The Bartender pizza with marinara sauce, burrata, olives, spicy fennel sausage and Calabrese chilies ($25) at Delarosa. Courtesy Delarosa.
The team behind Wildseed, Super Duper Burgers, Flores and other Bay Area restaurants is opening a Roman-style pizzeria at Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto.
Delarosa, which has existing locations in San Francisco and San Ramon, is expected to open in mid-November in the former California Pizza Kitchen. The 90-seat sit-down restaurant will have a similar menu to its other three locations, featuring antipasti, skewers, pasta, pizza and a kids’ menu with complimentary coloring paper and crayons.
“In the Stanford Shopping Center, there is a need for a pizza place, and Delarosa is delicious,” said Adriano Paganini, founder and CEO of Back of the House, Inc. The restaurant group, established in 2009, operates 15 unique restaurant concepts offering a variety of cuisines, including vegan, Mexican and Cuban.
Linguine frutti di mare with shrimp, mussels, squid, garlic, basil, Italian parsley and clam juice at Delarosa. Courtesy Delarosa.
Burrata bruschetta with hazelnut and honey ($11) at Delarosa. Courtesy Delarosa.
Paganini grew up in Italy near Milan, where his father was a tailor (which inspired the name of his San Francisco restaurant, The Tailor’s Son). After attending culinary school, he moved to London and cooked at the Hyde Park Hotel for five years.
Nearly 30 years ago, he moved to San Francisco, working at the Donatello Restaurant before opening his own restaurant in the Marina called Cafe Adriano. At 27 years old, he opened Pasta Pomodoro, expanding to 46 restaurants before selling the brand.
Adriano Paganini, CEO of Back of the House, Inc., grew up in Italy before moving to San Francisco nearly 30 years ago. Courtesy Delarosa.
The recipes at Delarosa were developed by Paganini’s late business partner Ruggero Gadaldi.
“He was also a personal friend of mine, and I miss him very much,” Paganini said. “We’re just continuing basically this tradition after he passed away.”
From the antipasti, Paganini recommends the burrata bruschetta, eggplant caponatina and meatballs ($11-$16), which have been on the menu since Delarosa first opened in 2009. He recommends trying a spiedini (skewer) – you can’t go wrong with the marinated chicken thigh or hanger steak ($19-$22), he said.
His three favorite pastas are the pappardelle with Napoletana pork sugo, zizi with chicken Parmigiana and mezzemani with fried eggplant, cherry tomatoes, smoked mozzarella and basil ($19-$23).
A chef prepares a Roman-style pizza at Delarosa. Courtesy Delarosa.
A Roman-style pizza bakes in the over at Delarosa. Courtesy Delarosa.
Delarosa’s pizzas are Roman-style, although not as thin or crispy as the ones in Rome, Paganini said. He recommends the Capricciosa with marinara sauce, prosciutto cotto, artichokes, provolone and wild mushrooms; the Spicy Soppressata with marinara, salami, mozzarella, green chili, olives, red onion and Parmigiano; and the Bartender with marinara sauce, burrata, olives, spicy fennel sausage, calabrese and chilies ($20-$25).
“In the end, I really like all the dishes,” Paganini said. “That’s why they’re on the menu.”
A variety of cocktails at Delarosa, an Italian restaurant coming to Palo Alto’s Stanford Shopping Center. Courtesy Delarosa.
The drinks program will also be similar to that of its other locations, focusing on refreshing and approachable options. Expect spritzes, cocktails ($13), a small selection of draft beer ($9-$10) and a variety of wines by the glass ($12-$14) and bottle ($42-$95).
While the offerings at Delarosa Palo Alto will be very similar to the menus at its other locations, the interior design will likely be “better, newer, cooler and more modern,” Paganini said.
“Each (Delarosa) has its own personality, which is really based on an evolution from the prior one to this one,” he added.
Meatballs with spicy tomato sauce and crostini ($16) at Delarosa. Courtesy Delarosa.
Crab arancini with Calabrese aioli ($13) at Delarosa. Courtesy Delarosa.
Paganini said he doesn’t have any current plans to continue to expand Delarosa; however, if an opportunity arises, he wouldn’t be opposed.
“The goal is to serve a lot of people and make a lot of people happy with our pizza, our food, and our hospitality,” he said.
Carbonara pizza with pancetta, béchamel, provolone, mozzarella, two eggs and black pepper ($22) at Delarosa. Courtesy Delarosa.
Stanford Shopping Center is carving itself out as a dining destination. Last year, Sushi Roku and RH Rooftop Restaurant opened at the Palo Alto mall, and in May, Dumpling Time debuted. Cedar and Sage is expected to open in early November, and Zaytinya, created by James Beard Award-winning chef Jose Andres, also has plans to open at Stanford Shopping Center.
Delarosa, 136 Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto; Instagram: @delarosasf.
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