Portland's Best Pizza

Portland's Best Pizza http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/best-pizza Family Faves <div class="inline-image-left inline-image mceNonEditable" data-image-id="3945" data-include-caption="true" data-layout="inline-image-left"> <div align="center"><a class="lightbox" href="/data/images/2012/7/image/3945/3_053_best-pizza-family-faves.jpg"> <img src="http://beta.portlandmonthlymag.com/images/change?src=%2Fdata%2Fimages%2F2012%2F7%2Fimage%2F3945%2F3_053_best-pizza-family-faves.jpg&cropify=635x952%2B0%2B0&resize=200x%3E" alt="Good Neighbor Pizzaria" /></a> <div class="inline-image-caption" style="width: 200px;"> <div>Image: <a class="attribution-link" href="/producers/stuart-mullenberg">Stuart Mullenberg</a></div> <p>Good Neighbor Pizzeria makes the perfect spot for a cheese-filled family east.</p> </div> </div> </div> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">WITH</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">ITS</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">BROAD</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">APPEAL</span></span></strong>, pizza is the ultimate brood food. The finicky 5-year-old loves herself some meaty, saucy goodness; the exhausted parent appreciates a culinary genre associated with beer—but not with doing dishes. Whatever army you need to fuel, here are three very different takes the classic family pizza joint.</p> <h2 id="good">Good Neighbor Pizzeria</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/good-neighbor-pizza"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PERFECT</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIE</span></span>:</strong> <em>The Old World: pepperoni, salami, olives, roasted peppers, and onions</em><br /> Portlanders define family many different ways, and there’s room for all in this Woodlawn Triangle rumpus room. The shiny bar and post-industrial décor say hip Portland hangout; the endearingly scruffy game room says, “Welcome back to your parents’ basement” (if your parents owned Big Buck Hunter). Good Neighbor’s 18-inchers come loaded—the Hog Heaven incorporates four kinds of pork—on an old-school, bready crust. The kitchen makes all the right nods to local and sustainable ingredients, but deep down, this is pizza as you’ve always known it. Just really good. <br /> 800 NE Dekum St; 503-285-7400; <a href="http://www.goodneighborpizzeria.com"><strong>goodneighborpizzeria.com</strong></a></p> <h2 id="old">Old Town Pizza</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/old-town-pizza"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PERFECT</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIE</span></span>:</strong> <em>The House: pepperoni, salami, and house-made sausage.</em><br /> The original Old Town reflects its historic neighborhood, with creaky floors and alleged ghosts. The much newer Northeast Portland version is also perfect for its place, in a completely different way: it looks old, but occupies a huge space in a new <span class="caps"><span class="caps">MLK</span></span> development and is geared to the new-minted families of North and Northeast. That is to say, they make their pizza with local and organic ingredients, price it cheap (large pies clock in under $25), deliver by bike, and serve up ample quantities of beer and/or soda. If the original expresses the salty soul of old Portland, the Northeast Old Town speaks to the sprightly spirit of the new. <br /> 226 NW Davis St; 503-222-9999 & 5201 NE <span class="caps"><span class="caps">MLK</span></span> Jr. Blvd; 503-200-5988; <a href="http://www.oldtownpizza.com"><strong>oldtownpizza.com</strong></a></p> <h2 id="castagna">Café Castagna</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/cafe-castagna"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PERFECT</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIE</span></span>:</strong> <em>Spicy Italian sausage on a dense carpet of sautéed greens and Parmesan</em><br /> Castagna’s casual side doesn’t look stereotypically “family,” but the staff at this modernist box treats kids like valued customers. The bistro’s three pizzas’ light, gas-baked, almost cracker-like crust is one of Portland’s most addictive, while the lineup (a bright margherita, sausage and greens, and an almost-German pancetta and crème fraîche number) makes a fierce case for quality over quantity. No, this isn’t an all-you-can-eat barn. But you’ll sort of wish it were. <br /> 1758 SE Hawthorne Blvd; 503-231-9959; <a href="http://www.castagnarestaurant.com"><strong>castagnarestaurant.com</strong></a></p> Sun, 19 Aug 2012 10:41:00 -0700 http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/articles/family-faves-march-2011 http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/articles/family-faves-march-2011 Clever Crusts <div class="inline-image-left inline-image mceNonEditable" data-image-id="3946" data-include-caption="true" data-layout="inline-image-left"> <div align="center"> <a class="lightbox" href="/data/images/2012/7/image/3946/3_050_best-pizza_dove-vivi-pizza-crusts.jpg"> <img src="http://beta.portlandmonthlymag.com/images/change?src=%2Fdata%2Fimages%2F2012%2F7%2Fimage%2F3946%2F3_050_best-pizza_dove-vivi-pizza-crusts.jpg&cropify=952x635%2B0%2B0&resize=200x%3E" alt="Pre-Baked Cornmeal Crusts at Dove Vivi"></a> <div class="inline-image-caption" style="width: 200px;"> <div>Image: <a class="attribution-link" href="/producers/stuart-mullenberg">Stuart Mullenberg</a> </div> <p>Pre-baked cornmeal crusts await their fillings at Dove Vivi.