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Pete's Restaurant & Brewhouse

Urban Eatery

There are two flavors of Original Pete's: Original Pete's Pizza-Pasta-Grill and Pete's Restaurant & Brewhouse. The OP on J is a Brewhouse. Not all have outdoor seating, and not all allow pets, so check the restaurant first.

If you (and your dog) like the busy urban vibe, head on down! If, like us, too much loud, thumping bass makes you want to stuff something in your ears, check the Bee events calendar (http://events.sacbee.com/). If we had, we'd have known there were many events going on downtown, including a street fair featuring bands with very loud amplifiers. Abby took possession of the pedestal under the table and didn't come out until it was time to leave.

I have a feeling that stretch of J Street is usually quieter on a Sunday afternoon, but during our visit, in addition to the crowds, a freight train rumbled past (it's near the tracks), and a fire truck went by, siren blaring. Merlin decided we were under attack, so periodically he would emerge from his hiding place under Mark's chair, stick his head out of the fence, and bark like a lunatic until we shook the "no!" can. If you were there and we somehow missed apologizing to you, we're sorry.

You have to go inside, tell the host/ess you want to sit outside with your dog, and be seated, so go with someone who can do that for you. The waiter led us to a nice corner table in the outdoor seating area, fenced in, although the fence design is very open so keep an eye on your dog. They have patio umbrellas and large trees, so we were able to get everyone in the shade, and the tables are nicely spaced. Bring your water bowl and ask for an additional glass of water - no one offered water for the dogs.

The service was good-not-great. Food arrived fresh and hot, clearly not left to sit around, brought by people who were pleasant enough if not exactly welcoming, except for the host. No one checked us between courses, though, so we ran out of water and had to ask a few times to get more.

Food was O-Pete's strong suit. The flavors are nicely balanced. The Jumbo Ravioli appetizer is three kinds of ravioli (roasted wild mushroom, grilled chicken, and gorgonzola in spinach pasta) in a creamy sauce that enhanced, but didn't fight with, the ravioli. Mark's favorite was the wild mushroom ravioli, with a subtle, woodsy flavor. He liked that he could taste the mushrooms, the pasta, and the sauce each distinctly but nothing clashed. I liked the grilled chicken, stuffed generously, which went perfectly with the sauce. The gorgonzola ravioli was just kind of there to mop up the sauce with.

The Bistro Chicken Salad had roasted red bell peppers, fresh red onions, sun dried tomatoes, grilled chicken breast, sunflower seeds, and grated parmesan cheese. It's topped with a balsamic vinaigrette with a strong vinegar flavor. O-Pete's has a good way with chicken. The slices of grilled chicken were perfectly done, just the right moistness. The sun dried tomatoes were chewy, which isn't a texture I normally associate with salads, but added a nice sweetness.

The menu touted the flaky crust on the pizzas, and our small Pete's Combo pizza had a crust that was crisp and flaky on the outer edge, a little doughy in the middle, often the case with thick crust pizza. It's a "sensible shoe" kind of dough - a serviceable platform for the toppings, which were delicious. Mark likes pepperoni. I usually pick it off, as it's often overcooked and hard around the edges, even burned. This pizza was cooked so well that the pepperoni did what it's supposed to do - lend a nice, peppery tang. The Pete's Combo also comes with salami, ham, linguica, sausage, bell peppers, olives and artichoke hearts - just enough of each and not to much of anything, so the flavors are distinct but blend well. 

Dessert - one dessert is plenty for two people. We ordered one each and hated not finishing them, but we were stuffed. Mark had the Tower Cake, one of those "mile high" fudge cakes. I've had those before and found them tasteless and dry, but this was moist, fudgey, not too sweet… We lingered at the table as Mark tried very hard to finish it, but finally surrendered, with regret.

My apple dumpling was my favorite part of the meal. The cinnamon-spiced apple was cooked until just starting to soften but not falling apart, wrapped in pastry, with an apple-cinnamon glaze that is just the right blend of sweet and spicy. Both desserts are served with vanilla bean ice cream, and the flavors work well together in both cases.

Lunch for two, with beverage (fresh brewed tropical iced tea - fruit overtones but not too sweet) and dessert ran us $65.17, including tip - but we took half of the pizza home. I'd recommend it - just check first to see what's going on in the area and plan accordingly. BTW - a note to the management -- if there's an event going on featuring very loud music, it's okay to turn off your patio speakers. The J. Geils Band was fighting with the festival, and "Angel is the Centerfold" just wasn't up to the task. -- Joey Jones, the PatioPup, for Patio Paws

Pete's Restaurant & Brewhouse

2001 J Street, Sacramento , CA 95814

J between 19^th and 21^st Streets, near Capitol Park

916-442-6770

11-10 Sun - Thurs / 11-11 Fri-Sat

Web Site: http://originalpetes.net/