Matteo’s is molto bene. Like OneSpeed in East Sacramento, the Carmichael eatery pitches itself as primarily a pizza place. Like OneSpeed, it’s a lot more. And a primary reason is the gifted owner and chef. In Matteo’s case, that is Matt Woolston, head honcho along with his wife, Yvette, at the Supper Club on Del Paso Boulevard. Before that, Woolston had a 12-year stint as executive chef for David Berkley. The spacious establishment, with its colorful artwork and high ceiling dotted with cylinder-shaped cloth lights, is two different places, depending on the meal. At lunch, the pace is relaxed, almost languid, with empty tables and booths and nary a person at the long crescent bar at the restaurant’s rear. Dinner is far more frenetic. Capacity crowds, knots of folks at the bar and a healthy percentage of wannabe patrons waiting for seats by the two wine casks with a door on top that serves as the hostess station. Dinner is with daughter Katie and her oldest and bestest friend, Adrianna. They’ve been pals since preschool and now are in the throes of applying to college. As my former colleague at the San Francisco Chronicle said: “Just when they start getting interesting, they leave home.” There is plenty of pizza on the menu. The Matteo is meaty: Italian sausage, pepperoni, chorizo, bacon and four cheeses. The Stu, named for chef Stu Edgecombe presumptively, is more eclectic: mushrooms, prosciutto, caramelized onions, arugula, fontina and truffle oil.

...Unified as ever (sons Joey and Tommy are also at Matteo’s on a daily basis), the Woolstons have designed a restaurant that focuses on value. Matteo’s doesn’t have the swank of Supper Club, nor are the dishes as complex or innovative, but that’s not the goal of this new venture. Offering solid, flavorful food at reasonable prices, the neighborhood spot invites regular folks to drop in when they’re tired and don’t want to cook or simply wish to be well fed without blowing a hole in their budget. After several visits, I think Matt and Yvette are hitting the mark. When they took over the space (a former Steve’s Pizza), “it was all wood,” says Matt Woolston, rolling his eyes. “Everywhere. It was awful.” Their first impulse was to rip it all down and start fresh. They didn’t, and I’m glad they exercised some restraint. The faded wood panels they compassionately spared add a delicious rusticity to the space. Colorful paintings, including several by Supper Club cook (and local artist) Mark Niemeyer, hang on the walls. Matteo’s is more bistro than pizza parlor, and its ambiance is equally appropriate for families and for couples seeking a comfortable night out.

The Californian—Matteo’s Pizza & Bistro Leave the calorie counter at home—this pizza is slathered with a rich garlic cream, then topped with hunks of organic chicken, baby artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese. Wolfgang Puck would be proud.

1-second review: “Very good for a nice pizza evening out,” said Sue Scotland; husband Art called it a “be-back restaurant.” Ambiance: Not your typical pizza parlor, said Cathy Taylor, who liked the neighborhood charm and bistro food. Dishing on the dishes: Lunchers agreed (a rarity) on their favorites: Bledsoe pulled-pork sliders; the namesake Matteo pizza topped with Italian sausage, pepperoni, chorizo, bacon, four cheeses and spicy tomato sauce (“a pizza with pizazz,” said Diva Joan Leineke); and the traditional root beer float with enough straws to go around.

Business is booming in the month since its opening, and not just because of the menu and atmosphere. Both Matt and Yvette stressed the importance of keeping their prices affordable so that families can come out and have a nice time with good food without hemorrhaging money. “I want people to have great food for a good price and just have a nice night out,” Yvette said.