Pizzaiolo Nicholas Ford Is Leaving the Lake Oswego Pizzeria He Created

The pizza man known for his hip-hop pizza shop P.R.E.A.M. and his taqueria-meets-pizzeria Associated is leaving the suburbs. Nicholas Ford, the creator of Pizzeria Sul Lago, will step away from the Lake Oswego restaurant in December.

In 2018, Ford opened Pizzeria Sul Lago in Lake View Village, a shopping mall also home to Portland brands like St. Honore and Garden Bar. In his new restaurant, Ford explored his take on Neapolitan-adjacent pies, topped with things like Oregon hazelnut pesto and vegan mozzarella. The restaurant was successful enough to expand: A year ago, Pizzeria Sul Lago announced the company would open a second location in Vancouver’s sprawling Waterfront Park development. Still, after almost two years at the restaurant, Ford has decided to leave the pizzeria he created behind.

“My time at Pizzeria Sul Lago was some of the more formative years in my career,” Ford says. Still, Ford has decided to leave the restaurant, hoping to spend more time in the kitchen. “I was doing a lot of oversight, and menu planning; I wanted to get back into cooking.”

Ford says he’s heading somewhere in Portland, but has yet to disclose where publicly; stay tuned for more updates. Ford’s last day at Pizzeria Sul Lago is December 10.

• Pizzeria Sul Lago [Official]
• Previous Pizzeria Sul Lago coverage [EPDX]