</p> </div> </div> </div> <p><strong>TO <span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">ANCIENTS</span></span></strong>, nothing in geometry matched the circle’s perfection. In an age of pesto bases, pineapple slices, and taco toppings, even the most daring pie-lovers appreciate the traditional disc. Thus, instead of simply accumulating a more exotic or colossal tower of toppings (though they’re doing that, too), some Portlanders tweak—and in some cases reinvent—the wheel itself.</p> <p><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br></p> <p> </p> <div class="inline-image-right inline-image mceNonEditable" data-image-id="3947" data-include-caption="true" data-layout="inline-image-right"> <div align="center"> <a class="lightbox" href="/data/images/2012/7/image/3947/3_050_best-pizza_dove-vivi-owner.jpg"> <img src="http://beta.portlandmonthlymag.com/images/change?src=%2Fdata%2Fimages%2F2012%2F7%2Fimage%2F3947%2F3_050_best-pizza_dove-vivi-owner.jpg&cropify=635x952%2B0%2B0&resize=200x%3E" alt="Dove Vivi Co-owner, Delane Blackstock"></a> <div class="inline-image-caption" style="width: 200px;"> <div>Image: <a class="attribution-link" href="/producers/stuart-mullenberg">Stuart Mullenberg</a> </div> <p>Dove Vivi co-owner Delane Blackstock.</p> </div> </div> </div> <h2 id="dove">Dove Vivi (Cornmeal)</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/dove-vivi"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PERFECT</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIE</span></span>:</strong> <em>The corn-on-corn extravaganza, with sausage and fresh sweet corn on the signature cornmeal crust</em><br> According to legend, the recipe for Dove Vivi’s cornmeal crust was stolen decades ago from a renowned SoCal pizzamaker by an insane colleague. Eventually, by a circuitous route, the crust ended up in the possession of owners Delane and Gavin Blackstock. There remains something distinctly mysterious and foreign, perhaps even … Californian, about this crust, but it is inarguably good. An amalgamation of locally milled cornmeal, olive oil, salt, and yeast results in a half-inch-thick slice, elaborately textured and slightly crispy. Once you’ve sunk your incisors into a slice of Dove Vivi’s cornmeal pie, you’ll forget about the recipe’s nefarious past. Denying yourself a second slice of these stolen goods—now that would be insane. <br> 2727 NE Glisan St; 503-239-4444; <a href="http://www.dovevivipizza.com"><strong>dovevivipizza.com</strong></a></p> <h2 id="give">Give Pizza a Chance (Whole wheat/Sourdough)</h2> <p><a href="/eat-and-drink/find-a-food-cart/#/search:business_listing.name=give_pizza/info:113/"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PERFECT</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIE</span></span>:</strong> <em>Exotic options abound (Thai yellow curry?), but choose a slice where the crust is the star, like the Three Cheese.</em><br> Last summer, when Scott Davison, 38, took over this downtown lunch cart from John Eads (now of Pyro Pizza—see p. 48), he set about perfecting his crust with an artist’s devotion. Using 80 percent sourdough culture and 20 percent whole wheat flour, he’s devised a dark, hefty, but balanced crust that’s both burned on the outside and tangy and chewy on the inside—all without the coveted wood-fired oven. And while he’s religious about ingredients (he always gets his organic whole wheat flour from the same Idaho farm), Davison’s mission is to bring pizza back to its unpretentious roots, one piping-hot slice at a time. <br> SW Stark between Fourth and Fifth Avenues; 503-333-4434; <a href="http://www.givepizzaachance.com"><strong>givepizzaachance.com</strong></a></p> <h2 id="sellwood">Sellwood Pizza Kitchen (Gluten-free)</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/sellwood-pizza-kitchen"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PERFECT</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIE</span></span>:</strong> <em>The Surf-and-Turf: shrimp, bacon, and gorgonzola on regular or gluten-free crust</em> <br> In the age of dietary restrictions, sharing pizza can be an anxiety-inducing affair. Enter the Sellwood Pizza Kitchen, a bright mom-and-pop shop that manages to please both carnivores and vegans with a diverse cast of ingredients perched atop one of the crispiest gluten-free crusts around. Longtime Sellwood residents, owners Dale and Diane Parrish use a mix of rice flour, spices, and oil for the gluten-free pies. But the key to the crust’s surprising