Trick Pony

What?! Trick Pony is closed? According to the business information on Unilocal,it was reported that this place had closed. Too bad they closed because I enjoyed my visit at this restaurant.
I first heard of Trick Pony after reading a review in the Sacramento Bee on 12÷17÷14 by Blair Anthony Robertson. Blair rated Trick Pony with 3 stars out of 4. You can read the review in the Sacramento Bee at
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My visit to Trick Pony, however, was due to my Unilocal friend, Amy J., who rated this restaurant with 5 stars. Since I was in the area on a Friday evening on 1÷09÷15, I decided to stop by and check out the place. Fantastic! Service was 5 stars from the General Manager, Andrea. He came by my table and introduced himself. Further, he checked in periodically and remembered my name from start to finish. The other wait staff were friendly as well, but not as memorable as Andrea.
Food and service was awesome! Sad to learn that it closed.

This has become one of my favorite places to come in for a draught micro brewed beer and enjoy one or more appetizers. I know, it’s probably silly to not have pizza in a place that specializes in Neapolitan pies. They do a nice bruschetta with fresh tomatoes bursting with flavor.
My favorite item to order is, oddly, not listed on the menu. On one of my first visits, I’d just come to have a beer and sit at the bar while I water for the start time of a local meet up. I’d planned to just park and read a book for 2 hours.
The manager and I talked a bit.
I found out they had six different craft microbrews on draught with selections from different local breweries.
Also, when I was thinking about which appetizer to order, he suggested the meat-​stuffed zucchini. It’s one of the unlisted items that they make .and they make it very well. Think of a small plate of tasty, easy mouthful of seasoned meatball wrapped with baked zucchini… and it comes with a couple of slices of tasty, fresh bread, lightly toasted.
Try it.
Your taste buds will thank you.
The Jackrabbit Brewing Saison beer went well with it, rounding out the light meal experience.
The service was very good, and what started off as a simple visit turned into a «I’m coming back here!» determination. It’s located a boot far way from the heart of Midtown, and that’s an advantage if you want to not have to wait a long time to be served after work. Besides the bar, there’s a nice, enclosed patio area.

I drive pass this place twice a month, and before this was Trick Pony, it was another place with no name. I always though this name was pretty interesting and gave me curiosity to what kind of food this might be. The outside seating with the outside awning patio is very attracting. People are always sitting outside eating during lunch. So I decided to come and eat with my boyfriend for dinner on a Saturday night. We get there at 9pm and it was a small walk way with 2 small two people table tops and the rest of the inside was bar stools and the kitchen. Everyone was sitting outside. The host first asked if we were interested in the wine menu then the beer menu. The beer menu was about 4 beers on tap and brewed locally. The outside seating was pretty much filled and all the heaters hanging on the walls were on. It was very nice, cozy and warm indeed to my liking! There was only one server named Evan during the night and the host helping. She was very nice and informed us that Evan is a little busy and would be with us. We sat for about 10 minutes without any help from Evan. The host came up and took our order.
We ordered the Quattro pizza and the Lasagna. Along with the pizza came with pizza crust dipping sauce, a green and an orange sauce. The orange sauce was not tasty to my liking at all, the green one was pesto and garlicky. I loved that one! the pizza name Quattro had 2 slices each of 4 different toppings with a total of 8 slices. These toppings consisted of cheese and mushroom, cheese and artichoke, cheese and prosciutto ad finally the home made sausage and pepperoni. My favorite was the homemade sausage and pepperoni. Pizza was nice and crispy, but the topping all kept falling off, especially the center of the pizza. The taste was lacking flavor, maybe the pizza sauce? I was very disappointed with the lasagna. We did not find any reviews or pictures on any of the pasta at all on Unilocal but thought to give it a try anyways, bad choice. The lasagna was one slice for $ 14, same price as the pizza almost. The lasagna had a gravy sauce on top and in between as well with some red sauce around it on the bottom of the backing tray. The flavor was okay, but what turned both my boyfriend and I off was the texture of the lasagna layers, it was all mushy and way over boiled. We like al dente, but it was mushy like baby food and we couldn’t finish it.
The host checked up on us as well as dropping off our food. Evan checked up on us once by filling water and I believe dropped off the lasagna. He never introduced himself and hardly spoke to us. I felt like the host was more of our server than he was. I was pretty disappointed by the service of our initial server along with the food. I gave this place and try and I am only impressed by the outside seating.

