Meet Petrini’s Italian Napoletana Pizza, 5262 Katella Ave., in Los Alamitos.
Ciao!
It’s “truly” Italian Pizza that’s an over-the-top taste-appealing experience.
For the “Connoisseur” of Italian foods, this is the place to order pizza that’s cooked by Pizzaiolo (Chef de Cuisine) and Owner Gene Pietrini and Head Pizza Master son Landon Pietrini, in an Italian pizza oven that was made in Italy especially for the Pietrini family and shipped to America, right here in Los Alamitos, on Katella Avenue across from Winner’s Circle.
The tomatoes also come from Italy and the recipes are Gene’s tried-and-true family’s recipes that cause a taste-bud tingling-sensation with an out-of-this-world difference from all of the others.
The soft crust that’s also amazingly good, will not be left on the plate, because it’s simply too tasty.
Here’s some of the back story about Pietrini’s from the family members. Pizzaiolo and Owner Gene said that what’s different about their pizza is that it tastes like you’re in Naples, Italy. “Our oven was made in Naples and the flour and tomatoes we use come from Naples as well – we are bringing the real authentic experience to Los Alamitos,” he said
In Italy, in a formal setting such as a restaurant, pizza is served unsliced and eaten with a knife and fork; however, during Petrini’s recent ribbon cutting, orchestrated by the Cypress and Los Alamitos Chambers of Commerce, the pizzas were sliced for everyone to enjoy several pieces of different styles of Pietrini pizzas.
And, speaking of Naples, Italy, a baker, Raffaele Esposito, also from Naples, is credited with making the first pizza pie, while some say street vendors, from Naples, sold flatbreads with toppings for years as well.
At Pietrini’s they serve Neapolitan pizzas and all kinds of wood-fired and New York-style pizzas, along with appetizers, salads, desserts and craft beers that are served at a perfect 28-degrees Fahrenheit.
Owner Gene Pietrini also plans to include his mother’s lasagna recipe to the list of menu items as they go along.
The son, Landon Pietrini said, “My wife Kendrika and my son, Almanzo, both love pizza and my son has his own toy pizza set, made of wood, that he plays with – one of his first words was ‘pizza’ – I get excited about how our pizzeria has the potential of being a generational endeavor.”
The family further explained how Neapolitan pizza is made by using a wood oven and special tomatoes, cheese and dough. That’s why the family imports the pizza ingredients from Naples, to maintain the taste quality. The crust is also prepared to certain specifications.
“There’s an artistry to great Neapolitan pizza and as my knowledge and ability increased, my son, Landon, gained a great interest as well, enrolling in the Tony Gemignani’s International School of Pizza in San Francisco to become a certified Pizzaiolo,” Gene shared.
Landon Pietrini said that before attending Pizza school, he hadn’t understood the science of pizza, so, it was at school where his love for making pizza took hold.
Gene, having grown up in a Chicago Sicilian home, was used to Authentic Italian pizza as an everyday tradition.
While on vacation in Australia, Gene and wife, Blair Pietrini, were served an authentic Neapolitan pizza; he was hooked and later, in Italy, they were able to taste the “real” Neapolitan deal and that’s when in 2013 they purchased a wood-fired oven for their backyard and began experimenting with recipes in an effort to recreate the familiar pizza taste of his younger years at home and began to make pizza as a Pietrini family tradition, which has carried over into the Pietrini Neapolitan Pizza Restaurant that has been open for nearly six months now.
Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Fridays and Sundays; with Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday hours from 5 to 9 p.m. and they are closed Mondays.