lightness and crispiness, Dale says, is in knowing the right oven spot. He is so confident in his oven alchemy—he claims even people who aren’t on gluten-free diets request the crust—he’s planning to package his masterpieces for retail sale, Boboli-style (but better). <br> 8000 SE 13th Ave; 503-238-7255; <a href="http://www.sellwoodpizzakitchen.com"><strong>sellwoodpizzakitchen.com</strong></a></p> <h2 id="alforno">Al Forno Ferruzza (Calzone & Stromboli)</h2> <p> </p> <div class="inline-image-left inline-image mceNonEditable" data-image-id="3948" data-include-caption="true" data-layout="inline-image-left"> <div align="center"> <a class="lightbox" href="/data/images/2012/7/image/3948/3_051_best-pizza_calzone.jpg"> <img src="http://beta.portlandmonthlymag.com/images/change?src=%2Fdata%2Fimages%2F2012%2F7%2Fimage%2F3948%2F3_051_best-pizza_calzone.jpg&cropify=635x952%2B0%2B0&resize=200x%3E" alt="Stromboli Verdura from Al Forno Ferruzza"></a> <div class="inline-image-caption" style="width: 200px;"> <div>Image: <a class="attribution-link" href="/producers/stuart-mullenberg">Stuart Mullenberg</a> </div> <p>The Stromboli Vendura from Al Forno Ferruzza.</p> </div> </div> </div> <p><a href="/restaurants/al-forno-ferruzza"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PERFECT</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIE</span></span>:</strong> <em>The Stromboli Verdura, a Sicilian-style calzone packed with greens and caramelized onions</em> <br> The calzone, a crescent of dough stuffed with savories, is more than just a folded pizza. When done right, it’s a pillow of warmth that makes every bite feel like the first. Al Forno Ferruzza—equal parts Northwest hippie and Italian tradition—churns out surprisingly authentic versions. Hailing from Sicily via upstate New York, the father-son Ferruzza team honed their calzone skills on a wood-fired oven they built in an Appalachian forest. But the star at this homey Alberta eatery is the calzone’s cousin, the stromboli, a pouch of mozz and vegetables basted with olive oil and slit gently on top. The dish is in the Ferruzza genes: it originated on the eponymous volcanic island north of the small Sicilian town where the elder Ferruzza was born. <br> 2738 NE Alberta St; 503-253-6766; <a href="http://www.alfornoferruzza.com"><strong>alfornoferruzza.com</strong></a></p> </body></html> Sun, 19 Aug 2012 10:41:00 -0700 http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/articles/clever-crusts-march-2011 http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/articles/clever-crusts-march-2011 P-Town Specials <div class="inline-image-block inline-image mceNonEditable" data-crop='{"id":4002,"width":952,"height":635,"top":"0","left":"0","scale_width":"640"}' data-image-id="4002" data-include-caption="true" data-layout="inline-image-block"> <div align="center"> <a class="lightbox" href="/data/images/2012/7/image/4002/3_047_best-pizza-dough-tossing.jpg"> <img src="http://beta.portlandmonthlymag.com/images/change?src=%2Fdata%2Fimages%2F2012%2F7%2Fimage%2F4002%2F3_047_best-pizza-dough-tossing.jpg&cropify=952x635%2B0%2B0&resize=640x%3E" alt="Dough-tossng at Mississippi Pizza Pub"></a> <div class="inline-image-caption" style="width: 640px;"> <div>Image: <a class="attribution-link" href="/producers/stuart-mullenberg">Stuart Mullenberg</a> </div> <p>Josh Hobson demonstrates his dough-tossing talents at Mississippi Pizza Pub.</p> </div> </div> </div> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIZZA</span></span> IS <span class="caps"><span class="caps">UNIVERSAL</span></span>.</strong> We know this. But for all of Portland’s reinventions of New York–style, Neapolitan, or Californified pies, there exist a few entries in the cheese-sauce-crust scene that could only happen here, amid the farms and firs—and, let’s face it, the frugal. And so we offer this homage to pizza places with “Portland” tattooed on their doughy little hearts. (With soy ink, no doubt.)</p> <h2 id="mississippi">Mississippi Pizza Pub</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/mississippi-pizza"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PERFECT</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIE</span></span>:</strong> <em>The Portland (duh), with an earthy blend of spinach, roasted red peppers, feta, and red onions on a pesto base</em><br> An early pioneer of North Portland’s revival, the Mississippi Pizza Pub isn’t so much a pizzeria as an institution. Serving cheesy goodness by the slice or pie—and live music every night—Mississippi’s menu (complete with several veggie and vegan-friendly options) is outshone only by its weekly Portland Spelling Bee, in which contestants bravely spit letters (often incorrectly) between bites of pepperoni. Washed down by one of the eight microbrews on tap in the adjacent Atlantis Lounge, this particular ’za experience is practically a requirement of Stumptown citizenship. <br> 3552 N Mississippi Ave; 503-288-3231; <a href="http://www.mississippipizza.com"><strong>mississippipizza.com</strong></a></p> <h2 