Sammys Food & Wine

About

Sami Ladeki arrived in America with $200 in his pocket, worked his way through London's Westbury Hotel and Atlanta's Renaissance before falling hard for San Diego. On June 15, 1989, he opened his first Sammy's Woodfired Pizza on Pearl Street in La Jolla, choosing pizza because—as he put it—he wanted something simple without hiring expensive chefs. Simple became sophisticated when consulting chef Ed LaDou (Wolfgang Puck's Spago alum who launched California-style pizza) created their signature BBQ Chicken pie. The chain stretched to 21 locations across Southern California and Nevada, though recent years have seen consolidation. Wood-fired ovens reach 600-700 degrees, crisping artisan thin crusts topped with creative combinations. Daily happy hour (3-6pm) fills the covered patio with half-priced shareables—truffle fries, pork dumplings, duck tacos—paired with $7 drafts. Thirty-five years later, Ladeki's "simple" idea still delivers.

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