The good: Tony Tutto Pizza is back!
The not-as-good: It’s in Ross.
Tony Tutto Pizza, which drew a rabidly devoted customer base over the course of its nine kid-, dog- and outdoor patio-centric years at 250 East Blithedale Avenue in Mill Valley, is set to open October 3 at 16 Ross Common in Ross.
The new location of Tony Tutto Pizza at 16 Ross Common in Ross. Image via Google Streetview.
DiGiovine, who goes by his adopted nom de plume of Tony Tutto, says the move to Ross came after an exhaustive, heart-wrenching search for space in Mill Valley that had him talking to nearly every landlord, restaurateur and commercial real estate broker in the 94941, a search that spanned every Mill Valley neighborhood and any scenario that would allow him to stay in town.
“Leaving Mill Valley was always my last choice,” he says. “I exhausted every single opportunity in Mill Valley. You name it – I thought of it. I looked at more than 100 places, all over the North Bay and the Bay Area, but none as intensely as I did in Mill Valley.”
“But this space – with lots of light from tall windows and plenty of green space surrounding us – it reminds me of Mill Valley more than anything else has, and I’m excited to start making pizza again.”
Tutto’s new home also boasts quite a bit of local history, as Pop Mordecai opened the Ross Grocery there nearly 90 years ago, and for decades after Eddie Ahrens bought in 1946, it was widely referred to as Eddie’s. Don Ahrens, Eddie’s son, sold the store in 2010 to Woodlands Market owner Don Santa. In 2016, Ross Residents Matt Nemer and Nick Mettler bought the store, tweaked the product selection and named it Ross Landing.
Longtime Tony Tutto Pizza fans can expect a similarly creative, farmers market-driven selection of vegetarian and vegan pizzas, along with an eclectic beer and wine selection and the addition of ice cream. Oh, and with nary an ATM in sight, Tutto is adding credit card transactions for the first time.
Oh, and there’s more good news for longtime customers: Tutto, who had a decades-long career in the music industry under his pre-pizza given name as the manager for the likes of Carlos Santana and Narada Michael Walden, is getting the proverbial band back together. Several of his former employees, including familiar faces Sammy and William who worked for him for all nine of his years in Mill Valley, are returning, as will Tutto’s wife and scene-setter, Lynn.
“It’s been a long journey, but I’m excited to start making pizzas again!” he says.
The 411: Tony Tutto Pizza is at 16 Ross Common. Open Wednesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. 415.383.8646. For those that want to eat at home but don’t want a cold pizza, Tutto can make half-baked, uncut pizzas for to-go orders. MORE INFO.