id="tastebud">Tastebud</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/tastebud"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PERFECT</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIE</span></span>:</strong> <em>Olympic Provisions salami, leeks, mozzarella, provolone</em><br> Tastebud doesn’t just believe in the farm-to-table approach to feasting; it lives it. What began as a small family farm in Canby grew into a brick-oven baked goods stand at the farmers market, and then, in 2008, into a quaint Southeast eatery. True to their roots, Tastebud’s pies showcase local, seasonal ingredients on a pillow of puffy, lightly scorched dough, delivered straight out of a wood-fired brick oven. Think braised kale and delicata squash in winter, and asparagus and rapini in the spring. Happily, Olympic Provsions salami and chorizo are always in season. <br> 3220 SE Milwaukie Ave; 503-234-0330; <a href="http://www.tastebudfarm.com"><strong>tastebudfarm.com</strong></a></p> <h2 id="sizzle">Sizzle Pie</h2> <p> </p> <div class="inline-image-right inline-image mceNonEditable" data-image-id="4003" data-include-caption="true" data-layout="inline-image-right"> <div align="center"> <a class="lightbox" href="/data/images/2012/7/image/4003/3_048_best-pizza-four-horsemen.jpg"> <img src="http://beta.portlandmonthlymag.com/images/change?src=%2Fdata%2Fimages%2F2012%2F7%2Fimage%2F4003%2F3_048_best-pizza-four-horsemen.jpg&cropify=635x952%2B0%2B0&resize=200x%3E" alt="Four Horsemen Pizza"></a> <div class="inline-image-caption" style="width: 200px;"> <div>Image: <a class="attribution-link" href="/producers/stuart-mullenberg">Stuart Mullenberg</a> </div> <p>Sizzle Pie’s Four Horsemen pizza topped with mozzarella, white cheddar, ricotta, and goat cheese.</p> </div> </div> </div> <p><a href="/restaurants/sizzle-pie"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PERFECT</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIE</span></span>:</strong> <em>The Gold Chain: white truffle oil, goat cheese, pancetta, and green onion</em><br> You had us at pinot, Sizzle Pie—as in Oregon pinot noir marinara, one of the oh-so-Stumptowny sauces that glue this new East Burnside pizza joint’s pies together (also worth trying: the New Deal vodka cream sauce). Opened in January, Sizzle Pie offers slices and whole pies that give a chivalrous bow to the local veggie population, with more than 20 meat-free and vegan options. A tissue-paper thin, impossibly crispy crust provides the perfect bed for Sizzle’s only-in-Portland combinations. From the Aardvark (cheese pizza atop a mixture of marinara and locally crafted Aardvark Habanero Sauce) to New Maps Out of Hell (creamy basil cashew spread, seasoned soy curls, plus three veggies of your choice), Sizzle completes us, indeed.<br> 624 E Burnside St; 503-234-7437; <a href="http://www.sizzlepie.com"><strong>sizzlepie.com</strong></a></p> <h2 id="pyro">Pyro Pizza</h2> <p><a href="/eat-and-drink/find-a-food-cart/#/search:business_listing.name=pyro/info:26/"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PERFECT</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIE</span></span>:</strong> <em>Fresh mozzarella with slices of pepperoni from Otto’s Sausage Kitchen</em><br> Elsewhere, street pizza might well be written off as a grab-and-go heart attack on a paper plate. But here, in the capital of Cartopia, the mobile meal has been elevated to culinary heights by a little wood-fired cart called Pyro. The newest effort from John Eads (founder and former owner of downtown’s Give Pizza a Chance—see p. 53) doesn’t do slices: take your pick from a menu of seven options, then wait while Eads carefully chars your 12-inch pie to perfection. It’s big enough to share, but after 20 torturous minutes spent inhaling the smoky scents of alder and pine, and the occasional whiff of sizzling sausage, you won’t want to. <br> SE 12th Ave and Hawthorne Blvd; 503-929-1404; <a href="http://www.pyropizzacart.com"><strong>pyropizzacart.com</strong></a></p> </body></html> Sun, 19 Aug 2012 10:41:00 -0700 http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/articles/p-town-specials-march-2011 http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/articles/p-town-specials-march-2011 Master Class <div class="inline-image-left inline-image mceNonEditable" data-image-id="3939" data-include-caption="true" data-layout="inline-image-left"> <div align="center"><a class="lightbox" href="/data/images/2012/7/image/3939/3_042_best-pizza-table-for-two.jpg"> <img src="http://beta.portlandmonthlymag.com/images/change?src=%2Fdata%2Fimages%2F2012%2F7%2Fimage%2F3939%2F3_042_best-pizza-table-for-two.jpg&cropify=635x952%2B0%2B0&resize=200x%3E" alt="Master Class mushroom pizza" /></a> <div class="inline-image-caption" style="width: 200px;"> <div>Image: <a class="attribution-link" href="/producers/stuart-mullenberg">Stuart Mullenberg</a></div> <p>Lovely's Black Trumpet and Hedgehog Mushroom Pizza with Gremolata and Tartufo</p> </div> </div> </div> <p><strong>IN 2004, <span class="caps"><span class="caps">NEW</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">YORK</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">CITY</span></span></strong> writer Ed Levine asked scribes around the country, including me, to define their town’s edible nirvana for his book Pizza: A Slice of Heaven. My contribution was grim: “Pizza does not drive datebooks in Portland. Does broccoli, much less Thai <span class="caps"><span class="caps">BBQ</span></span> chicken, belong on a pizza?”