Donatello's Pizzeria — Restaurant in Redding

-The Tagline- There's a (literal) world of difference you can taste in the pies made at Donatello's Pizzeria.

-The Taste- The imported ingredients create a flavor profile that's unlike any of the other local/chain pizza joints. The best way to describe that flavor profile is “clean”, with less grease, sugar, and other filler that other quick-chains slop on their pizza to pump up the size and calories.

-The Location- While you can't go wrong with any of the pies sold by Donatello's, the one true folly of the joint is the store design itself. The interior is that of a classic hole-in-the wall establishment that many of the best food joints in big cities operate out of. The drawback is that the aesthetic is affected by the curse of Redding’s store design: boxy, temporary, and minimalist. This is a joint that deserves a spot on the river that matches the food itself, romantic, inspiring, and of quality.

-The Summary- One hopes Donatello's can survive Redding's cookie-cutter store syndrome. It's not often we get a restaurant that breaks the bland, tasteless mold that's baked itself into the Redding gastronomy scene.

So here's to hoping these delicious Neapolitan pies not only stick around, but find themselves a location worthy...

We stopped in yesterday for the first time and we were DELIGHTED! This Italian’s opinion is that the best pizza in the world comes from Naples, Italy, and now at Donatello’s in Redding. We were greeted with a warm and welcoming smile. The place is clean and relaxing, decorated tastefully with a casual vibe. The best part was the scent in the air. The beautiful wood-fire pizza oven was impressive as well, and we were amazed to hear that the owners built it themselves. We tried the spicy pepperoni and the Salsiccia and couldn’t figure out which one we liked better. With each delicious bite, I had to remind myself that I was in Redding, CA, and not in Naples. The owners’ passion for pizza perfection is obvious, and they have mastered their craft. We can’t wait to try all of their pizzas. My only complaint: I’m ruined to eat pizza...

I'm usually a fratellis or cinders guy, but I love pizza so I had to try out this new joint. I've stopped by half a dozen times over the past couple of weeks and they are usually sold out by the time I get off work.

I lucked out today and ordered a margarita pizza. My pizza was excellent. I love the crispy bubbly crust and the foldability. The best traditional style wood fired pie I've had in redding and we have some solid wood fired spots.

I think they only do personal sizes due to the nature of cooking with an extremely hot wood fired oven. I'd skip a chain like mod any day of the week to support local small biz. Go...