Blazin’ hot

The ads for Blaze Pizza’s new vegan chorizo read: “Caution: It’s Fuego.” They don’t lie. Scattered across a fast-fired pie, the crumbly chorizo comes on hot and sustains a pleasant burn after multiple slices. Let’s just say you’ll be glad the drinks come with free refills. Know what else is free? The chorizo itself—which is to say it’s not extra on a $9.75 pie with unlimited toppings. Blaze eschews the “vegan tax” imposed by many restaurants that charge more for plant-based options, while offering meat items at a standard price. At Blaze, you can order vegan cheese, tofu “chicken,” chorizo and all the veggies at no extra cost. (Compare this with Pieology Pizzeria, whose new “plant proteins” cost an additional $1 per ounce—with fine print on the website explaining it takes 3 ounces to cover a pizza.) Good thing Blaze has multiple locations in the Sacramento area, including Elk Grove, Gold River, Davis and soon Citrus Heights. Find out more at blazepizza.com.—Becca Costello