Man oh man.
I have such mixed feelings for this restaurant. One, I’m going to dislike any place that does business in the graveyard that was Tuli Bistro (RIP), and two, I just keep going back and getting that ‘luke warm’ feeling.
The food is ok — the service is ok… just nothing special to make me say «Wow! I can’t wait to go back there!»
If you happen to stroll on in because of proximity, or you accidently pop in because you thought you were at Tuli’s, try the burrata. Do me a favor though, ask for bread in the beginning — if you don’t, you’ll be waiting for days.

This was my first visit to Trick Pony after stopping here during a Gold Elite Unilocal event via being dropped off by «Off the Chain Bike Bus tour.» I looked forward to checking them out after reading Amy J.‘s descriptive and captivating review! Apparently this cozy pizzeria has a lot to offer. The warm fire of the pizza oven grabbed my attention right away as we entered. Some delicious looking pizzas were being created in that oven! Besides pizza, they have great looking appetizers, pastas, salads, and scrumptious desserts!
While our visit was laid back and relaxing, I wished that our group of Unilocalers could have enjoyed this place a little bit longer! The staff were very attentive as they treated us like VIPs. We were served some tasty wines, beer and other non alcoholic beverages along with delicious appetizers of Bruschetta, Burrata, and meatballs with sour dough toast. I had hoped to sample some of Trick Pony’s famous pizzas but our appetizers were very satisfying in themselves!
After experiencing that «appeteasing» stop over, I know now that returning here to try out more of their menu is a must do! Maybe that’s why this place is called «Trick» Pony!

I, for one, reveled in the demise of the initial iteration of Trick Pony. I missed Tuli like a phantom limb, driving by giving me shivers at the ache of never again dining there. It had been in my top three for years. Then, like a redheaded, oversized, freckled bully, new to town, one of the new owners quips he’s ««tired of driving two hours to get a really good pizza» and in one thoughtless comment declared war on Sacramento pizzerias. For that matter, if you like Sacramento Pizza, he’s called you out for having no taste.
While the un-​sliced pizza thing was a cute deviation, and maybe even «Italian tradition» it clearly went over like a lead balloon. To quote the Bee, «We’re told that’s how they do it in Italy and that it tastes noticeably better. That’s a ridiculous thing to say.» For months I silently grated my teeth at having the single closest restaurant to my place be the very one I felt it would be cheating on Zelda’s to dine with.
Well, recently I’d heard tales ’round the campfire that there was a new sheriff in town. Some Broderick boys were doing the lord’s good work, and right down the street. So on a Monday night, when, as usual I forgot that Revolution Wines isn’t open and have already walked there… I decide, this is the day I’ll take the plunge. It’s close, I call and they say they’re open for 20 more minutes… I’m down.
I’m happy. The service was good, without being overbearing, the wine was solid, the pizza was delicious, and the dessert was worthy of seconds… not that Orson had any.
I’m giving it five stars because secretly, deep down, I wanted it to fail… and even if it fell somewhere between four and five, even earning my four stars means they actually knocked it out of the park.

I had the pleasure of participating in the Off The Chain Bike Bus tour which started at Trick Pony. I had never been to Trick Pony before and had heard many good thingsI really love Trick Pony as it is located on a quiet corner somewhat «off the grid» from the hustle and bustle of midtown. The service was excellent and the food was delicious.
I sampled zucchini wrapped meatballs, fresh bruschetta, and delicious mozzarella. There also were regular meatballs with red sauce. The zucchini wrapped meatballs were my favorite as they were seasoned perfectly and quite delicious. On the other hand, the fresh bruschetta was extremely appetizing with the diced fresh tomatoes and crusty bread brushed with olive oil.
Seating was provided on the side patio. This al fresco dining area was reminiscent of a conservatory and there was a slight breeze which added to the relaxed feel.
If you are looking for a relaxing place to brunch on the weekend, or even to have lunch during your work day, trick pony has delicious food and an ambiance worth a second visit!

Participated in a Unilocal elite event yesterday and one of our stops was this place. the staff were great and it was a really good introduction to this new business. We didn’t get to try a whole lot of the menu besides a few appetizers but I have to say that everything that we ate was just spectacular. In particular I think I had the single best meatball I’ve eaten in the last 20 years.
I will definitely be checking this place out more fully.

We finally made it into Trick Pony after the umpteenth time walking by the place. (It is crazy busy on some nights, so we were waiting for the right time.) We were seated and served right away; we ordered the bruschetta to start, the Patate Pancetta Grana pizza for me and the Chef’s Special pizza for him. The bruschetta came out fairly quick and tasted delicious. That bread was LOADED with toppings– like, every bite sent a flurry of tomato bits to the plate below-​loaded.
My pizza was a symphony of potatoes, meat and cheese, and I apologize to the staff and other patrons if my consumption of it resembled a wood chipper working on an oak branch. The taste was so amazing that I couldn’t help it! B really liked his Chef’s Special which had sausage, sun-​dried tomatoes and pepperoncini. Also, special shout-​out to the pesto and chili dipping sauces! I do not like pesto, but Trick Pony’s pesto tasted so great that I was sopping the bottom of the sauce cup. The chili sauce turned out to be very mildly hot and added more flavor than spice to the food, which works great for a spice-​wimp like me.
If Trick Pony’s one trick is amazing flavor, then that’s all the trick I need!

