Had to go back after all these recent posts. And so, just as the Beatles famously sang, “Yesterday… I went to il Romanista.”
Still great. I rate it highly. The mozz/tomato and mozz/pancetta were both new to me and really solid. And that dang crust is crunchier than a pair of Birkenstocks in Berkeley.
Only slight bummer is that he doesn’t serve beer anymore. Said he has a license but can’t sell. Not sure why.
FYI the hours written on their door now say that close is 2:30pm on Saturdays. Believe it used to be 3pm.
I like the Calabrese the most because you get some sweetness from the tomato sauce then you bite into that sopressata which is salty. Wonderful. All you pepperoni pizza fans will love this!!
The crust here is very good and very consistent with every slice I sampled. There is a great crunch/crust but at the same time it is very light.
The owner is very friendly and very passionate. I enjoyed him speaking about the pizzas.
If you like Mushrooms you are in luck because there was 2 pizzas with them.
Anything with Potato is traditional Roman per Owner.
Never been to Triple Beam but the owner explained that they are different in the way it’s cooked.
The veggie ones were a surprise! Bright and enhanced by a balsamic glaze.
I’m usually a big fan of meat toppings on pizza but I think the various veggie combinations are consistently very good. The grated potato with rosemary and sausage is strangely good but I can see how it might not be to everyone’s taste.
How do you guys feel about the QPR at Il Romanista? 2 slices cost me close to $9 after tax. Feels like it’s pricier than some of the better neapolitan pies around town.
Just as one would not compare the QPR of a XLB place with a dumpling place, one should similarly not do the same with Roman-style and Neapolitan pizzas.
Palatino and Calabrese slices were both excellent. I just started working in El Segundo and already know this is going to be in heavy rotation for lunch.
The crispiest crust I’ve ever had! Il Romanista is such a delight. Dropped by for a quick lunch, and walked out with two more slices as a gift for a pizza loving spouse.
I had the Amatriciana and the La Bandiera. The first bite and each bite thereafter was just glorious. Super crispy crust and just the right amount sauce and toppings. The pancetta of the Amatriciana is generous and the sauce was a nice balance of savory-sweet…I just wish it lived up to the “spicy” that the folks in the shop advertised it to be…but I liked it enough to get another slice to go. Loved the freshness of the La Bandiera. Great veg atop another delightful crust… and I’m a sucker for dallops of ricotta on any pizza. The QPR here is insane given the quality…many slices are a mere $3.50.
The Amerticiana is my favorite slice there. Great freshness of the sauce balanced out with salty pancetta. I don’t mind that there isn’t any globs of mozzarella. The slices heat up very well at home.