</p> <p>What a difference a few years make. By 2006, Portland earned legitimate stripes among geeky pie purists and populist eaters alike, as a new breed of obsessive pizza makers merged Old World techniques with new ideas about local sourcing and neighborhood vibes. As we celebrate our city’s pizza rinascimento, these four places define the new pie paradigm.</p> <h2 id="kens">Ken’s Artisan Pizza</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/kens-artisan-pizza"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PERFECT</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIE</span></span>:</strong> <em>Spicy soppressata</em><br /> French-style bread baker Ken Forkish helped lead Portland into pizza’s promised land in 2005 with experiments at Ken’s Artisan Bakery. By ’06, he’d spun his puffy-rimmed wonders into their own restaurant, complete with a wood-fired oven and a serious Oregon-focused wine list. Today, lines form by 4:30 for crust that’s toasty and dusky with a nice blush of char, a delicate tomato sauce, and a dozen restrained combos, like wild mushrooms with mahon cheese or homemade sausage with fiery chiles. Ken’s spicy soppressata truly elevates the art form, with joyful mouthfuls of crispy cured salami, wild heat, and smoky dough. <br /> 304 SE 28th Ave; 503-517-9951; <a href="http://www.kensartisan.com"><strong>kensartisan.com</strong></a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <div class="inline-image-right inline-image mceNonEditable" data-image-id="3941" data-include-caption="true" data-layout="inline-image-right"> <div align="center"><a class="lightbox" href="/data/images/2012/7/image/3941/3_043_best-pizza-mama-lil.jpg"> <img src="http://beta.portlandmonthlymag.com/images/change?src=%2Fdata%2Fimages%2F2012%2F7%2Fimage%2F3941%2F3_043_best-pizza-mama-lil.jpg&cropify=635x952%2B0%2B0&resize=200x%3E" alt="Master class peppers and green olives pizza" /></a> <div class="inline-image-caption" style="width: 200px;"> <div>Image: <a class="attribution-link" href="/producers/stuart-mullenberg">Stuart Mullenberg</a></div> <p>Salumi finocchiona pizza with Mama Lil’s peppers and green olives.</p> </div> </div> </div> <h2 id="apizza">Apizza Scholls</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/apizza-scholls"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PERFECT</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIE</span></span>:</strong><br /><em>Homemade sausage with Mama Lil’s peppers</em><br /> With a reception as chilly as a warden greeting a recidivist, Apizza wins no atmosphere awards. Still, for pizza theologists, it’s a temple. Owner Brian Spangler channels New York’s Italian-American coal-oven shops through an Oregon baker’s avid heart. Spangler makes dough daily (and when he runs out, he’s done) and uses an infrared thermometer to suss out prime hot spots in his electric oven. The result: muscular pies with char-speckled bottoms that make East Coast devotees swoon. Are they worth the hour wait—and the attitude? It depends on how badly you want the real thing. <br /> 4741 SE Hawthorne Blvd; 503-233-1286; <a href="http://apizzascholls.com/"><strong>apizzascholls.com</strong></a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <h2 id="nostrana">Nostrana</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/nostrana"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PERFECT</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIE</span></span>:</strong> <em>Margherita</em><br /> Swollen rim. Thin middle. Crusty and soft. Brightened by San Marzano tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, whole basil leaves, and beautifully bitter black blisters. Served unsliced, always. That’s true Neapolitan pizza, and Nostrana is one of the few places in Portland that lives to get it right. Before Nostrana opened in 2005, food legend Cathy Whims sweated the details in her backyard wood oven. Like Naples’ most-loved pizzerias, she uses a live, slow-rising starter, which she marries to Washington’s Shepherd’s Grain wheat. Something always beckons from the small cast of combos—like homemade meatballs and wild oregano, or a blend of collard greens, cracklins, and an egg. But nothing trumps Nostrana’s margherita—well crafted, simple, and austere, as the pizza gods meant it to be. <br /> 1401 SE Morrison St; 503-234-2427; <a href="http://www.nostrana.com"><strong>nostrana.com</strong></a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <div class="inline-image-left inline-image mceNonEditable" data-image-id="3942" data-include-caption="true" data-layout="inline-image-left"> <div