Haruna Romo and Johnny Romo show of their ‘Naughty Knot.’
The question, as Johnny Romo remembers it, was disarmingly simple: what can we do with pizza and pastry? That was back in March, when Prince Street Pizza reached out to the Salted Butter Co.
with an idea still warm and unformed. What emerged from months of trial and error is the “Naughty Knot,” a braided croissant Danish rolled into a compact knot and stuffed with Prince Street’s vodka sauce, fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, ricotta, and hot honey.
The thing is, it doesn’t taste like dessert. The Danish dough, laminated and buttery, pulls none of its usual sweetness into the equation. “It’s just the actual dough,” Haruna Romo explains. “Our flavors come from our dough. We’re like the backbone.” Prince Street supplies the fillings; Salted Butter supplies the architecture.
And that architecture takes time. The croissant dough requires a three-day process from starter to shaping. It rests overnight, then gets braided by hand, each pastry rolled into a knot with just enough cavity to hold everything Prince Street brings to the party. It is, as Johnny puts it, “a labor of love.”
The love-in runs through June, daily, until supplies sell out. Both partners describe it as something rooted as much in community as in commerce. “We wanted something fun with the community,” Haruna says, “and to go with a big company that’s also local.” The emphasis on locality feels deliberate. These are two Pasadena-area operations, each with its own identity, each protective of it.
Whether the “Naughty Knot” becomes a permanent menu item or remains a beautiful seasonal experiment, the Romos are already thinking about what comes next. More collaborations, they say, as long as the integrity of both brands holds.
For now, get there early.
Salted Butter Company is at 1 West California Blvd, Unit 412, Pasadena, CA. saltedbutter.co
