Billed as "A slice of New York", LaRocco's is the second location for a pizzeria that first opened in San Clemente. If you like thin crust with a crunch that melts into the juicy ingredients it holds, the pizzas served at LoRocco's are best eaten piping hot to maintain that crunchy texture of the pie crust. The texture is wonderful, complimenting the sauces, toppings, herbs and rich flavors of this gourmet pizza.

Having to choose between two pizza shops side by side overlooking Pacific Coast Highway and the Pacific Ocean, we wandered in and tried LaRocco's because of their advertising...the huge pans of fresh baked pizzas were displayed in the glass cases as you enter the cafe with red accent walls and memorabilia of New York. The smell of the pizzas and visual appeal made the choice quite easy. Next door at Papa Joe's, the long-time resident of downtown pizza dining, there were no pizzas baking at the time so we followed our senses to LaRocco's Pizzeria. 

Wonderful flavors, fantastic crust and served piping hot and fresh, we tried a slice of the pizza shown in the photo above.  We took a slice from the left side of the pan, opting for The Manhattan with Roasted Red Pepper and Pesto topping. Served on a paper plate, the staff was incredibly nice and greeted us with a smile as they kindly cut one slice in half for our small appetites.  Even nicer was the help the guys provided as the pizza was spilled on a pair of slacks...the same pants that survived the paintball event with removal of yellow paint splatters.

Sold by the slice or made to order, available at LaRocco's Pizzeria are traditional Cheese; Brooklyn Special that includes a hefty offering of pepperoni, sausage, onion, black olive, fresh mushroom, sliced green pepper and fresh garlic; LaRocco's Special covered with pepperoni, meatball, fresh mushroom and fresh garlic; The Works served with pepperoni, sausage, meatball, mushroom, onion, sliced green pepper and black olive; The Manhattan sprinkled with savory pesto and topped with fresh marinated roasted red peppers; Puttanesca with artichoke hearts, sliced black olives, pecorino romano, mozzarella, fresh basil and special garlic and oil sauce; Spinaci e Pomodoro with fresh spinach leaves, cherry tomatoes, pecorino romano, mozzarella, fresh basil and garlic and oil sauce; Paul's Special with garlic and oil sauce, fresh chopped basil, parmesan, mozzarella, topped with fresh sliced tomatoes; The Artichoke is a vegetarian pizza with mozzarella, parmesan, artichoke hearts, fresh garlic and lightly dressed with tomato sauce; Broccoli Aglie e Olio included fresh chopped garlic, broccoli florets, pecorino romano, mozzarella, fresh basil and special garlic and oil sauce; additional toppings are available.

Additional toppings include pepperoni, sausage, meatball, mushroom, green pepper, roasted red pepper, pesto, black olives, onion, garlic, jalapenos, spinach, tomatoes, anchovies, broccoli and artichokes.

House Salad, Calzone and sodas are also available on the menu.

The crust is a secret dough, a time honored recipe of thin crust neapolitan style. The sauce is let, yet spicy-sweet with just the right amount of fresh herbs and toppings have no preservatives or additives. Open daily at 11 a.m., the shop's policy is that they are open till they run out of dough. When they run out, that's it. They are closed! Prices range from a few dollars per slice to around $15 - 20 for a large pizza.

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