align="center"><a class="lightbox" href="/data/images/2012/7/image/3942/3_043_best-pizza-wood-fired-oven.jpg"> <img src="http://beta.portlandmonthlymag.com/images/change?src=%2Fdata%2Fimages%2F2012%2F7%2Fimage%2F3942%2F3_043_best-pizza-wood-fired-oven.jpg&cropify=952x635%2B0%2B0&resize=200x%3E" alt="Wood fired oven" /></a> <div class="inline-image-caption" style="width: 200px;"> <div>Image: <a class="attribution-link" href="/producers/stuart-mullenberg">Stuart Mullenberg</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <h2 id="lovelys">Lovely’s Fifty-Fifty</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/lovelys-fifty-fifty"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PERFECT</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIE</span></span>:</strong> <em>Something seasonal—like black trumpet mushroom</em><br /> Think wood-fired California designer pizza, by way of fine Oregon farmers. New Yorkers may cringe, Italians may flee, but Sarah Minnick and oven man James Albee bust out some of the tastiest, most satisfying pies in the city: beautifully bronzed and carefully constructed, light on cheese and sauce. Six whole pies arrive dressed for the weather—perhaps winter squash with soft ricotta, sage, and browned butter, or slivers of black trumpets boosted by parsley, citrus, and garlic. Sure, you can knock off a Tolstoy chapter before your order arrives, but that allows more time to contemplate the luscious ice creams and sides that make this consummate neighborhood pizza parlor a rising star. <br /> 4039 N Mississippi Ave; 503-281-4060; <a href="http://www.lovelysfiftyfifty.com"><strong>lovelysfiftyfifty.com</strong></a></p> Sun, 19 Aug 2012 10:41:00 -0700 http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/articles/master-class-march-2011 http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/articles/master-class-march-2011 Hidden Gems <div class="inline-image-block inline-image mceNonEditable" data-crop="{"id":3982,"width":952,"height":635,"top":"0","left":"0","scale_width":"640"}" data-image-id="3982" data-include-caption="true" data-layout="inline-image-block"> <div align="center"><a class="lightbox" href="/data/images/2012/7/image/3982/3_045_best-pizza-firehouse-mushroom-pizza.jpg"> <img src="http://beta.portlandmonthlymag.com/images/change?src=%2Fdata%2Fimages%2F2012%2F7%2Fimage%2F3982%2F3_045_best-pizza-firehouse-mushroom-pizza.jpg&cropify=952x635%2B0%2B0&resize=640x%3E" alt="Mushroom Pizza" /></a> <div class="inline-image-caption" style="width: 640px;"> <div>Image: <a class="attribution-link" href="/producers/stuart-mullenberg">Stuart Mullenberg</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIZZA</span></span> IS <span class="caps"><span class="caps">HARDLY</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">RARE</span></span>.</strong> You can’t swing a salami in this town without hitting a middling cheese-and-grease parlor. But serious sleuths seek out the hidden pies—those that live quiet existences in the cozy corners of our fine-dining scene. They may not scream for attention with neon signs or toppings piled high, but these creations from some of the area’s savviest chefs certainly deserve notice.</p> <p> </p> <div class="inline-image-right inline-image mceNonEditable" data-image-id="3984" data-include-caption="true" data-layout="inline-image-right"> <div align="center"><a class="lightbox" href="/data/images/2012/7/image/3984/3_044_best-pizza-serratto-pizza.jpg"> <img src="http://beta.portlandmonthlymag.com/images/change?src=%2Fdata%2Fimages%2F2012%2F7%2Fimage%2F3984%2F3_044_best-pizza-serratto-pizza.jpg&cropify=635x952%2B0%2B0&resize=200x%3E" alt="Serratto" /></a> <div class="inline-image-caption" style="width: 200px;"> <div>Image: <a class="attribution-link" href="/producers/stuart-mullenberg">Stuart Mullenberg</a></div> <p>The homey surrounds at Serratto pair well with a classic Italian pie.</p> </div> </div> </div> <h2 id="serratto">Serratto</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/serratto"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PERFECT</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIE</span></span>:</strong> <em>The pizza bianco, which often features mozzarella, Mornay sauce, prosciutto, and roasted artichoke hearts</em><br /> Planted on a bustling corner in Nob Hill, where eateries scramble for the attention of dapper passersby, Serratto has reeled in diners in with toothsome pastas and roasts for 25 years. And the consistent, assured execution that keeps them coming back extends to a handful of Italian-style pizzas. The secret? A four-year-old sourdough starter—a batter of flour, water, living yeast, and bacteria that gives life to each and every pie. The pizza bianco is a standout, with a heady blanket of Mornay sauce—béchamel thickened with a blend of five cheeses—encircled by a perfectly tangy, flame-kissed crust. <br /> 2112 NW Kearney St; 503-221-1195; <a href="http://www.serratto.com"><strong>serratto.com</strong></a></p> <h2 id="gruner">Grüner</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/gruner"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PERFECT</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIE</span></span>:</strong> <em>There’s just one: the dreamy tarte flambée, with sweet onions, bacon, crème fraîche, and chives.