Some details and info on Hot Italian opening at 16th and Q Street.
http://www.fesmag.com/article/CA6574895.html
Organic & Original
Although still under construction in Sacramento at press time, Hot Italian Pizza & Panini is a new concept focusing on pizza and the popular panini sandwiches. Dubbed a European-style paninoteca, its opening is scheduled for this month.
This concept was created by Andrea Lepore, a sports and restaurant marketing specialist, and Fabrizio Cercatore, an Italian restaurant operator who will serve as executive chef.
“Independent restaurants are putting so many gourmet spins on pizza today,” Lepore says, adding that many are electing to use organic ingredients and focusing on local sourcing. “It’s pretty market-driven.”
What distinguishes Hot Italian from other pizza operations is that the restaurant is one of the first participating in a pilot program offered by the U.S. Green Building Council to help retail stores and restaurants obtain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.
This operation’s environmentally friendly attributes include solar panels that will heat water in the dishwasher and bathrooms, a commercial composting bin designated for kitchen food waste and the use of recycled building materials.
The 3,500-square-foot, 110-seat restaurant’s location in one of the country’s greenest cities is expected to be beneficial, given that its focus is on sustainability. “We are fortunate, being in California, that we can go to local sources for produce, wine and meats,” Lepore says, adding that the point is not to beat organic over everyone’s head. “We think, at some point, everything will be organic and free-range.”
Still, with the rising prices of flour and cheese, cost will be a big factor. Despite this challenge, Lepore says operating a green restaurant is the right thing to do. “People shouldn’t have to choose between buying unhealthy, less expensive items and buying more expensive organic products,” she says.
This pizza and panini bar concept will target customers who want to grab a quick lunch or hang out in an Italian atmosphere drinking wine. The design features a large main bar as the space’s focal point, which provides customers with an unobstructed view of the chef at work.
Those set on pasta are out of luck here. Like Tutta Bella, the menu is simple, offering only pizza and panini sandwiches as entrées.
Hot Italian’s pizzas are named after well-known Italians, including soccer player Luca Toni, whose pizza includes mozzarella, prosciutto cotto and fresh ricotta; and rugby star Marco Bartolami’s pizza with mozzarella, gorgonzola, pear and honey.
A symbol on the menu designates which pizzas can be made as paninis, since many offer the same choice of ingredients.
Hot Italian’s cookline will consist of a wood-burning oven imported from Italy. Beverage equipment includes undercounter refrigerators, beer dispensers, an espresso bar, a back bar, a unit holding wine and beer, a gelato and espresso bar that includes a gelato case with 18 trays, and a four-door wine refrigeration unit for white wine and beer.
The pizza bar prep area includes a prep table and undercounter refrigeration. The 500-square-foot back kitchen contains a grill, range and three refrigerators. “We didn’t go the walk-in route because of space limitations,” Lepore says.
Hot Italian’s location also will feature a 2,500-square-foot shop with Italian sportswear, cyclist and scooter enthusiast accessories, soccer items and urban-inspired Italian goods, in addition to a Vespa showroom. “Combining the three concepts will have a symbiotic relationship, creating a unique environment and the perfect definition of a flagship location,” Lepore says.
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