Like many people who work in food service, our member Louis Brouillet has layer upon layer of human experience and interest he brings to his time at Keller, and his work at his local pizzeria, Leolo. If this were just a profile about that particular slice of his life, it would be interesting, but the truth is so much richer and complex than that. It’s actually what makes the whole project come to life in the way that we often describe “local” or “small-business” as somehow being more vibrant, and having deeper personal connections to our real lived community.
After many years as a cook and manager in a commercial kitchen preparing lunches for working people across San Francisco, a different part of the culinary muse was calling to him. A backyard oven project and 200 hours later training in pizza dough making at the Giusto artisan baking school here in town, he had something to take to the people of Petaluma; a specially fermented whole-wheat sourdough that elevated the food art of this pizzaiolo to something higher. As he said, “It all started with the passion of working the pizza oven, and falling in love with wood-fired pizza making.” When the base of the entire concept has the kind of integrity that comes through this kind of deliberate process and passionate research, the foundation has been laid for a more thoroughly integrated business, i.e. one that talks about goodness, and also creates it daily.
A longtime resident of San Rafael, he moved north after forming a bond with all the diverse layers of Sonoma County expressed in Petaluma, becoming a Keller member soon after arriving. The food, the artist communities, the yoga and wellness teachers, all matched well with the layers of his own work – a dedicated yoga practice where he understood what Sangha, community can really mean, the organization and exactitude of running a large-scale food operation, and the belief that high-quality food for humans should be delightful and involve as much of the world around it as possible. It all culminates in the work he does at Leolo, and is supported by the work done here at Keller in our own particular version of community.
Pizza is the everyperson’s meal, in the best way that it can be. Every region of the world has a flatbread with toppings, and the cultural dialogues around this particular item are exemplary in the conversations about ingredients and stylistic exchange. Louis pushes back on the idea that inexpensive food is low quality, and in making his product what it is, built that belief into his business at the menu level. This is food for everyone, nutritious and comforting, Add into this his use of local artwork as the tops of the to-go boxes, and the picture becomes clear: Leolo Pizzeria is about weaving all the interesting layers of our local environment into something that sustains us, literally as well as imaginatively. As is quite common in the hospitality industry, scratch the surface of the chef, and you find an artist, a dreamer, or both.
Leolo Pizzeria is now open for to-go service. Visit their website at leolopizza.com, or stop by 203 North McDowell Blvd in Petaluma