</em><br /> Sure, it’s unlikely that you’d hightail it to Portland’s stylized sanctuary of spätzle, goulash, and saucisson for a dose of Italy’s street food staple. But Grüner’s deeply satisfying pizza, in all of its rich, German-French-Alsatian glory, is anything but provincial. Chef Christopher Israel tinkers with the essentials to deliver a more piquant and complex meal: thick, smoky bacon plays nicely with caramelized onions against a backdrop of luscious crème fraîche, all brightened with a smattering of chopped chives. A pillowy, flavorful crust offers a definitive statement that this is no mere pizza—this is “tarte flambée.” <br /> 527 SW 12th Ave; 503-241-7163; <a href="http://www.grunerpdx.com"><strong>grunerpdx.com</strong></a></p> <p> </p> <div class="inline-image-left inline-image mceNonEditable" data-image-id="3983" data-include-caption="true" data-layout="inline-image-left"> <div align="center"><a class="lightbox" href="/data/images/2012/7/image/3983/3_045_best-pizza-tuscan-oven.jpg"> <img src="http://beta.portlandmonthlymag.com/images/change?src=%2Fdata%2Fimages%2F2012%2F7%2Fimage%2F3983%2F3_045_best-pizza-tuscan-oven.jpg&cropify=635x952%2B0%2B0&resize=200x%3E" alt="Tuscan Oven" /></a> <div class="inline-image-caption" style="width: 200px;"> <div>Image: <a class="attribution-link" href="/producers/stuart-mullenberg">Stuart Mullenberg</a></div> <p>A scorching Tuscon oven fills the converted firehouse with aromas of Oregon oak.</p> </div> </div> </div> <h2 id="firehouse">Firehouse</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/firehouse-restaurant"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PERFECT</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIE</span></span>:</strong> <em>Fennel sausage, onions, and mozzarella</em><br /> Chef Matthew Bussetto tasted his way through Naples—and it shows. The rustic restaurant he opened in the historic firehouse on Northeast Dekum Street focuses on the rustic, pure flavors of that culinary cradle. True to the trattoria tradition, pizza is just one phase of a meal here—but it’s hard not to fixate on the sumptuous wheels emerging from Firehouse’s Tuscan wood-fired oven. The ingredients are simple—San Marzano plum tomatoes with a touch of sea salt and fresh mozzarella—but when combined with carefully proofed, quickly stretched dough and slid into an oven roaring with Oregon oak, the result is a Neapolitan masterpiece. <br /> 711 NE Dekum St; 503-954-1702; <a href="http://www.firehousepdx.com"><strong>firehousepdx.com</strong></a></p> <h2 id="double">Double Mountain Brewery & Taproom</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/double-mountain-brewery-and-taproom"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><strong><span class="caps"><span class="caps">THE</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PERFECT</span></span> <span class="caps"><span class="caps">PIE</span></span>:</strong> <em>Handmade sausage, onion, and mushroom</em><br /> A post–Gorge adventure pit stop at Double Mountain’s woody, friendly taproom in downtown Hood River brings a welcome surprise: some of the finest pizza within dough-tossing distance of Portland. Double Mountain’s pies feature a light, chewy, coal oven–fired thin crust beneath flavorful but uncomplicated combinations. Portland’s most exacting pizza arbiters (Brian Spangler of Apizza Scholls among them) have endorsed Double Mountain’s efforts—but what matters is that it’s just what you need: belly-warming road fuel that won’t lull you to sleep at the wheel. <br /> 8 Fourth St, Hood River; 541-387-0042; <a href="http://doublemountainbrewery.com"><strong>doublemountainbrewery.com</strong></a></p> Sun, 19 Aug 2012 10:18:00 -0700 http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/articles/hidden-gems-march-2011 http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/articles/hidden-gems-march-2011 Pies We Love <div class="inline-image-block inline-image mceNonEditable" data-crop='{"id":4006,"width":952,"height":952,"top":"0","left":"0","scale_width":"640"}' data-image-id="4006" data-include-caption="true" data-layout="inline-image-block"> <div align="center"> <a class="lightbox" href="/data/images/2012/7/image/4006/3_054_pizza-pies-we-love.jpg"> <img src="http://beta.portlandmonthlymag.com/images/change?src=%2Fdata%2Fimages%2F2012%2F7%2Fimage%2F4006%2F3_054_pizza-pies-we-love.jpg&cropify=952x952%2B0%2B0&resize=640x%3E" alt="Pies We Love"></a> <div class="inline-image-caption" style="width: 640px;"> <div>Image: <a class="attribution-link" href="/producers/allie-reed">Allie Reed</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <h2 id="escape">Escape From New York</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/escape-from-new-york"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><a href="http://efnypizza.net/EFNYPIZZA.NET.html"><strong>Escape From New York</strong></a> does it Big Apple–style, with attitude as formidable as the house crust. A good first stop for tourists: baseball-broad Canadian bacon stacked with a Chrysler Building of toppings.