Americans eat a staggering amount of pizza each year. Pizza-eating is practically a national pastime, and here in Sacramento we have enough pizzerias to keep our denizens munching happily for the rest of their lives. However, for the persnickety diners amongst us, an exemplary pizza can be hard to find. If the flavor and quality of your pizza pie’s crust, sauce and topping is of great importance to you, check out distinctive little Masullo in Land Park. Hardly your typical pizzeria, Masullo bakes up individual-sized Neopolitan style pizzas in an impressive wood-fired oven, and the results are pretty darned delicious. The restaurant’s crusts manage to be both crusty and cushy-tender, and thin enough that they do not detract from the kitchen’s excellent toppings. We found the tomato sauce slathered atop the pizza base to be robust and very fresh-tasting, and our only disappointment was that toppings were very sparse—in the case of a sausage pizza we ordered, for example, there were only eight pieces of sausage on the whole pizza. Irresisitible menu items include the “Eileen,” topped with gorgeous oyster mushrooms, Niman ranch bacon bits, mozzarella cheese and sage (indulgent and very tasty) and the “Mary Liz,” with mozzarella cheese, sliced heirloom tomatoes, artichoke hearts and zucchini (a great choice for vegetarians). Salads are very fresh (don’t miss the fantastic arugula and fennel salad, with shaved Parmesan and toasted almonds, tossed in a lively Meyer lemon vinaigrette), and there’s even a few appetizers you can munch on while waiting for your pizza, including a roasted mixed vegetable plate. The space is spare, yet warm: long and narrow, the dining area has a speckled concrete floor and beige walls. White mushroom cap-like lamps loom over the beautiful walnut tables, crafted from a tree that was felled locally. Patrons have a choice between the two-top tables against the back wall or seating at the family-style, lengthy tables in the center of the room. I found the family-style arrangement to be charming—it’s a comfortable spot for single diners, and a fun way for folks to get to know each other as they devour their pizzas. The atmosphere is convivial and loud, especially when the pizzeria fills up, which can be quite early in the evening. Bring the kids—they’re warmly welcomed, and will relish the pizza as much as you do. And if they (and you) do a good job on their dinners, the restaurant offers locally-made Vic’s ice cream for dessert. — Kira O'Donnell

Insider tip: Olive oil aficionados may be interested to know that Masullo’s sells an estate-grown and hand-crafted extra-virgin olive oil (produced in Woodland) called “Frate Sole” (500ml bottle for $20) that they also use on all their pizzas.

Reservations: None accepted, walk-in only

Payment methods: MasterCard, Visa

Alcohol: Wine and beer

Corkage fee: $8

Hours: Monday–Thursday: 5–9:30 p.m.
Friday–Saturday: 5–10pm
Closed Sundays