Nook Pizzeria Heats It Up in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone

The Waterline is adding another delicious little nook to its wining and dining emporium with the addition of Nook Pizzeria. A shiny turquoise wood-burning oven is the centerpiece of Chef Michael Amador’s workshop/kitchen, where he’s putting the playfulness back into pizza with inventive creations such as tri-tip-sandwich- or Oaxacan-mole-negro-inspired pizzas.

“At Nook Pizzeria, we aren’t just throwing pies; we like to think we are crafting unique culinary experiences,” Amador said. “Pizza is the blank canvas, and our chefs are the artists that push the boundaries of traditional flavors and toppings; every pizza is a work of art.”

While Amador purchased The Nook from Chef Norbert Schulz three years ago, his background in the S.B. culinary scene is vast. Most recently, he was the chef at Fieldside Coastal Steakhouse at Santa Barbara Polo and Racquet Club and before that, he ran Santa Barbara’s Uncorked Wine Tasting and Kitchen. He also served as food and beverage manager at San Ysidro Ranch and lends more than 30 years of food service experience to this little slice of the Funk Zone.

When the good folks at Topa Topa offered some of the additional space of their brewery to Amador, he thought it was the perfect fit for a pizza oven. In order to learn the ropes of pizza-making, he went to arguably the best mentor you could find — Pizzeria Mozza’s Nancy Silverton, whom he got to know during the pandemic.

“I came up with the idea to add the pizzeria at the end of the closures, and Nancy generously offered to have me come down to Mozza and learn how they do it,” Amador said. “While I went down a different path in pizza style, I learned so much, and my time there was amazing.”

Mozza thrives on simplicity, and the Nook invites complexity and pushes boundaries in the world of toppings. 

Chef Michael Amador learned the pizza-making ropes from Pizzeria Mozza’s Nancy Silverton | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom

“While a great pepperoni or margherita is hard to beat, and we have both on the menu, what I hope makes us stand out is our passion for creativity, our commitment to quality, and the desire to transform pizza into an experience that lingers in the memory of our patrons,” Amador said.

My visit certainly inspired some memorable pizza-fueled moments, starting with a pairing from pizza’s best friends — beer or wine from their lovely Topa Topa and Fox Wine neighbors. Whether you prefer a lighter beer like the refreshing Kernza Lager, which pairs beautifully with their “We Demand a Shrubbery” veggie pizza, or a sturdier classic like Chief Peak, which holds its own with the flavorful “Porkapalooza” pizza, featuring barbecue sauce made with Topa Topa stout, smoked mozzarella, pulled pork, pineapple, Fresno chile, fried onions, and chipotle ranch, the always-friendly and knowledgeable crew at Topa has your back.

Alternatively, I’m pretty sure the sparkling rosé of grenache at Fox, which the gracious Elise behind the bar recommended, would pair perfectly with any pizza, cutting through the cheesiness with its bright effervescence. We were on cloud nine when pairing it with the Nook’s incredible burrata appetizer, featuring a generous block of the creamy cheese nesting on a bed of wild arugula with organic Campari tomatoes and a drizzle of pesto and balsamic. Fox’s 2019 Spear Vineyard syrah’s juicy, dark fruit flavors only enhance the flavors in a few of my favorite Nook pizzas, including the Blue Pig — an undeniable combination of bacon, gorgonzola, and dried figs — and the Mighty Mushroom.

“For the mushroom pizza, taking a little more time and using more earthy-flavored roasted mushrooms and caramelized onions instead of raw ingredients, and topped with minced truffle instead of truffle oil,” Amador explained of the satisfying pizza, which also includes a blend of aged mozzarella, fontina, and ricotta cheeses to take it over the top in the best way.

“It would have been much easier to just stick to classics, but I love to see eyes widen in surprise when they see our menu. Inspiration comes from everywhere … turning a tri-tip sandwich into a pizza, the warmth of a cheesy French onion soup evolved into another, Oaxacan mole negro into another, and a spicy curry using pizza dough instead of naan,” Amador said.

A number of fun salads, including a tasty combination of warm beets and goat cheese over wild arugula balance out the offerings, and a bountiful cheese and charcuterie board are long-awaited neighbors for the wine bar.

“Now that it’s up and running, I would like to take more time to hit the farmers’ markets to see what I can use locally and seasonally,” Amador said.

With a passion for providing a unique experience, excellent service, and delicious food, I can’t wait to see what comes out of the oven next as Nook Pizzeria heats up.

Nook Pizzeria, 116 Santa Barbara St.; thenooksb.com.