Any Way You Slice It

Where to find the Twin Cities

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By: Metro Mag Staff |   February 2009   |  From the print edition

welcome, vegetarians
and vegans 
With a menu as stylized and tricked-out as the pierced and tattooed staff, PIZZA LUCÉ has earned its reputation as a Twin Cities fave for vegetarian and vegan pies. Fresh crusts come laden with soy cheese or flavorful nut-based “rinotta.” Choose from six meat substitutes, including expertly seasoned, buffalo-style mock breaded chicken. With an exhaustive toppings list of fresh vegetables and local cheeses, you’re guaranteed a veg-friendly pie that tastes just as rich, hot and decadent as carnivorous fare. Don’t skip the garlic mashed potato pizza—buttery, dense and savory, this is comfort food of the highest order. [Five metro locations]

local ingredients
Any time you order a pizza with goat cheese at BRYN MAWR PIZZERIA AND DELI, it comes with chevre from Donnay Dairy in Kimball, Minn. It’s a popular topping at this vegetarian-friendly pizza spot, where we recommend the rosemary bianco pizza, with olive oil, cayenne, rosemary, artichoke hearts, walnuts, garlic, goat cheese and wine-soaked Kalamata olives. Manager Alex Anderson (whose parents own the place) continually looks to local sources of seasonal ingredients for the pizzas, sandwiches and soups made here. Slices are available during lunch hours every day except Sunday. [404 Cedar Lake Rd. S., Mpls.; 612.377.5501]

gourmet caliber
When a chef of Steven Brown's caliber offers to cook you anything at all, you nod, smile wide and accept without question. Brown is the only person who can get us to eat beets. So it stands to reason that if he cooks you pizza, nothing but the edible equivalent of unicorns and rainbows will emerge from the kitchen at PORTER & FRYE. What you’ll receive is something a little more restrained and sophisticated than that: The crust is serious, meaning real thought and technique go into it—hands down the best in town. Toppings are straightforward gourmand: parmesan, cappicola, arugula, et al. [1115 2nd Ave. S., Mpls.; 612.353.3500]

best lunch special
Since 1975, family-owned Powderhorn haunt JAKEENO’S PIZZA AND PASTA has been making hot, fresh, thin-crust pies worth leaving your delivery zone for. The dough is light but chewy, with an airy crunch that pairs nicely with the traditional red or olive oil and garlic sauce.
Top it off with unusual ingredients like Asiago cheese, shrimp or kraut. Of Jakeeno’s specialty pies, its Greek version delivers a savory mix of artichokes, plump Kalamata olives and tangy feta cheese on an olive oil and garlic base. Hungry for lunch? Recession-proof specials rotate daily at its two south Minneapolis locations. [3555 Chicago Ave., Mpls., 612.825.6827; 920 E. Lake St., Mpls., 612.767.1102]

calzones: the original
hot pocket
There are places that overstuff calzones with ingredients, overwhelming the meager crust pocket—making it soggy and sad—and leaving you with a deplorable bread-to-fillings ratio. Not at PUNCH, where the calzone is as revered as the black-blistered Neapolitan pizza zipping in and out of the 800-degree oven. Here you can order your choice of four signature calzones (we’re suckers for the Lombardi: ham, mushrooms, goat cheese and basil), or you can order any of their pizzas calzone-style as well (hello, spicy Vesuvio!). They’re equal parts light-as-air crust and perfectly rationed ingredients. Just don’t forget to add the mozzarella di bufala! [Six metro locations]

classic neapolitan
We know that choosing the best Neapolitan pizza in the Twin Cities is bound to invite controversy, but we just can’t hold back our enthusiasm for PIZZA NEA. What keeps us coming back? The Con Uovo, for one, a bianco pizza topped with olive oil and Parmigiano-Reggiano, then baked with two cracked eggs on top. And the Diavolo, for another: a pizza topped with San Marzano tomatoes, salami, pepporicinis, olives, fresh mozzarella and cracked red pepper. There are half-priced bottles of wine on Monday and Tuesday to boot, and bar seats where you can warm up to the sight of the flames licking at your pizza in the wood-fired oven. [306 E. Hennepin Ave., Mpls.; 612.331.9298]

best thick crust
FAT LORENZO’S motto is “Italian in a big way.” We’d follow that up with “crust in a big way.” This is dough-lovers crust: elastic, chewy and fresh, deserving of its own area code and a side of sauce. Pies come smeared with thick, chunky tomato sauce and fresh traditional toppings: flavorful Italian sausage, crispy pepperoni, fresh peppers. For the not-so-picky eater, we dare you to sample the jalapeño-bacon topping—yes, that’s one topping. The vibe is relaxed and kid-friendly; crayons and butcher paper are on every table. Added perk: Of all the pies we sampled, Fat’s is the one we trust to cure even the most stubborn hangover. [5600 Cedar Ave., Mpls]

most unique delivery
What if you could pick up the phone and have a superhero arrive at your door in 30 minutes or less? Assuming you were seeking salvation from the diabolical villain Hunger, you’d be in luck. The superheroes (delivery guys) at GALACTIC PIZZA arrive at your door in their 100-percent electro-mobiles with pizza in hand, ready to battle your voracity. And yes, they sport spandex and capes, just like any self-respecting superhero. NOTE: Galactic Pizza superheroes are not responsible for resolving domestic disturbances, homicides, genocides or matricides. In fact, the only “-cides” they deal in are garlic cheese breads. [2917 Lyndale Ave. S., Mpls.; 612.824.9100]

