When you get right down to it, the very best pizzerias are the ones that prepare fresh dough every day to be baked into crispy, chewy pies. 54 Mint Forno Italiano in Walnut Creek takes this to heart, starting from scratch to make each of its famous pies as fresh and tasty as possible.

In the mornings, 54 Mint Forno Italiano operates as an authentic Italian bakery, preparing sfogliatelli, cannoli, brioche, and other delectable pastries along with a full selection of coffee and espresso drinks. Once lunchtime rolls around, the emphasis turns to salads, antipasti and panini and foccaccia sandwiches on bread baked fresh and in-house. After closing for a brief period in the mid-afternoon, 54 Mint re-opens for the dinner hour with a full slate of calzones, pizza and pasta dishes. Some of the shop’s most popular menu items are the avocado salad, caprese salad sandwiches, carbonara pizza and the orecchietta pesto pasta entree. Mangia!