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There's a second "twisted pizza" location in Roseville, CA, as Chicago's Pizza With A Twist has a franshise in Granite Bay, on the east side of town, that serves delicious Chicago style pizza, with an Indian "twist," in the true style of Bollywood. You will LOVE this "twist..." As with all restaurant reviews I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: It's a little past the 11:00 in the morning opening time, Saturday, March 12, 2022, and I've arrived at the Granite Bay location of Chicago's Pizza With A Twist to enjoy an amazing pizza, in the style of India. There are four of these franchises located in the greater Sacramento area, and today was my first visit to the Granite Bay location, but I'm a lover of "Indian style" pizza, and have visited the Roseville Foothills location a few times. From what I understand, each restaurant is individually owned, and each restaurant operates somewhat differently, as I noted the Granite Bay location has a slightly different menu, and - more importantly - offers bottled beer. The lonely table outside the restaurant, on the sidewalk, doesn't seem to offer particularly inviting patio dining...
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you'll be greeted at the counter by the friendly host. You can order your pizza from the counter, or order online or by phone, and pick up your completed order at the restaurant. The menu is listed above the order counter on a video board, and since he dining room is very small, was impossible to show in the photo. When you order "dine in," Chicago's uses what I call the "taqueria format," as you make your selection from the menu, posted above the counter, pay for your order, and when your order is ready, it will be brought to your table, with a smile by one of the friendly staff members. As you pay for your order, there is a very "convenient" way to add a tip to reward the staff for their friendly service. Sight unseen, when I paid for my order, I added a 20% tip, to reward the friendly, hard-working staff.
Photo: The video menu board is posted above the counter, and is hard to read in person, and even harder to read in this photo. There are printed menus on the counter, should you prefer an "old school" menu, but both the printed, along with the video menu in the restaurant don't list some of the selections, which are only listed online. That being the case, there are no problems, as you just tell the staff what you want. In my case, the "Lamb Twisty Pocket" wasn't listed on either the video or the printed menu, but was offered online. I'm glad I surfed the online menu before visiting the restaurant! By the way... check out the printed menu by clicking on THIS LINK.
Photo: The restaurant seems to cater mostly to takeout-go orders, and the dining room is very compact, with two tables, a bench table facing the counter, and a bar stool type table facing the wall. There are several video monitors, that highlight listings from the menu. The dining room is clean, spartan and very functional. I'm "old school" and I prefer to dine-in, and I found the dining room very comfortable and attractive.
Photo: I ordered my "Shahi Panner Naan Pizza Twist" from the "Naan Pizza" section of the menu. This is only a small section of the menu, click on the image of the menu to see the full, printed menu the restaurant offers. There are additional selections listed on the restaurant's web site.
Photo: After placing my order, I relaxed and watch the talented pizza chef prepare my order, along with a couple pies for a take-out order. During my visit I was the only dine-in customer, as most orders were to-go, as the phone was constantly busy, and there was a steady stream of customers arriving to pick up completed orders.
Photo: These gentlemen arrived to pick up a completed to-go order of three large pizzas. They must have had quite an appetite! Note the display of printed menus on the counter, which are to take home with you, as the restaurant encourages takeout orders.
Photo: There is a large commercial pizza oven that is the showcase of the kitchen.
Photo: I took a peek into the kitchen and watched Manmeet putting the final touches to my order, after taking it out of the oven. The kitchen is open, so you can watch the talented staff working their magic, as they prepare your delicious order.
Photo: Meet Manmeet, who took my order, assisted with the preparation, and delivered it to my table with a smile. I ordered "dine in" and my order was ready in about 25 minutes, which is fast, considering the quality of the food that Chicago's Pizza With A Twist serves. You'll be glad to know that your order is prepared from quality, fresh, mostly locally-sourced ingredients, and everything is made, in-house, from scratch by the talented staff.
Photo: I have a smile on my face, along with an amazing lunch, at Chicago's Pizza With A Twist, the Granite Bay location, in Roseville, CA.
Photo: From the "Naan Pizza" section of the menu, I went with the "Shahi Paneer Naan Pizza Twist," along with a "Lamb Twisty Pocket," from the "Sides" section of the menu, complete with jalapeno pepper slices. When I horribly mispronounced the words "Shahi Paneer," the chef simply laughed, and assured me that everything was alright. The menu describes the "Twisted Pizza," as, "Tropical butter sauce, cheese, onions, garlic, ginger, paneer, fresh cilantro and green chilies upon request." Yes, please, as I requested green chilies, which turned out to be jalapeno pepper slices. Today was my lucky day! The online menu -"Pockets" aren't listed on the printed menu available inside the dining room - describes the "Lamb Twisty Pocket," as, "Our Lamb Twisty Pocket has our signature tandoori sauce, crisp red onions, sliced lamb, fresh cut ginger, garlic, green chilies and spicy jalapenos." Simply delicious! This pizza isn't your typical thick, loaded-with-cheese "American style" pizza, as it's based on a slab on naan bread, baked to a crispy golden brown, and covered with butter sauce. The naan bread slice served as a perfect foundation for the pizza, as it was light, slightly crispy, very flavorful and held together well. The naan bread was topped with the "tropical butter sauce," along with cheese, diced red onion, diced cilantro, and chunks of garlic. All of this goodness topped the naan bread, and was baked perfectly, to create an amazing pizza, with a Bollywood "twist." When you place your order, you get to choose your "spice level" from not-at-all to super-spicy. I went with the "medium" spice level, which worked perfectly for me. If you have any questions about the spiciness, just ask the friendly staff as you place your order, and they'll be happy to guide you into the direction of your choosing. With each bite, I could taste a mixture of ginger, along with a slight curry taste, which mixed together well, and created a perfect, complex taste, which is very typical of fine Indian cuisine. This isn't your average "Joe" pizza, as this pizza definitely is flavored with an Indian "twist!" Since the pizza was vegetarian, I needed some meat with my lunch, and my "Lamb Twisty Pocket" filled the mission of meat, to complete my amazing lunch. The pocket was basically like a giant samosa, as it was baked in the pizza oven, in the half-moon shape of a samosa. It was stuffed with thin strips of marinated lamb meat, diced red onion, garlic, and lots of creamy, melted white cheese. Besides the obvious taste of garlic - I love it! - I could taste ginger, along with a faint trace of curry, which all blended together to make this an amazing addition to the pizza. The "Lamb Twisty Pocket" was simply amazing, and it could be a "stand alone" dish as the centerpiece to your lunch, as it was delicious. Chicago's Pizza With A Twist, located in Granite Bay, serves a lunch that's certainly unique, and blends Italian and Indian cuisines together, with a unique "twist." As my host mentioned, pizza isn't native to India, but Indians have adapted pizza to their taste, and have created a "fusion" dish that combines the best of both cuisines.
Photo: One half of my "Lamb Twisty Pocket," on top of a slice of "Shahi Paneer Naan Pizza Twist," showing off of the juicy goodness my amazing lunch had to offer. The presentation of this fine food was simply stunning, but the taste was even better! As an "aside," I posted a writing on Yelp and rated this fine restaurant as "5-Stars," all the way! Chicago's Pizza With A Twist bakes delicious pizza, served by super friendly staff, and their pizza is like no other pizza that you'll find in the greater Sacramento area, and most likely, probably in all of northern California. Bollywood meets Roseville, by way of Chicago, at Chicago's Pizza With A Twist, at the Granite Bay store, in Roseville, CA. When you're looking for a "twist" for your dining pleasure, think of Chicago's Pizza With A Twist, located in Roseville, CA. Chicago's Pizza With A Twist Copyright(c) 2022 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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