Pie in the Sky Pizza brings pizzas back to the Cayucos Pier with a sourdough twist 

Indecisive pizza lovers who can't pick between Naples and Detroit now have a third option that combines both worlds—Pie in the Sky Pizza overlooking the Cayucos Pier.

"We like to say it's kind of that halfway in between where it's going to be thick enough to really ... stand up to some toppings, and it's not going to be floppy or like a wet style, but it's also still going to have that nice kind of crisp, thin thing that a lot of people like out of a crispier, thin crust pizza," pizzeria co-owner Ellen Sizemore said.

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• Photos Courtesy Of Ellen Sizemore
• CULINARY EXPANSION Pie in the Sky owners Ellen and Jeremy Sizemore took on pizza making in August while juggling High Tide Deli in Morro Bay and Spearhead Coffee.

Sizemore and her husband, Jeremy Sizemore, opened the seaside walk-up eatery in mid-August, effectively bringing pizza back to a space facing a lull.

"Over the years, it's been a couple different versions of Ocean Front Pizza," she said. "Ocean Front had a lot of different owners over the years, but this last iteration had closed, gosh, I'm not sure in the exact timeframe, but might have even been six months to a year ago."

That's when the Sizemores—who also own High Tide Deli in Morro Bay while Jeremy co-owns Spearhead Coffee with two business partners—stepped in. They revamped the building into a dark blue structure bearing the image of a coy moon holding a cheesy pepperoni slice of what can only be a Pie in the Sky sourdough pizza.

"Well, it partially breaks down the wheat a little bit," Sizemore said of their sourdough crust. "We use ... a sourdough starter, which is unique because you're getting basically all of the yeast from the air and the environment around you, and all the natural bacteria."

Their sourdough starter comes from a friend who has had his since at least 2020. Sizemore's on a mission to track down its roots all the way to the beginning.

Sourdough makes good pizza, and Pie in the Sky makes deliciously crispy ones. Take the mushroom and sausage pie made using Mighty Cap Mushrooms and Cayucos Sausage Co. meat. The moreish nature of the toppings is offset by a thin crust base that almost shatters. Unlike a Neapolitan pizza, a fresh-out-of-the-oven Pie in the Sky creation can't really be folded to enjoy the squelch of cheese and other toppings. Rather, it's a convenient on-the-go meal that doesn't drip when you bite into a slice or two or four as you walk down the pier. Although, it might if you add their homemade ranch to your order.

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• Courtesy Photo By Sarah Leader Of Sarah Kathleen Photography
• THE STANDARD Nailing the pepperoni pie was crucial for the Sizemores since that's the pie most people judge a pizza place by.

Pie in the Sky's other flavor profiles are classic. They offer 16-inch cheese, Margherita, and pepperoni pies (eight slices), along with a rotating one made with seasonal produce. On Sept. 20, the ever-changing pie special was called "Don't Squash my Dreams" and topped with pesto, fresh mozzarella, zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper flakes, and shallots. Each of these $24 to $25 pies can be brightened further with a ranch dip, a hot honey drizzle, or Cayucos Hot Sauce.

As far as the classics go, Pie in the Sky takes them seriously.

"When people visit a new pizza place, they'll try the slice of pepperoni and choose to kind of judge you," Sizemore said. "So that was something that was really important for us, getting the pepperoni pizza really nailed."

Sizemore said she's enjoyed opening the tiny business with her husband, especially when lines began forming around the kiosk in the early days.

"That kind of phrase, 'pie in the sky,' you know, kind of refers to ... having a crazy dream," she said. "We also really love the inspiration of Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Rat Pack vibes. So, we wanted some kind of a vintage feel for the marketing. ... Very kind of the song 'That's Amore'—like, 'When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie.'" Δ

Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal can't wait to hot honey the pepperoni pie. Send sweet patience to [email protected].