Mini Pizza Tour of Sacramento.

Upon hearing that good pizza exists outside of Zelda's, I knew we had to seek it out. Two whole hearted recommendations of Giovanni's in South Land Park and to Roma's II in Rancho Cordova especially intrigued us as they came from Zelda's Chicago style pizza fans.

Giovanni's - Geez. This place is far from midtown, way out on South Land Park and 43rd. The dining area was huge, with lots of cafeteria style tables and combat green walls. We ordered some type of veggie pizza. Dan and I quicky arranged a trade of artichoke hearts for tomatoes. The crust was very thin (definitely New York style), the sauce was fresh and tangy tasting and the toppings were pretty generous. We unexpectedly found a few bits of sausage on it though and had to send half of it back for a new one. Overall, it was pretty good but I don't see myself driving all the way out there when I can just walk to Zelda's.

Roma's II - Geez. This place is far from midtown, way out on South Watt near Kiefer. The decor was very average, well-lit, checkered tablecloths, TV mounted on the wall, booths and tables. After indecision on whether or not to just order the margharita, we decided to order two small pizzas, the margharita that we'd heard was legendary and the veggie without onions. The margharita came first. The presentation was so off. The cheese was browned, there was hardly any basil on it and the tomatoes I could cound on one hand. The taste was fair at best. The burned cheese was far too chewy and the sad tomatoes were tasteless. Then the veggie arrived. The cheese wasn't burned, but it was still too chewy. The sauce was good, but I've had better. Overall it was okay. I don't think I'd be craving it enough to make the trip back.

Zelda's wins again. If I lived ten miles away, you'd better bet I'd still make the drive to eat there. And Zachary's in Albany will still remain the only place that I will drive an hour just for one of their stuffed pizzas.