Ambiance — perfect for a date or a family night out. We went as a family (two audits and a 3 year old and 2 year old). Sat outside and it was great. The heaters did a good job as I forgot I was sitting in the outdoor patio.
Service — excellent. Waiter was on top of our order and came back multiple times. He made our kids were taken care of and brought our food out fast.
Food — we ordered three types of pizza, the house farmers market salad, and Nutella pizza. Everything as a hit with my kids.
Clean — dishes were clean, table was clean, bathroom was clean.
Random «ladies night» event so my daughter got flowers which made her night. I got entered into a free raffle (hope I win!)
I use to love going to the precious restaurant and was sad it closed. I am happy to say its replacement was fabulous! Hope the local community supports this gem of a restaurant.

Best of the best, Trick Pony brings the beautiful food recipes from Modena to Mid Town Sacramento. Props for giving us an excellent evening, the appetizers were awesome but the Trick Pony Pizza and the Lasagna were the winners of the evening.
Definitely request extra dipping sauce, great addition to an already great meal. Please give Trick Pony a chance, will not be disappointed.
Lastly the Tiramisu was made in house and was so light and not overpowering.
Ciao

Stepping into Trick Pony on a blustery, freezing cold New Year’s Eve was like getting a warm hug from a good friend. An inviting glow emanated from the pizza oven to our right, a shout of welcome rang out from the kitchen as we stepped through the door. We immediately knew that this had been the right decision of where to start our night.
The seating decision was easy, we wanted to be as close to that oven as possible. As apartment dwellers, anything even remotely resembling a fireplace draws «oohs» and «aahhs» from us on a cold day. Plus, it adds to the cozy intimacy of the exhibition kitchen. We enjoyed watching the kitchen staff work their magic behind the bar, but there’s also a separate enclosed patio area for seating that’s more private if that’s your preference. Being that it was the middle of the afternoon on a holiday, it was the two of us, a couple of solo early revelers, our adorable server, and the kitchen staff. We all became fast friends and had quite the merry time.
The entire staff was an absolute delight. We had met Andrea, the charming front of house manager, at Hook & Ladder a couple of weeks earlier. We had the good fortune of chatting with him as he dined on sample after sample of tasty bites sent out by the chef at H & L. Apparently, he’s a pretty popular guy over there and he was kind enough to share a few nibbles as we talked about the changes they were implementing at Trick Pony. Intrigued, we made a note to stop by as soon as we could. I’m happy to report that his infectious cheerfulness and warmth is exhibited by the servers here as well.
Opting to share a couple of dishes, we started with the Trick Pony pizza. Afraid that the balsamic drizzle that tops the pizza would not be to my taste, I asked if we could get it on the side. As usual, I should have trusted the chef, because the tart sweetness of the balsamic was a perfect complement to the richness of the prosciutto and cheese. We added mushrooms for an extra umami flavor kick. I liked that the prosciutto and arugula are placed across the top of the cooked pizza, really allowing their quality and freshness to shine through.
Neither one of us are particular dough connoisseurs, but this pie made me a convert. It was one of the lightest, most delicate pizza crusts I’ve ever tasted. And what a genius idea of theirs to serve the pesto and roasted red pepper dipping sauces. I must agree with Michelangelo’s review when he said for the first time ever, you’re left wishing for more crust!
We couldn’t resist trying the Lasagna Bolognese. I read that it’s a family recipe of Chef Matteo’s. He must be very proud to be serving up this rich in flavor, yet light in texture creation. The pasta was what struck me the most. It was just the perfect thickness, not so delicate that it couldn’t hold it’s own between the ragù and the béchamel, but not so thick that it’s all you taste. If you’ve had another version of this dish at a certain iconic restaurant on Capitol, this one is very different, but also singular in the quality and care that goes into it’s preparation.
As a special that day, the chef had created a dessert salumi. After our server described it as similar to the inside of a Kit Kat, we were compelled to give it a shot. Beautiful in it’s presentation and admirably creative, it was a perfectly light, sweet note to end a great meal.

