrived at the table.
Keyser’s Caesar Salad might be the best I’ve ever had. While you’ll find countless eateries brag about their Caesar salads, this one spoke quietly but clearly.
“Even though there is Parmesan on top of this,” Keyser explained, “there is actually pecorino cheese inside the dressing, and a little bit of red wine vinegar.”
The salad is finished with house-made sourdough croutons, and from such fresh, simple ingredients is greatness made.
Following the salad came the Stromboli. Think of it kinda like pizza strudel, rolled and sliced, with cheeses instead of icing. Mortadella cheese, ezzo pepperoni, young pecorino, pizza mozzarella, all served with a spicy marinara dipping sauce. Soft and chewy and hot and slightly oily, with just a whisper of a bite in the crust. You could make an evening of these by themselves.
But pizza is still clearly the star of the show, and while you can build your own pie here, as in every pizza shop in America, U Street offers its own specialty creations. We were offered two of them— the Petaluma Style, and the Vodka Pepperoni.
Petaluma is the closest thing U Street has to a traditional Margherita pizza, but with a twist. Organic Petaluma cheese is laid down first and then topped with a “Grandma” sauce, pecorino romano, and olive oil, almost a pizza backwards, or at least upside down. It’s a pure pizza for purists.
On the other hand, the Vodka Pepperoni is more of a pizza celebration with its combination of cream, mozzarella, provolone, ezzo pepperoni, vodka sauce, Fresno peppers and mozzarella. This one will draw the stares to your table, and should disappear quickly.
Saving room for dessert, whatever that actually means, we were tempted with three offerings. Offerings, not choices. Keyser delivered a tray with Soft Serve fior de latte, chocolate twist with rainbow sprinkles, a housemade Choco Taco (is that an official thing now?) with vanilla pizzelle, fior de latte, in a folded “magic “ shell, and topped with Santa Barbara pistachios.
At that point, the gauge pointed to “full,” and we could only smile and be thankful. We had arrived as a party of one, and we left as a party of one with two boxes and a bag, such was the amount of food provided. It all went to a very happy home, and not my tiny apartment with a tinier fridge.
Meanwhile, Petulla and Keyser could have a serious hit on their hands as anno pandemica winds to a hopeful close, and summer begins its dance.
Whether your pizza choice is artisan or corner neighborhood place, U Street deserves a spot on your map.
U Street Pizza is at 33 Union Street, Pasadena, CA . (626) 605-0340. www.Ustreetpizza.com.