</p> <h2 id="flying">Flying Pie</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/flying-pie-pizzeria"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p>Southeast’s venerable <a href="http://www.flying-pie.com/"><strong>Flying Pie</strong></a> builds the palazzo of all stuffed pizzas, the Florentia: a warm, gooey blanket of mozz and roasted red peppers with ricotta, spinach, onions, and black olives nestled inside. The hand-twisted crust doubles as a breadstick.</p> <h2 id="american">American Dream</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/american-dream-pizza"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><a href="http://americandreampizzapdx.com/index.html"><strong>American Dream</strong></a> started in 1985—giving it almost as much longevity as the crooners celebrated in its Rat Pack Special (pepperoni, beef, mushrooms, olives, and extra cheese).</p> <h2 id="vincentes">Vincente’s</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/vincentes-gourmet-pizza"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p>Sometimes, simplicity and balance conquer all: witness the Zen perfection of <a href="http://www.vincentesgourmetpizza.com/"><strong>Vincente’s</strong></a> sweetly sauced (but perfectly spicy), crispy (but still doughy) cheese slice.</p> <h2 id="nicolas">Nicola’s</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/nicolas"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><a href="http://nicolaspizza.homestead.com/"><strong>Nicola’s</strong></a> piles its house special with salami, pepperoni, Italian sausage, a few requisite veggies, and cheese. (Somewhere under all of that, there is a crust. There must be.)</p> <h2 id="pizzagogo">Pizza-A-Go-Go</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/pizza-a-go-go"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.pizza-agogo.com/"><strong>Pizza-A-Go-Go</strong>’s</a> sizable veggie slice on a New York–style crust keeps the toppings bonanza where it belongs: on the slice. The best part? Chipotle tomato sauce.</p> <h2 id="schmizza">Pizza Schmizza</h2> <p><a href="/eat-and-drink/find-a-restaurant/#/search:business_listing.name=pizza20schmizza/"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p>Sour cream? On pizza? With the neo-rustic Ol’ Hickory—smoked bacon, baby red potatoes, Roma tomatoes— <a href="http://www.schmizza.com/"><strong>Pizza Schmizza</strong></a> hollers, “Heck, yeah!”</p> <h2 id="hot">Hot Lips</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/hot-lips-pizza"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p>Locally grown, organic ingredients makes eco-friendly <a href="http://hotlipspizza.com/"><strong>Hot Lips</strong></a> flavor bombs like Omnivore Bliss (pepperoni, bacon, Italian sausage, onions, black olives, mushrooms, garlic) taste even better. </p> <h2 id="bella">Bella Faccia</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/bella-faccia-pizzeria"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.bellafacciapizzeria.com/"><strong>Bella Faccia</strong></a> sprinkles the Way-Back Machine with feta cheese atop spinach, roasted peppers, and a mozzarella and tomato-sauce base to complete a fantastically floppy, not-too-greasy veggie masterpiece.</p> <h2 id="mifamiglias">Mi Famiglia’s</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/mi-famiglia"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p>That extra zip detected in a nibble of Oregon City favorite <a href="http://www.mi-famiglia.com/"><strong>Mi Famiglia’s</strong></a> addictive, wood-fired pizza crust? Cinnamon. That’s right. Cinnamon.</p> <h2 id="eddies">Eddie’s Flat Iron Pizza</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/eddies-flat-iron-pizza"><strong>Find It</strong></a></p> <p>If the spicy, pepper-flecked marinara at <a href="http://www.eddiesflatironpizza.com/"><strong>Eddie’s Flat Iron Pizza</strong></a> doesn’t get your attention, the complete dismissal of accepted pizza-cutting norm will: Eddie’s defiantly slices its round pies like a checkerboard, resulting in crustless center pieces full of molten cheese and meat.</p> <h2 id="pizzicato">Pizzicato</h2> <p><a href="/restaurants/pizzicato"><strong>Find It!</strong></a></p> <p>Two decades of pizza-by-the-slice heritage means <a href="http://www.pizzicatogourmetpizza.com/"><strong>Pizzicato</strong></a> has perfected the classic pepperoni, with Parmesan and a house herb blend on crust famously made from Pendleton-grown wheat.</p> </body></html> Sun, 19 Aug 2012 10:13:00 -0700 http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/articles/pies-we-love-march-2011 http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/articles/pies-we-love-march-2011