Simple flatbreads have been a typical food for people of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern descent as far back as the Neolithic Age.  However, the Italian town of Gaeta is credited as using the word ‘pizza’, as far back as 997 AD, when townspeople were expected to give the local bishop twelve pizzas every Christmas and Easter as part of their tenancy agreement. The humble pizza has seen many changes and innovations over time, but its original recipe was nowhere near as tasty as today’s concoctions, and it was considered a food for poor people.

During the 16th century, pizza was commonly sold as street food in Naples, but it was not until the end of the century that tomato sauce was used on the base.  By the time the 17th century came around, tomato sauce had been replaced by a combination of olive oil, tomatoes and fish, and in the 18th century it appears that people had finally started to recognize the versatility of this hearty dish, covering it in a number of different toppings.

The margarita pizza was only invented in 1889, when Neapolitan chef Raffaele Esposito devised his colorful tomato, cheese and basil creation in honor of the Italian flag.

On Febuary 1st,  a group of 35 children from China, visiting the United States through a foreign exchange program sponsored in part by the EXPLORATION STATION in Grover Beach, enjoyed a tour of our kitchen.  The children ranged in ages 11 through 15.  None of them spoke English!  They all tried to toss dough and spin it like Frank, the owner.  None succeeded but tons of photos taken and lots of laughing!  They all made their own mini pizzas and had tons of fun!  We had lots of requests for cucumbers and hot sauce apparently common pizza toppings in China!

One of my early challenges when I opened Paisano’s was finding products that allow me to make my food right – the way Italian food is meant to be made. I had a lot of experience managing other places and a lot of home cooking background so I did the best I could to create recipes that would reflect that. I found that Mozzarella that came from Wisconsin has a better flavor than that which comes from California. Pecorino Romano from Italy is the best. Meat products are better from Chicago. Tomato basis are the best from California. We get fresh local produce in every day. I make our lasagna, manicotti, pizza sauce, pizza dough, pesto sauce, Alfredo sauce, Italian dressing, and of course, our meatballs all from scratch. We use extra-virgin olive oil and no trans-fats (we don't even have a fryer). We either bake in an oven or cook on a stove.

The hardest part of being a small business owner has been adapting to change. As the economy and business has changed, Paisano's has had to change as well. I was pulled back into working longer hours (not quite 16 hours anymore), but long again. I started doing all the prep work again myself. This has brought me back to my roots as a cook. The products are more constant (I prep the way I think It should be done. We created a more price competitive menu and began offering two for one pizzas. We started a lunch buffet to appeal to people on the run. It’s fast, good and reasonably priced at $5.95.

When I was 12 years old my father and I went gun shopping. We ended up at Vic's Gun Shop. Vic was 74 years old. My father always kept his eyes open for opportunity, so while they negotiated price for a deer rifle for me, he also let Vic know he was interested in his building if and when Vic ever retired. Vic told my dad that he would give him the first crack at the building when the time was right. 15 years later, my father was hosing down the side walk in front of our old location and Vic (now age 89) walked buy on the way to work. My dad brought up the encounter that we had 15 years later and mentioned that it would be a great location for Paisano's. To his great pleasure, Vic honored his earlier commitment, said yes and sold us his building. After 2 ½ long years of endless permits and construction, we moved into Vic's old gun shop, our present location on June 12th, 2005.