Best of Roseville, Rocklin & Granite Bay: Best purveyors of homemade pizza and pints

Rula and Nasser Sger won’t share exactly why their pizza crust from Primo Pizza in Rocklin is so damn good.

But they do have a secret recipe.

“It took a long time to get that dough recipe together,” Rula told SN&R. “We make a fresh batch to let it rise every night, and we hardly ever throw any away, because it’s so popular.”

Since December 2009, Rocklin regulars have washed down their slices with sudsy pints of Primo’s Honey Brew and Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Double Barrel Ale. The explosion of interest in craft brewing among the younger crowd has helped the business grow, too. Primo Pizza offers flights of 4-ounce pours for curious customers looking to explore the rotating variety of beers on tap.

“It’s a joy to see this generation in their 20s and 30s who are more knowledgeable about the flavors and tastes of microbrews and craft beers,” Rula said. “It’s becoming an art like wine.”

Another can’t-miss menu item: the Thunder Burger topped with jalapeños, cilantro and pepper jack cheese. Fair warning: Flavors and flames abound. While Nasser serves as Primo head chef, Rula takes credit for combining the Thunder Burger kick with cilantro. “It was a group effort.”

Rula explained that while her business is thriving, she and husband Nasser don’t have plans to branch out to a new location because she loves giving every customer consistently friendly service for a small-town feel.

“Customers ask on a daily basis if we’ll expand,” Rula said. “This is what I love, this is my life, but if we opened more locations, it would become a job. I don’t want a job; I want a passion which also happens to be my business.” Primo Pizza, 2600 Sunset Boulevard in Rocklin; (916) 259-1010; www.primopizzarocklin.com.