What is fusion pizza? First Modesto site opens for national chain pumping up its pie flavors

Already one of the most universally beloved foods across all ages, pizza is getting an extra twist at one of Modesto’s newest restaurants.

Northeast Modesto’s Pizza Twist offers traditional and fusion pies, combining Indian and other flavors. The restaurant had its soft opening in February in The Marketplace shopping center at the corner of Oakdale Road and Sylvan Avenue, the same complex as the city’s flagship Save Mart supermarket.

Since then, the eatery has been introducing customers to its wide variety of offerings from pizza to pasta, chicken wings and other appetizers. Manager Vick Sekhon, who runs the Modesto site for his parents, said his family has been eating fusion pizza for years. It wanted to bring those flavors to the Valley, where the family has lived since 2007 after emigrating from India the year before.

Pizza Twist is a fast-growing Sacramento-based franchise. “Whenever we would visit our family in Sacramento, we’d get the pizza. So we got tired of eating the same styles of pizza here (in Modesto), so we decided to bring a Pizza Twist here,” said Ceres resident Sekhon, a Ceres High and Stanislaus State University alum.

He and his cousin Anmol Sekhon are managing the restaurant for his mother and aunt, Swaranjeet Sekhon and Jasbir Kaur and their husbands. They had hoped to open sooner, but supply issues including a seven-month wait for their pizza oven held them up.

The shop has a staff of eight, about half of whom are family members. The 1,500-square-foot space has a small dining area for about 25 and offers juice, soda and beer in bottles. They plan to add beer on tap and wine by late spring.

Sekhon and his team built the restaurant inside from scratch. Since its anchor retailer Save Mart opened in fall 2019, The Marketplace has filled slowly. The retail strip now includes La Parilla, Osaka Sushi, The Pho, a nail salon and eye care offices.

First Stanislaus County location for pizza franchise

The Modesto Pizza Twist is the first in Stanislaus County. Founded in 2014, the company has some 70 locations across the country, from New York to Texas. It has been growing in the area, with about 30 sites in California. The next closest site is in Manteca.

While the company is new to the city, fusion pizza isn’t a new concept to the region. Existing pizza shops that bring Indian and other flavors to their pies include Jack’s Pizza Cafe in Modesto, Chicago Pizza in Modesto and Ceres, and Tandoori Pizza in Turlock.

Sekhon said what helps set Pizza Twist apart are its fresh ingredients and wide variety of specialty pizzas. The shop uses an enormous 1,700-pound mixer to make its dough for the day. It serves about 10 styles of “twist” pizzas with Indian flavors and another 10 styles of traditional pizzas. The pies also are seemingly infinitely customizable.

To start, decide from among meat, vegetarian, vegan (all plant-based), halal (meat prepared as required by Muslim law) and gluten-free pies. The dough is vegan to start, and comes in original hand tosses, thin, Chicago pan, cauliflower and gluten-free crusts. The working areas and tools for specialty options like vegan and halal toppings are kept separate to avoid contamination, Sekhon said.

Pizza Twist has eight sauces, from traditional marinara to tandoori, tikka and curry sauces. And finally, you get to pick your toppings, which include more than a dozen meats and vegetable options each. Pies come in small ($11.99 for eight slices) to large ($21.99 for 12 slices). Those with bigger appetites or lots of mouths to feed have a family option ($29.99 for 16 slices).

Even for those who don’t like pizza — gasp! — the restaurant has you covered. You can choose between wings in traditional and Indian flavors (I recommend the sweet, savory, pickled flavor of the achari wings), cheesy bread in — you guessed it — traditional or Indian flavors, regular or loaded fries and Indian appetizer favorites like samoas and paneer pakora (deep-fried cheese). There are half a dozen pastas and a few salads to choose from, too.

The restaurant has been a hit with vegans and Indian-food fans alike, Sekhon said. And for those who think they don’t like Indian food because it’s too spicy, the restaurant will tailor the spice level to your tolerance.

“In this local community, they are very new to this (kind of pizza),” he said. “So we’re excited to introduce them to this. And people are generally very excited to come and try our pizza here.”

Also, if you love Indian food as I do, you know it tastes even better the second day when the spices have been able to bloom. So get ready for some next-level pizza leftovers, Modesto.

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In a few weeks, Pizza Twist will have a new, healthy neighbor.

Longtime Modesto resident Silvana Robin is opening Vitality Bowls, a new “superfoods” cafe specializing in healthy acai and grain bowls, salads, wraps, smoothies and other offerings that use no frozen additives or sweeteners. The eatery, part of a national franchise company, will open April 21 and be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily in the Oakdale Road shopping center.

Besides its signature acai bowls (an antioxidant-rich Central and South American palm fruit berry), the cafe will have paninis, wraps and toasts.

Based in the East Bay, the chain has some 150 locations open or in development. Robin, who moved to Modesto in 1981 and raised her family here, said she picked the franchise because of its healthy options. She plans to have her children, ages 15, 19 and 26, all work with her in the cafe.

Expect specials and giveaways for opening weekend at the Modesto site. For more information call 209-332-1550 or visit vitalitybowls.com.