Why is everyone being so cruel to the cute little Trick Pony?
Our visit was pretty darn good. The patio is bland, and hotter than hades with the heaters but we still liked the semi-​outdoor ambience.
The fresh farmers market salad with the fondue bottom dressing was outstanding. Simple spring lettuce, fresh, crispy corn, a little cracked pepper and a salty, barely warm fondue dressing on the bottom of the the plate, fantastic. They should add to their regular menu.
Our pizza was delicious… But! Why are you guys sorting the toppings per quarters? Do you want me to get a divorce? When I order the Quattro I want even toppings on all pieces so I don’t have to fight my husband for the last darn ham and artichoke slice! We should be sharing all flavors!
Dear Chris, and Trick Pony, find better tangrams for plates and also keep serving perfect pizza and salads.
Love, your Broderick regulars

We were seated right away, no wait on a Wednesday night that was nice. The menu selections were few. Offered a few wines and beer and pizza options were few. This isn’t your typical «pizza joint» so be prepared for overpriced pizza. Service wasn’t up to par. We got a drink which was bottled soda and wasn’t offered anything else to drink. That was bothersome to say the least. Pizza was thin and soggy and burnt. This was like an upscale pizza restraunt with poor service and nasty pizza. I guess I was expecting to much! I won’t be returning. I gave 2 stars because this place was clean and had a nice ambiance.
P.s… no ranch with your pizza. seeeerriioousssssly?

De-​LISH Soups! De-​LISH Pizza! And De-​LISH Desserts!
SITREP
My friend and I really enjoyed the opportunity of enjoying Trick Pony this evening to check out their delicious new seasonable menu.
THE SETUP
Located on the cusp of Downtown/​Midtown Sacramento, many local residents will recognize Trick Pony being in the spot once held by Tuli. However, Trick Pony has quickly established a new reputation and standard for itself for providing Old School Italiano culinary sensibilities which is a very welcome addition for our neighborhood.
THE CUISINE
Let’s just say that Trick Pony has established a new bar for culinary enjoyment when it comes to featuring different courses:
THE SALAD
The Caesar was very good as salads go — crisp, refreshing, and no too overpowering on the dressing. Of course, being a cheese fan, the fresh grated Parmesan with pepper is always a plus.
THE SOUPS
This was definitely a highlight of the night! We tried two tonight and were very impressed!
* The Zappa Del Giorno was an incredible hearty & spicy tomato soup, taking my tomato cravings to another level
* However, the Butternuts Squash Soup was absolute De-​LISH and honestly the best Butternuts Squash soup I’ve ever had — full of seasonable flavor, as well as rich and creamy, I’d go back just to have this soup again!
THE PIZZA
Of course, Trick Pony is mainly about the pizza, and here the «Old School Sicilian» traditions really come out in pizza preparation, which includes an authentic wood-​fired oven for baking the pizza pies in!
And that’s the thing about traditional wood-​fired pizza — each one is as individual as a snowflake — not a mere copy shooting down an assembly line — so the imperfect shape, the slight singe on part of the sides is what gives these pizza pies their delicious character.
The ones we enjoyed tonight included:
* The Fungi Misti Pizza — a wonderful medley of different kinds of mushrooms; and,
* The Quattro Stagioni Pizza — featuring 4 different kinds of meat & vegetable toppings in this pie’s 4 different quadrants.
THE DIPPING SAUCES!
But wait! There’s more! It’s like somebody was reading my mind and I love a place that raises the ante on providing delicious ensembles to accompany the standard dish. In this case, Trick Pony has some wonderful side sauces to dip your pizza crusts in — a spicy tomato sauce that knocked my socks off and a rich fresh pesto sauce that had a garlic kick that made me wish I had more pizza crust that just came with the pizza.
DESSERT!
An exquisite Tiramisu that was fluffy, creamy and delicious — shared with two forks, and just enough for us to finish off the night!
P-​A-​T-​I-​O !
What a nice, external, heat-​lamped patio that resides with Trick Pony! With canvas siding to keep in the heat, Trick Pony’s patio gives a wonderful café vibe without exposing the dining patrons to the harsh elements. Definitely a plus for fun dining.
THE LOWDOWN
A great Old School Italian dinner spot if you want some delicious pizza, pasta and other notable Italian cuisine favorites! My hats off to Chris, Rick, the Chef Staff and the entire crew at Trick Pony for a delicious evening.

