Slice House by Tony Gemignani
24250 Town Center Dr,, Ste 190, Santa Clarita, CA.

Tony Gemignani has won the World Pizza Championship thirteen times. Thirteen. I've never won anything thirteen times, including arguments with my wife.

So when his mall-based, fast-casual pizza-by-the-slice operation showed up in Santa Clarita, the obvious move was to find out whether a world champion's pizza survives the journey from competition circuit to next to the cinema.

It does.

Get comfortable. This one's going to be positive.

We skipped the whole-pie route. The name says Slice House, so we ordered four different slices, because picking just one pizza when you can have four is the kind of decision-making that gets men killed in the wild.

The room was busy without ever feeling chaotic. Families, couples, one man fully committed to a Superman cape on what I can only assume was a date, and most of the room watching the World Cup final on the TVs. Food arrived on Slice House's own branded paper rather than a standard tray liner. It's a small detail, but it's the sort of thing that makes the whole place feel more considered than your average mall food stop.

We shared everything, working slice by slice, which is the only sensible way to settle an argument about which pizza style wins.

The Detroit Red Top took it.

Deep dish. Rectangular. That thick, airy crust everyone talks about. But it's the base that does the work. Crisp on the outside, properly so, the kind of crunch that tells you the pan did its job. White cheddar, brick cheese and mozzarella sit beneath two racing stripes of tomato sauce, finished with garlic, Romano and oregano. Full of flavour, completely unapologetic about its size.

This is the one to order first.

Close behind was the Angeleno. Grandma-style again, with that same crisp base, but the ricotta is what separates it. Bacon, pepperoni, sausage, hot honey, basil and oregano all pile on, yet the ricotta underneath stops it becoming just another overloaded pizza.

The Hot Honey, New York style, did exactly what it promised. Pepperoni and Italian sausage under house-made hot local honey, with the pepperoni earning an immediate callout from my plus one halfway through the slice.

Properly good.

Rounding things out was the Sweet Gino. Grandma-style with two mozzarellas, sea salt, basil and its signature sweet tomato Grandma Sauce. Simpler than the other three, but proof that good ingredients don't always need backup dancers.

We didn't get through the whole menu. Twenty-six pizzas across five different styles means that'll take another visit. But based on these four slices, we'll happily volunteer for the assignment.

If you've dismissed this as "just another place in the mall," don't. This is some of the best pizza we've had in Santa Clarita, and one of those rare places that delivers exactly what its reputation promises.

Best For: Settling a four-way pizza debate without anyone leaving disappointed

Order First: Detroit Red Top, then the Angeleno

Good To Know: Order by the slice. You'll experience far more of what makes this place special.

Return Visit: Absolutely

Secret Sauce Score:

Remember that knock on the door I promised?

Meet the restaurant behind it.

This month, one subscriber is getting Slice House by Tony Gemignani delivered straight to their door. The same place behind the Detroit Red Top and Angeleno you just read about.

On Friday, July 31st, a member of the Secret Sauce team will personally deliver a fresh spread from the menu to one lucky subscriber.

The best part? You don't need to do anything.

If you're subscribed by July 15th at 11:59 PM, you're automatically entered. No forms. No social media. No tagging three friends. No "share this to unlock bonus entries."

Just be on the list.

One winner. One Friday. One world champion's pizza arriving at your front door, courtesy of someone who is almost certainly better at making pizza than delivering it.

The next knock on the door could be ours.

Giveaway entry closes July 15, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT. See the Official Rules below for eligibility, prize details and full terms.

www.scvsecretsauce.com/official-rules-giveaway

La Cocina Bar and Grill
19915 Golden Valley Rd, Santa Clarita, CA 91321.

Midweek, after work, Colombia were on the screens, and I took a stool at the bar rather than a table in the dining room. La Cocina runs both, a proper sit-down restaurant on one side, a quieter bar on the other. It leans more Mexican restaurant than taqueria, which puts it in a different lane to most of the Burrito Belt contenders so far.

The barman was the kind of friendly that makes you stay for a second drink you hadn't planned on. I ordered the carne asada burrito and a non alcoholic beer, and within minutes chips and salsa appeared without me asking.

Nice touch.

When the order came up, the barman asked if I wanted sauce on it.

I said yes.

Last time I said no to a sauce question, I ended up rebuilding an entire tasting from scratch. I wasn't making that mistake twice.

That "yes" turned out to be the whole story.

La Cocina doesn't hand you a foil-wrapped burrito and leave you to figure it out. This one arrived completely smothered in sauce and melted cheese, properly wet style, the first contender in the championship to go down that route.

Inside, the meat, beans and sauce were tightly packed, and structurally it held together well.

Actually eating it was another matter.

This was a knife and fork burrito from the first bite. The sauce made sure of that.

It didn't affect the scoring.

It did affect my shirt.

The morning after reheat held up surprisingly well too. Sauce and all.

La Cocina lands at 37/50 - level with Lorena D's, proof that breaking format doesn't have to cost you points, even when it costs you a clean shirt.

Not SCV. Still worth talking about.

Two weeks ago, in our very first newsletter, we told you our favorite restaurant is Seline.

This week, Dave Beran - chef and owner of Seline, was named Best Chef: California at the James Beard Awards.

We'd love to claim we saw something everyone else missed. The truth is, the James Beard judges simply caught up with us.

Congratulations, Dave. Awards don't always get it right, but this one certainly did.

We'll see you again soon.

Openings, events, and things worth knowing.

THIS WEEKEND - FOURTH OF JULY PARADE & FIREWORKS
Old Town Newhall hosts Santa Clarita's most patriotic morning on Saturday, July 4th. The parade kicks off at 9am from the Newhall roundabout, heads up Main Street, cuts along Lyons past the library, and finishes on Orchard Village Road. Fireworks follow that evening at Valencia Town Center from 9:15pm. Get there early, bring the kids, leave the cape at home (we already saw one this week, see above).

661 NIGHT MARKET HITS VALENCIA
Fifty-plus vendors, live performances, outdoor games, and free entry, the 661 Night Market sets up at Valencia by FivePoint on July 11th, 3–9pm. Same lot as the Sunday farmers market, very different vibe.

CONCERTS IN THE PARK KICKS OFF
Central Park's summer concert series, presented by Logix Federal Credit Union, opens July 11th with "Dreaming of You: A Selena Tribute." Live music, food trucks, sunset skies and apparently enough hype that the Facebook comments are already planning around it. Free, every Saturday through summer.

SENSES BLOCK PARTY: XMAS IN JULY
Old Town Newhall's monthly block party series keeps the themes weird and the bar local, next up is Xmas in July on July 16th, third Thursday as always, 7-10pm on Main Street. Local restaurants host the on-street bar, with food trucks covering both savory and sweet. Yes, in 100 degree heat.

CELEBRATE: ARGENTINA
The free monthly culture series at Canyon Country Community Center moves from Indonesia to Argentina on July 10th, 6-9pm. Same format: live music, dance, food, beer garden, no tickets needed. Jamaica and Mexico still to come after that.

We're heading back into the Burrito Belt Championship.

The Secret Sauce Review heads to a Thai restaurant.

The Sauce Express arrives with one café, one coffee, and one simple question: is it worth the stop?

And the countdown is on. One subscriber is getting their bill picked up at Slice House on July 31st. Make sure you're subscribed before July 15th at 11:59 PM PT to be in with a chance.

See you next Thursday.

Know something we should know about?

A restaurant opening. A hidden gem. A local event. A food truck worth chasing across town.

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