Downtown Santa Rosa is getting a culinary shake-up as Persona Wood Fired Pizza gets ready to take over the former Arrigoni’s Deli. In what’s quickly becoming a trend in fast-casual dining, the pizzeria offers 12-inch top-your-own pizzas that are cooked in a wood-fired oven in about 90 seconds. Created by a top pizzaiolo (someone trained in the art of making pizza, notably Neopolitan-style) and a CIA-trained chef, Persona is based in Santa Barbara with plans to open more than twenty franchised stores in the Bay Area over the next several years.
And while we have nothing against good old pepperoni and mushroom, Persona will also offer up more gourmet toppings including prosciutto, Sopressata, pine nuts, arugula, burrito and blue cheese as well as the more conventional ones. A basic pizza will run about $8, but can quickly reach double digits with added toppings. Also in the lineup: A burrata and gelato bar. Noms.
What’s notable is that Pieology, a similar DIY pizzeria, recently opened in Santa Rosa’s Safeway Shopping Center on Mendocino Ave.
And yes, it is the third pizzeria in downtown Santa Rosa. But really, can you ever have enough pizza?
Expect a March opening.
There’s no good fresh Seafood Restaurants here in Santa Rosa because most likely the population can’t afford to host one.
Ned,
Most people in Santa Rosa and Sonoma in general are much less well off than they were ten years ago.
It would be a big gamble for someone to invest into a Fresh Seafood restaurant here in Santa Rosa in these economic times, expecting the locals to be able to pay the price that a fresh seafood dinner costs.
Who has $50.00 to $100.00 to pay for a nice dinner these days?
Ned, neither of those places are good seafood restaurants. They’re chains that truck in their crap from across the globe. I honestly can’t believe we don’t have dozens of top notch local seafood restaurants here considering the ability to source fresh, local fish.
As for the pizza joints popping up, I’m sure glad I didn’t decide to open a wood fired pizza place just as everyone else and their grama decided to. I hope all these places are good.
there iust one pizza worth mentioning in santa rosa. its JOEYS on mendocino above the belverdere. if you like ny pizza then fergetaboutit
Mary’s, Lavera, Russian River….and now this. Probably won’t see me in the place based solely on the picture of a crowded and probably noisy fast food type joint. Don’t worry LaVera you are still my favorite. You survived Mary’s intrusion and you will survive this.
I LOVE pizza — but enough already. Borrrrrrrrrring!
I still can’t believe that we can’t get a good seafood restaurant in town such as The Fish Market, or McCormick & Schmick’s just to name a couple of examples.