I’m Rui Monteiro — pizza chef at Isola Pizza Bar in Little Italy, San Diego. I’ve trained 22 pizza chefs. I speak Portuguese, and some Spanish, French, and Italian.
Isola dough sits around ~75% hydration: cold overnight bulk, then hand-opened. Soft dough doesn’t get slapped — gravity does the work.
“It is easy to make a great pizza. The art is making 60 an hour.”— from the line
Three continents
-
Mozambique → Portugal
Where the bread curiosity began
Born in Mozambique. In Portugal the bread culture stuck — great bread, and the start of a lifelong curiosity about dough.
-
South Africa
Where baking and pizza really started
Apprenticed at Ciro’s High Street, Brixton (Johannesburg) under Umberto Santos — volume shop discipline, ~400 pies a day. Later owned Capiche (Melville) and Picola (Linden). Designed and built wood ovens for homes and restaurants in South Africa and Namibia.
Ciro’s High Street, Brixton · 1990
The dream team — Picola
-
USA · San Diego
Baker, then pizza chef
Bread & Cie baker (2017–2021). Pizza chef at Calabria Cafe (2022–2023). Since 2023, pizza chef at Isola Pizza Bar in Little Italy — and teaching through Dough Lab.
On the dough — San Diego
Wood fire — Isola craft
At a glance
- Isola Pizza Bar — pizza chef, Little Italy, San Diego (2023–present)
- Calabria Cafe — pizza chef, San Diego (2022–2023)
- Bread & Cie — baker, San Diego (2017–2021)
- Capiche / Picola — owner & head chef, Johannesburg
- Ciro’s High Street Brixton — apprentice under Umberto Santos
- Oven builds — homes & restaurants, South Africa + Namibia
- Training — 22 pizza chefs taught
Clinic, training, or a question
Email works best while I’m on the line. Or book a Zoom seat and bring your flour, fridge, and oven questions.