Eagle Rock, California, just landed its first triple threat restaurant—a pizzeria, creamery and pub all-in-one. Brought to you by Michelle and Corey Wilton, a husband-and-wife team and owners of local Eagle Rock restaurant Four Café, and middle school teacher-turned-bar expert Herb Gualpa, Piencone Pizzeria, Creamery, and Pub will open its doors on April 4.

“We are thrilled to bring another restaurant vision to life in this little part of town we’ve come to call our home. Our community is so important to us, and our goal with Piencone Pizzeria, Creamery, and Pub is to create a concept deeply rooted in that comradery, from the warm and inviting design of the space, to our incredible team, who will fuel the welcoming environment for local families and guests alike,” says Michelle Wilton. “This was a real passion project for us and something we have dreamed of conceiving for a long time. We are so excited to heat up the pizza oven, scoop some ice cream and kick back with a beer with our Eagle Rock neighbors.”

Piencone Pizzeria, Creamery, and Pub will offer a little something for everyone with a selection of artisan pizzas made with naturally fermented dough, wood fired starters, house made organic ice cream, as well as a full bar with a curated craft beer, wine and cocktail menu. Available for counter service during the day and table service at night, the menu, created by Michelle Wilton, will feature fresh mozzarella cheese, organic Bianco DiNapoli tomatoes and naturally leavened pizza dough made from an organic, whole grain sourdough starter made from Wilton’s custom blend of Central Milling organic flours.

Each pizza will be fired in-house in a custom-made pizza oven using compressed almond wood logs to help eliminate waste and harsh chemicals typically found in wood burning ovens. There will be eight pizza varieties with one vegan option including the La Piedra named after the “rocks” of house made sausage accompanied by tomato, chili flakes, grana Padano, basil and red onion; the Honey Pot  with salami Americano, spigarello, Sicilian oregano, sheep’s cheese and fermented Aleppo honey; the Beer Baron with beer braised leeks, raclette, la quercia pancetta and satina potato; the Cauli Dreamin’ with cauliflower, béchamel, green olives, garlic, breadcrumbs and grana padano; the Green Thumb with greens, tomato, oregano, shaved garlic, Calabrian peppers, lemon and fiore sardo;  and the Vegan Squashington Pizza with Kabocha, rosemary, garlic confit, goosefoot greens, charred shallot and almond ricotta.

Guests can also expect to find a variety of smaller plates on the menu, which will feature easily shareable items highlighting the seasons’ peak ingredients sourced from the best West Coast’s vendors and organic local farms.  Menu highlights include Anchovy Stuffed Fried Olives, Wood-roasted cauliflower with currants, serrano aioli and curried vinaigrette; Wild Boar stuffed arancini with lemon parmesan sauce; and Sugar Snap Peas with smoked ricotta and pickled rhubarb.

Wilton’s chef-driven mentality goes beyond pizza and small plates and can be seen through her unique ice cream program at Piencone Pizzeria, Creamery, and Pub. The creamery menu will feature house-made waffle cones, an array of six seasonally driven ice cream flavors and two choices of sorbet, all of which are made in-house. Flavors will include: Vanilla Bean, Maple with house-made Brown Sugar Pop Tart, Brown Butter Lavender, Meyer Lemon Buttermilk, Chocolate Hazelnut, Sesame Caramel, Vegan Coconut Passionfruit Sorbet and Vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate.

Curated by Bar Manager/Partner Herb Gualpa, the beverage program will highlight a wide selection of craft beers with a lineup of 15 beers available on tap such as Made West Pale Ale, Smog City Little Bo Pils, Port Brewing Mongo IPA and Ace Perry Hard Cider, as well as a canned beer selection; a rotating wine list of domestic and international choices by the bottle and by the glass; Kombucha on tap and a variety of innovative and classic cocktails. Guests can expect to see cocktails named after bands that the bar staff has been apart of such as the La Maestra with honey and lime jalapeno syrup, gin and Aleppo; Dana’s Fast with pineapple and strawberry agave syrup, hand squeezed lime juice and silver tequila; and South of Houston with passion fruit, fresh ginger, lemon, ginger beer and bourbon.

“As an Eastside resident myself, I could not be more thrilled to bring our community-focused bar to life. I am excited to be part of a project that celebrates our neighborhood, and my goal is to provide a fun environment fueled by killer beer and cocktails,” says Herb Gualpa. “It’s always been a dream of mine to own my own bar, and I hope we have created a space for guests to shape their life-long memories with old and new friends.”

Piencone Pizzeria, Creamery, & Pub will boast bright colors with repurposed green tile playing off white exposed brick work, high ceilings, and art deco light fixtures. Bleached white oak and other natural materials can be found throughout the space, highlighting the abundant natural light peeping into the building, which is offset by eye catching green plant accents to tie the space together. Pops of eclectic wallpaper counter the clean green and white colors, providing a fun and fresh feel for diners.

Designed by Melissa Ritchie, the 4,500 square foot space features five rooms for guests to enjoy including the main room with an order-at-the-counter layout, where diners can either take their food and ice cream to a bench seat, booth or standing table after ordering, or bring their meals to the main dining room, lounge and atrium area, full back patio, or even the bar. The intimate bar will offer patrons a true pub experience with dark reclaimed wood accents and wood paneling and pops of navy and black throughout, giving the space a moody yet sophisticated feel. The 14-seat bar will bring together a mix of banquette and high-top seating, creating a true American-style saloon and library bar feel replete with a shuffleboard table.  The back patio will feature six tables and a kids section with a playhouse, life size Jenga and other games for children to enjoy.  The restaurant will encapsulate the vibe of a “grown-up” family establishment, a perfect hub for post sports gatherings, friendly meet-ups, or for those looking to make a quick stop to satiate an ice cream craving.

Industry News, NextGen Casual