Chef Spotlight: Sergio Balderas & Truly Pizza

Truly Pizza is not your average neighborhood pizzeria. Founded in Dana Point, CA by hospitality veteran Donan Baldwin and legendary pizza maker John Arena, alongside World Pizza Champions Chris Decker and Michael Vakneen – Truly Pizza has quickly become one of the most celebrated artisan pizzerias in the country.

At the heart of their kitchen is Chef and Kitchen Manager Sergio Balderas. As a World Pizza Champion, Sergio brings elite-level craft to every pie, yet he remains a man of few words who leads by example. Whenever you dine at Truly Pizza, Sergio’s influence is felt in every signature micro-blistered crust and thoughtfully placed topping. We sat down with Sergio to talk about trends, techniques, and the philosophy of driving one of California's most exciting pizzerias.

If you want to understand where pizza is heading, watch what Sergio Balderas is doing at Truly Pizza. His answer to the "trends" question isn't a single buzzword, it's a philosophy: find the ingredients that solve a problem, then let them speak for themselves.

Lately, that means leaning into what he calls fruit-forward and vinegar-driven toppings to cut through the richness of cheese-heavy pies. Think Fig Jam layered onto their seasonal harvest pizza, or a drizzle of Blood Orange Balsamic Reduction that brings brightness and complexity. "The acidity does the work," Sergio explains. "It balances the fat and makes every bite feel lighter."

On the Truly White Pizza - an all-white pie with no red sauce - Guindilla peppers play that same role, their gentle tang cutting cleanly through a rich, creamy base. It's a study in contrast that looks deceptively simple and is anything but.

When asked whether customers gravitate toward classic styles or experimental combinations, Sergio doesn't choose. Because at Truly Pizza, the answer is both, and the two aren't mutually exclusive.
The menu is proof that "classic" and "experimental" can live side by side. Their Ciccio pizza is as simple as it gets, but aged provolone elevates the whole experience, bringing a savory depth that transforms a familiar format into something genuinely memorable. The goal, as Sergio puts it, is "elevating flavor in every bite."

Ask Sergio what ingredient has surprised him the most lately, and he'll tell you it's sesame seeds.

After featuring a square pepperoni pie with a buttered sesame seed crust as a special, guests started requesting it by name. The nutty warmth of toasted sesame brought something unexpected to an already well-loved format, and it stuck. It's the kind of discovery that only happens when a kitchen is willing to experiment freely.

The seasoned crust philosophy runs deeper than sesame seeds. Maldon salt along the crust edge. Grated Romano pressed into the dough before it bakes, creating a basket-weave texture as it crisps. Small details, massive impact.

Balancing imported Italian staples with local produce is a core part of the Truly Pizza identity. Their Harvest and Garden Pizza are the clearest expression of this: a vegetarian-driven, seasonally rotating pie that Sergio concepts by scouring the Southern California Farmers Market. The result isn't a conventional vegetable pizza; it's a showcase for produce that earns its spot on the menu. "Not your typical everyday vegetables," as Sergio puts it.

In a world of sheeting machines, dough presses, and rolling pins, Sergio's most strongly held technical conviction is deceptively simple: stretch the dough by hand.

For their 10-inch round pies, Truly Pizza hand-stretches every dough ball. No rolling pins. No mechanical assist. Just hands, feel, and three days of fermentation doing the heavy lifting. The difference shows up in the crust with the micro-blisters, the uneven pockets of air, the way the edge browns differently than the center. It's the kind of result that a rolling pin simply cannot replicate, and Sergio is unequivocal about it: "You can taste the difference."

It's an underrated technique in a culture that prizes speed and consistency, but for Sergio, it's non-negotiable. The texture, the structure, the character of the crust - it all starts in the hands.

When asked what advice he'd give to pizzaiolos trying to stand out in an increasingly competitive market, Sergio's answer is characteristically direct, and it has nothing to do with technique.

"Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Flavor match products, try new things. Experiment. Do what you want to do and do what you love."

It's the same ethos that brought him to Dana Point, convinced him to enter a major international competition with a cheese pizza, and keeps him experimenting with sesame crusts and umami mushrooms on a Tuesday afternoon. For Sergio, the greatest risk in the pizza business isn't failure, it's making the same pizza everyone else is already making.

"Our pizza is not just your typical pizzeria," he says. "We are trying to build a culture, a community - to take everything to the next level, not just our food."

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