neighborhood institution/dive
Ask a St. Paulite what pizza means to him, and there are only a couple of truly respectable answers. RED’S SAVOY is more than an institution; it’s a dingy-carpeted church of red sauce where square-cut is the only cut, grease is a good thing and your Cabernet, should you insist on it, comes cheap. If you’ve got an Eastsider for a friend, do him a favor and don’t dial up any precious wood-fired business with braised leeks on the toppings menu. Repeat after me: “Large sausage, onion on half.” No need to order double cheese; it comes standard at Red’s. [421 7th St. E., St. Paul; 651.227.1437]

best ethnic pizza
There used to be a saying in the local restaurant biz: “In Minnesota, ketchup is a spice.” It says a lot about the evolution of local tastes that one of the Twin Cities’ most popular pizzas is served extra spicy, and there isn’t a whiff of ketchup near it. In this case, zing-zangy cilantro-pepper chutney is the spice, and it’s served in a cup alongside the curiously trademarked Football Pizza at CRESCENT MOON BAKERY in Northeast. Even without the chutney it’s the spiciest pizza in town, with a tangy tomato sauce and spiced halal meat covering every bite. But it’s what’s underneath that ultimately counts: That football shape is made out of yeasty, delicious Afghani flatbread, a recipe that co-owner Meerwais Azizi perfected in his days as a baker in Kabul. [2339 Central Ave. N.E., Mpls.; 612.782.0169]

coal-fired
When it comes to serving coal-fired pizza in the Upper Midwest, Jordan Smith pretty much blazed the trail when he opened BLACK SHEEP COAL-FIRED PIZZA last October. (The next closest place to get your hands on the stuff is Des Moines.) The difference with anthracite coal—which is cleaner than wood, says Smith—is the consistent heat, resulting in an evenly baked, golden crust that is just the right combination of chewy and crispy. Feel free to create your own combination of toppings, by all means, but be sure to try something with the house-made fennel sausage. We like it on the specialty pizza alongside hot salami, onion and cracked green olive. [600 Washington Ave. N., Mpls.; 612.342.2625]

best signature pizza
Built on a thin crust with as much crunch as a saltine cracker, the ITALIAN PIE SHOPPE’S white pizza is a lesson in simplicity: a base of fresh garlic and olive oil is topped with a generous spread of mozzarella and parm, and then sprinkled with just enough Italian herbs to make it interesting. Its garlicy, buttery goodness is guaranteed to please even the pickiest of pizza lovers. [Three metro locations]

best frozen bar pizza
You gotta be brave to order pizza at a bar, as the average pub pie tastes like the cardboard it’s been frozen to for the last five years. The exception to this rule is HEGGIES, the Onamia, Minn.-based pizza producer whose fine frozen pies are sold at bars and grocery stores across Minnesota. If your bar pizza experience is limited to the aforementioned schlock, then Heggies’ cheese-heavy, sauce-light ‘za will taste like a miracle, especially when paired with a Grain Belt. Locally, you can enjoy it at divier establishments such as Grumpy’s Northeast and Palmer’s. Need a Heggies fix at home? You can find it at Von Hanson’s Meats locations across the state.

authentic italian
When it comes to pizza, what is meant by Italian authenticity? While it did originate in the boot, pizza is an obvious staple of American cuisine. Naples is the birthplace, and there, Neapolitan pizza must adhere to strict traditional standards. But up in Rome, your pie is going to resemble nearly the polar opposite, with an almost squishy foccacia-style crust. But the common strain? Italian means extreme attention to detail, only the freshest ingredients and everything made by hand. All of these can be found at BRODERS’, including the best tasting sausage we found, made on site. [2308 50th St. W., Mpls.; 612.925.3113]

worth the drive
Fire up the ol’ chariot and head east on highway 36 to ROMAN MARKET, a European-style deli and Italian eatery located in teeny, charm-drenched Willernie. There you’ll encounter delicious, beautifully prepared wood-fired pizzas made from ingredients pulled straight from the market’s deli case. We recommend the Napoli, topped with plum tomato sauce, capers, anchovies, fresh mozzarella and olive oil. While you’re at it, give the Balsamica a whirl. Featuring candied figs, gorgonzola and prosciutto finished with an aged balsamic reduction, it’s likely to become your taste buds’ new best bud. One culinary field trip to this beloved neighborhood spot and you’ll be wishing all roads led to Roman Market. [460 Stillwater Rd., Willernie; 651.653.4733]

by-the-slice, NYC-style
They always do it in the movies: As a backdrop to conversation, the actors stop at a Brooklyn pizza counter. Without missing a beat, they choose their slice, pay a few bucks and move on. Folding the slice into two (the most dramatic method), they chat, they walk, they eat. It’s the New York way. You too can be dramatically satiated without missing a beat on Nicollet Avenue at the fittingly named A SLICE OF NEW YORK. The crust here has the best crispy chew of all the counter-service joints around, the slices are bigger than your brother’s head and the TV is usually tuned to the game. Check the score, kiss your date and get back to strolling. [2407 Nicollet Ave., Mpls.; 612.871.4334]

best pizza. period.
Pizza is about as polarizing as politics, and for us to tell you what makes the best pie, well, it could be a little dangerous. But if you’re a crust person, the finest is at PORTER & FRYE. Says chef Steven Brown: “I always compare pizza to a little place I found in Sorrento ... with no sign and horrible fluorescent lights. Of course it was the best pizza I’ve ever had, and I keep trying to replicate it.” For toppings people: RINATA. Calabrese salami, tomato, roasted peppers, garlic—it’s got it all, hot, sweet, salty and tart. A perfect balance, reflecting the stunning art that is the pizza pie. [1115 2nd Ave. S., Mpls.; 612.353.3500 // 2451 Hennepin Ave. S., Mpls.; 612.374.8998] +