From the skin, Rudolfo’s Cafe in Pacific Grove appears humble. Inside too – a mannequin of modest informality.
Chef and proprietor Rudolfo Ponce prefers to let the dishes boast all the pieces. And they don’t seem to be shy about it – contemporary, hand-cut pasta, burrata surrounded by ripe berries, mushrooms thrown on pizza.
“We’re attempting to create a seasonal menu,” Ponce explains. So he visits the farmers marketplace for greens and no matter else he can discover.
But it surely’s not all native, seasonal. And that is positive.
Pizza with salami, Calabrian chile, honey and rosemary illuminates your palate with candy warmth. The honey additionally brings grassy bitterness that mixes into the plant twigs. Salami has a magical spirit that’s appropriate for chili and, with the blushing sauce, provides it depth to the simmering sweetness.
All of this performs out on an unbelievable crust, so mild and ethereal that it reaches to the sky – each there and never there. It disappears into the cheese, besides across the edges the place the again bubbles and provides off a smoky char that rises from a peanut-like calm.
Ponce makes use of silky delicate 00 flour, overrated with a little bit coarse semolina. However the secret is a sourdough starter that has been on the rise for no less than eight many years, despatched from a chef to a chef. He was the award-winning starter earlier than opening Rudolfo’s in Could 2021.
The menu accommodates greater than pizzas, however it’s hardly in depth – two burgers (certainly one of them meatless), perhaps 10 or 12 small dishes and salad choices and paninis. The emphasis is on pasta and pizza, and but he limits the kitchen to 4 pink sauces and three white sauce specialties.
“Most locations have a whole lot of totally different pizzas,” says Ponce. “Right here we’ve it easy.
Since opening, Rudolfo’s has been on maintain. The restaurant rapidly grew to become widespread, though dishes ready from scratch add to the anticipation.
“It takes a little bit longer,” says the chef. “However Pacific Grove has labored properly for us.