Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Hot Italian: Pizza & Panini Bar




"Hot Italian" tosses dough, fresh for you…

Last Sunday, I organized a group of people to see Avenue Q's last performance in Sacramento, and then to join me for dinner at one of Midtown's newest restaurants, Hot Italian.

I reserved the Prosecco Table (that looks like it can seat all the way up to 18 people if you squeeze in!), a white washed, big rustic-looking, round table (with a indent in the middle that can be filled with ice and adult beverages!)

The interior of the restaurant uses a black and white theme, and it is very modern/industrial, with the exception of the prosecco table, it has a weathered wooden top. Here is a shot of the inside, along with the chandelier hanging above our table.


The black & white themed interior…

The chandelier above our table…



Here are some of the dishes our party tried and really loved:


I began with the extra dry prosecco, served in this tall glass:



The Salads:
Sozzani
Baby spinach, pears, dried cranberries, pine nuts, and gorgonzola dolce cheese.


The Canalis
Genoa Albacore Tuna, Cannellini Beans,
Taggiasche olives, Red Onion, Romaine Lettuce, Pecorino Romano Cheese



Since the pizzas are made to order, of course you can request your own toppings
(if you are not happy with the combinations listed on the menu).



The Ligabue
The Ligabue has pesto, pinenuts, mozzarella, and pecorino romano cheese.
The crust is fairly thin, but puffed on the edges. I noticed that some
of the pies were coming out a little darker than others. I like my crust
left in the oven a little longer, but that can also be requested.


What I like about Hot Italian is that most of the pizzas come in a salad or calzone form. You can see this on their menu. I would estimate that each pizza serves about 2 people. I saw a calzone on a table across the room, and it looked even better than the pizza I ordered. I will definitely be back to try the calzone.

Hot Italian also serves various flavored gelatos, a Nutella-type calzone (OMG, I missed this on the menu when we were there, or I would have ordered it!), a honey cheese pizza, and a cheese/berry pizza, even a float-like gelato in espresso treat for a delightful end to your meal.

Hot Italian is closed on Mondays, but open Hours Tuesdays through Thursdays 11am–11pm. Open LATE on Fridays 11am–3am & on Saturdays 10am–3am. Sundays their hours are 10am–10pm.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You're not missing much with the Nutella-type calzone. It was the only disappointing part of my otherwise-fabulous meal there. It was too doughy, and needed more hazelnut spread. But the vanilla bean gelato on the side was terrific!

cakegrrl2007 said...

Cool! Thanks for letting me know. Maybe I can whip something up like it at home along the same theme with a better result, as I like the concept. :)