By STEVE LAROSA

An East Coaster brings the food of his youth to Folsom.

When Dave Pilch was a boy growing up in Springfield, Mass., his mother would take him to a pizzeria by the name of Mama Nardi’s. Whenever Dave showed up, the sweet little old Italian proprietress would come out from behind the counter and give young Dave a much-anticipated pinch on the cheeks.

“People don’t remember their favorite steakhouse from their youth,” says Pilch. “They remember that special pizzeria. It goes deep for people.”

It apparently does, because decades later, Pilch couldn’t shake the “mozzarella mojo.” Story has it that, suffering from the dreaded East Coast Transplant New York-pizza cold-turkey d.t.’s, Pilch stops into Bongiorno’s New York Pizzeria, in Solana Beach (just north of San Diego), and it was like Dorothy clicking her heels for a one-way back to Kansas. Two clicks for the Eastern seaboard.

Owner Mike Bongiorno literally taught Pilch everything he knew. And armed with that knowledge, Pilch opened up shop in Folsom (close to the Century Theatres) and named it after the now-deceased Mama Nardi.

Although you can get fully actualized pizzas, they also sell it by the slice here. There’s always a handful in the case to choose from. Then, it’s just a couple of minutes in the oven and you’re on your way. And really, wouldn’t you rather sneak that into the theater than buy a box of Goobers for the same price?

Their original New York slice is as authentic as it gets on the left coast, but try and catch it right out of the oven if possible.

They also make a terrific stromboli, which is a great stuffed number with pepperoni, ham, green peppers, onion and mozzarella wrapped in dough and oven-baked, resulting in a layer so thin on top that the ingredients are peeking through. Very good.

The Sicilian pizza is truly unique. First of all, it’s twice the amount of dough of a regular thin-crust pizza, but the preparation is labor-intensive. The first layer of dough is spread out on an 18-inch deep-dish pan that has been wiped down with olive oil. It’s then set on top of the oven for three or four hours to rise, after which it is baked. When you order a Sicilian pizza, the sauce, cheese and toppings are added and the whole thing is baked in the oven again, resulting in a crust that is crunchy on the bottom with a light, airy texture above and your chosen toppings layered on top. Sounds like a pizza parfait.

Transplanted East Coasters rave about finding a bit of home out here. And while we agree it’s like the back-home experience, don’t expect Dave to be working the room pinching anyone’s cheeks. That’s his manager Janey’s job.

299 Iron Point Road, Folsom; (916) 351-1958; Open 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Sunday–Thursday, 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Look for Steve LaRosa’s restaurant reviews the first Friday of every month at 11 a.m. on “News10 Midday. “