Where The Pie’s the Limit
By Courtney Dimpel
Upper Crust Pizza and Pasta has been delivering old world traditional pizza and pasta to the Santa Cruz community for over three decades at its two locations and has grown to be a pizza pillar in the our community. Ernesto Chaves has owned the Soquel Upper Crust Restaurant in Soquel for the past decade. He purchased the restaurant’s Soquel location from original proprietors, Sharon and Joe Carollo, who continue to manage the 2415 Mission Street location, which opened its doors in 1979.
Ernesto didn’t just happen to buy into the pizza business, rather he started over two decades ago as a dishwasher for the Carollo’s. His enthusiasm for the business led him through every position the restaurant offered until the opportunity to own his own parlor became a reality.
Just like the original owners, Ernesto has a passion for pizza and is devoted to excellence when it comes to making traditional Italian food. He and his staff spend countless hours crafting hand-tossed, made-to-order pizzas and home made pasta for a diverse and unique menu that provides something for everyone. Whether you’re in the mood to create your own Upper Crust Pizza, or hunger for a Sicilian Muffaletta brick oven roasted sandwich, a crisp fresh salad, delicious pasta dinners or a decadent dessert, you won’t find any better.
The atmosphere of Upper Crust Pizza and Pasta in Soquel is comfortable and relaxed, and the staff friendly. Its Italian decor and impressive murals on the walls are unique works of art and the seating can accommodate everything from a couple out to a romantic dinner to a family birthday celebration. Upper Crust Pizza and Pasta also has a great website (uppercrustsc.com) with the complete menu to drool over.
Pizza for Everyone. There are pizzas for vegetarians, pizzas that are gluten free, and pizzas with everything including ham, beef, garlic, chicken, sausage salami, garlic, pepperoni, pineapple, garlic onions, garlic, and on & on. (Did I mention garlic?)
Pizza, Thick & Thin & Round. The pizza dough is made fresh daily and you can taste the old-world tradition in both their thick and thin pizzas. The thick pizza crust is light and crisp, covered in a secret family sauce. Handed down from one generation to another it’s smothered in a blend of fine cheeses, then brick oven-baked to a golden brown. The thin-crust pizza is afforded the same care as the thick Sicilian pizza and features the same savory sauces, cheeses, spices, and herbs.
Square Pizza? So why square? The simple answer is Carollo’s family roots are Sicilian. Growing up, Joe worked in his family’s Italian bakery, where he learned to make bread, pastries and Sicilian-style square pizza. He passed the tradition on to Ernesto who has carried on the tradition. Sicilian Thick Crust Square or Thin Crust Round with a blend of Monterey Jack and Mozzarella cheese and your choice of many traditional or gourmet toppings.
Sicilian Muffaletta is thin sesame bread layered with mozzarella, jack and provolone cheeses and Italian spices warmed in our brick oven. You can have it “Meat” with thinly sliced ham, or “Vegetarian” with shredded carrots and pesto.
Sicilian Cannoli is a crisp pastry shell with sweet creamy filling, topped with chocolate chips and powdered sugar.
Another family tradition that Upper Crust Pizza and Pasta shares with their customers is their original sauces of which are made in-house from longtime family recipes. Their family meat sauce starts with virgin olive oil, Mediterranean herbs and spices, and then high-quality beef. The sauce is slow-simmered for hours until cooked to perfection.
“I’ve gotten to know our customers by name over the years,” said owner Ernesto. “ We see their kids grow up, support their sports teams, and do our best to be a part of this community; to give back. It’s been a lot of work to stay in business with the economy and competition. We aim to please and to keep our customers happy by providing great service, and outstanding food.”
You can visit Upper Crust Pizza to order dinner, and then eat it there so you can enjoy the atmosphere the service and meet Ernesto. You can also order by phone (831-476-2333) and pick it up. No matter your choice, you won’t get better service or better food!
•••
Upper Crust Pizza and Pasta in Soquel
2501 Soquel Dr, Santa Cruz, CA 95065
Phone: (831) 476-2333
Hours: Sun – Thur, 10 am to 10 pm • Fri./Sat., 10 am – 11 pm