Just finished a whole pizza, by myself, in less than ten minutes. I’m so satisfied but so full. I got the margherita pizza and it was exactly what I wanted after craving a margherita pizza for days.
The pizza was cut! No need to miss out on Trick Pony just because you have an irrational fear of uncut pizza! They recently hired a new chef and he’s pretty awesome.
The crust was a little crispy, a little doughy, so perfect. The pizza had amazing flavor and it came with two sauces on the side — a pesto sauce and a red pepper sauce. I usually hate pesto anything but I wanted to drink this stuff. It was incredible and you can definitely tell it’s made with high quality olive oil. The red pepper sauce was super flavorful but I didn’t really need it after I tried the pesto.
The best part? My favorite waitress from Broderick, Natasha, now works over here, so the service is the best of anywhere in Sacramento.
PLEASE give Trick Pony a try and ignore that silly Sacramento Bee review that came out when they had their old chef. I really want to see this place succeed!

I really want to give 4.5 stars. It was almost perfect. The only knock is no written wine list so you order but you dont know the prices. I hate to ask that question, makes me look cheap. But other than that, the manager and the 2 chefs were real cool (we sat right in front of the pizza chef).
Good food, good prices, cool staff. We will be back.

Update:
Better, more consistent and substantial pizza than before! Akin to Onespeed. You don’t have to cut it yourself anymore (thank goodness). Pizza menu expanded a bit, as is wine list. They still serve the two dipping sauces, which conflicts with the move toward more authentic pizzas, but I don’t care because they taste good! Caesar salad still top notch. Service is friendly and they seem excited to succeed.
4 stars because the menu is limited. But if they can add some top rate apps and pastas, then approaching 5!

Today was my first time here. A co-​worker heard they were now open for lunch, so I looked on Unilocal and noticed their new hours. We wrapped up our meeting and walked over.
We walked in and greeted by a nice woman who also was our server… My apologies I didn’t get her name, but the woman with very short, dark hair, was very sweet and attentive. She sat us and made sure we had drinks and answered any questions we may have had.
The patio is clean. If any of you were familiar with it when it was Tuli, you can definitely see the changes: fans were added, cute window shutters, and it even seems the table positioning made it look as if there was more room.
Three of us decided on 2 pizzas:
1) Chefs special: tuna with buffalo mozzarella, and onions and red sauce, drizzled with a pesto. Yum!!! I would totally get this again. Props to the chef! $ 15.00
2) Pepperoni: it’s a regular on their menu and it was delicious.
Rumor had it we had to pull apart the pizza ourselves given they were served uncut. However, when we ordered or pizzas we were asked if we wanted those cut, at which we all replied «yes, please!»
The crust on these pizzas are perfect. They are served with a side of pesto oil and chili oil!!! Omg! I’m hooked on the chili oil! And the pesto is outstanding as well!
I perused the wine menu and was pleasantly surprised to see wines from one of my favorite wineries in Amador County Andis Wines, two whites: a Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc. The rest were reds, which I prefer, but remember the whites in this case simply because I’m super picky about white wine and was happy to see the two whites I would choose if I had to were offered here. Kudos on the wine selection!
We were told they will be expanding their menu a bit real soon so I will be looking forward to trying it.
I am glad they are now open for lunch and since I work only a few blocks from here, I know I’ll be frequenting this place. So if you see me buried in a pizza and book don’t hesitate to say «Aloha!»

I was anxious to check out the new kid in town on the pizza scene, and I got that chance this last weekend before they have even officially opened. On all fronts, Trick Pony delivered a promising version of what you’ll be experiencing when they officially open in a couple weeks.
First off, I love what they’ve done with the place. The old, cramped Tuli Bistro has been completely transformed into a cleaner, brighter, more streamlined eating experience. The walls are bright, the patio is classier (complete with cute shutters for shade and privacy) and the incredible brick oven is the focal point of the restaurant and the menu. The one page menu is a simple list of pizzas, salads, beers and wines, so it’s easy to remember what you like when you come back for more.
We started with the Chef’s Salad. Everything on the plate, from the olive tapenade to the peppered and roasted meats, was a flavorful and unexpected surprise. For my main dish I ordered the Chef’s special of the night, but I later tasted the pepperoni and preferred that. It included a rich red sauce, buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil. The dough threw me off at first. It’s a sourdough from old yeasts with a distinctly different flavor than I’ve had elsewhere. It wasn’t my preference, but I give them points for originality. I think it was just lacking a certain flavor, like salt or a drizzle of oil. I was addicted to the sides and especially the pesto sauce that came along with it. It was perfect for dipping my pizza into.
Another minor but important plus is their silverware. The knives are perfect for cutting into the pizza. Never underestimate the effectiveness of a fine piece of cutlery. Be sure they instruct you on how to cut the pizza, because as of now they serve them uncut and piping hot out of the oven. I don’t know if I’m a fan of this yet.
I look forward to a return visit and seeing how they revise their menu as they move forward.