We sure have come a long ways from the days when the word "pizza" was automatically followed by the word "hut". (Or, "inn" if you're a native Texan.) These days, pizza palaces are popping up like so many gophers after a storm, and better still, most are quite good too. It's definitely a buyers market these days for the intrepid pie fan, with many of them featuring fancy ovens, fire-roasting techniques, and fresh ingredients. Red Brick Pizza (the name refers to the terra-cotta stones used in classic pizza-roasting ovens in Italy) combines all of the above so successfully that they've recently been named one of the Top 50 Franchises by Entrepreneur Magazine. One has just opened nearby, so I called for takeout recently to check out their freshly-prepared gourmet goodies.
If you desire a trencherman-sized (translation: big) pie, then Red Brick Pizza is not the place for you. Their smallish pizzas deliver quality, not quantity and are seared at 1000 degrees in their special ovens for just three minutes. I tried the pepperoni, mushroom, and Italian sausage version, and could taste the fresh tomato and mozzarella in every chewy bite. The ingredients were well-balanced, still I could have used just a touch more sauce. Salads can be ordered small, medium, or large like the pizzas, and the chopped garden featured romaine, tomatoes, carrots, red onions, cucumbers, fire-roasted croutons, more mozzarella, and a creamy, slightly garlicky house dressing. The medium was easily enough for two people, and was quite satisfying. Service seemed slightly confused on this Sunday evening, with more attention being given pizza preparation and the nearby gelato bar than with greeting new customers. Red Brick also features said gourmet gelato as well as Fhazani sandwiches, which look intriguing if your in a lunch sort of mood as well as dinner. Website is http://www.redbrickpizza.com/, where you can read their story and find out what all the fuss is about. Have them fire up some gourmet goodies for you soon, and as always:
LIFE IS TOO SHORT FOR MEDIOCRE FOOD!!!
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5 comments:
You are right about the number pizza places around now. It's kind of hard to keep up!
Yes, it would seem that someone looked at a Culinary Hot List and plucked "brick oven pizza", "flatbread sandwiches" and "gelato" from the Top 10 of the 2000's. But, hey - if they're doin' 'em up good, I totally don't mind throwing another contender into any three of those rings!
Guys, it's nice to know there are now plenty of options. Back in the day, there were a few good joints, but far too often, pizzas were near-tasteless slabs of cardboard covered by equally tasteless cheese, burned toppings, and no sauce. My how times have changed!!
I second! Hey, Food Czar, have you ever been to Sali's in Garland? That was my saving grace growing up.
Can't say that I have, and I actually lived on the Garland/Richardson border for more than a dozen years. Over there, we usually ordered from Picassos, back in the days when it was on Skillman, just north of LBJ.
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