San Diego, CA (The Joy of Food) — Tiffany’s taught us the art of window shopping, and the newest member of the Buona Forchetta family — Gelati & Peccati — takes that concept to effective visual heights with pizza, reminiscent of the walk-up pizzerie and gelati shops common in Rome.
Baked in sheet pans and sold al taglio, or ‘by the cut,’ the high-hydration dough ferments for 72 hours and produces a light, airy crumb and crispy bottom. Before Gelati & Peccati, there was Napizza, now defunct and replaced citywide by something called Mr. Moto Pizza. For any faithful disciples of the former pizza al taglio spot, a comparison: Gelati & Peccati is a lighter dough with crispier edges and bigger air pockets.
Different combinations rotate throughout the day, and while it’s difficult to pick favorites, standouts I’ve sampled include the simple marinara with cherry tomatoes, oregano, basil, and garlic, and the luxuriously bright Invidia with ricotta, zucchini, and lemon zest. If you prefer meat on your pizza, the one topped with sausage, mushrooms, and mozzarella hits the spot without too much salty flavor and an added kick of creaminess from the cheese.
Reminiscent of Pizzarium in Rome, there are also the wacky and creative flavors like a prosciutto and artichoke pizza, the artichokes heaping-sized things almost bigger than the pizza slice itself. A potato truffle pizza comes piled so high it could be mistaken for a ball. Another day, the aptly named Sandwich Pizza travels from Italy to California where it picks up some avocado on the way. This homage to inventive flavors is no accident since head pizzaiolo, Luca Zamboni, honed his pizza-making skills by working at Pizzarium.
You’ll want to save room for a scoop or two of gelato, sold in 18 flavors including vegan options and fruit sorbets. Most of it is good, if a little too runny, and you may end up with something overly sweet depending on what you pick (tiramisu, I’m looking at you). In the high heat of summer it’s best to take a scoop to go and eat it standing in the shade.
Written by Joy
Thanks for reading. The Joy of Food blog celebrates eating well, traveling often, and living la dolce vita. San Diego, California is home base, but thoughts are from all over. Reviews and photos help to highlight wonderful (or not) food experiences from around the world.
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Mmm… Gelato. I gotta visit. Maggie can eat the pizza.
Both excellent choices here. I do think the pizza > gelato at this particular place but it’s worth a shot to see what flavors you like.
Sounds like my kinda place! Do you like Regents Pizza? They have New York or Chicago style pizza choices.
Can you believe I’ve never been? While I love Chicago pizza, I can only eat about a slice before I explode.
Oh wow, well I’m sure you will eventually! Yes I agree, normally I have to make sure I’m really hungry just to eat one slice!
Ha ha yes. I always like Giordano’s for Chicago pizza (closest one to us is Vegas) because they have an individual 6″ pie and that is the perfect size for me to eat and finish lol.