After more than 20 years cooking in some of Sacramento’s most celebrated kitchens, Chef Joe Pruner is finally opening his own place. Bocce Ristorante, a neighborhood Italian restaurant, is set to open at 4801 Folsom Blvd, Suite 2, in East Sacramento, the same space that housed butcher shop V. Miller Meats for nearly a decade before it closed last year. Pruner confirmed to What Now Sacramento that everything is done and that it is expected to open in mid-July, but a pending clearance from the city’s electrical department is slightly delaying the timeline.
In the meantime, Pruner isn’t sitting still. Bocce will host a pop-up this Sunday, June 28, giving the neighborhood its first real taste of what’s coming. It’s a fitting preview for a concept that is as much about community as it is about food. Bocce’s menu centers on pasta, alongside pizzas, sandwiches, and seasonal sides, all built on fine-dining techniques and quality ingredients. Guests can dine in the 20-seat indoor space, order takeout, or shop for market items to take home and cook themselves.
“The specialty of the house is the freshly made pastas and sauces,” Pruner said. “What makes it special is using fine dining recipes and techniques, but presenting it in a fast casual environment where people can get an affordable price.”
It’s a great vision from a chef whose résumé is anything but casual. A Sacramento native, Pruner started as a teenager catering at The Kitchen, then spent years cooking in San Francisco at Maven and Wayfare Tavern before returning home to help open Empress Tavern and OBO Italian Table & Bar, and eventually serving as executive chef at Allora and Woodlake Tavern. He was most recently the culinary director at Bear Flag Farm in Winters and was just named one of this year’s Tower Bridge Dinner chefs, one of Sacramento’s most prestigious culinary honors.
