Looking for the perfect pizza
Evan Haft prepares a pizza at Blind Onion Pizza & Pub. Blind Onion features a unique, twisted crust with a flavorful sauce and fresh toppings. The restaurant will begin deilvering this Friday and Saturday.
Chicago, Ill. New York City, N.Y. Reno, Nev. Three entirely different cities stretched across the United States, all of which are connected by one common feature: America’s Best Pizza.
But what determines this title? National recognition? Coverage from the Food Network? Or something more basic and relative to the individual?
David Winchester, owner of local pizzeria Black Rock Pizza, said it is a bit simpler than one might think.
“The perfect pizza is the kind that is unique enough to make you happy,” Winchester said.
Black Rock Pizza, Winchester described, is a pizza place that can please just about anyone. With 30 different pizzas, seven sauces, two different kinds of crusts and nearly 70 different toppings, Black Rock has just about something for everybody. He said there are plenty of places that serve pizza, but variety is key for a successful pizza business.
“Pizza is something that people eat at least once a week,” Winchester said. “Pizza can get old if it isn’t unique.”
While a unique pizza is a fun variant from the usual large pepperoni from Domino’s, there are some that would say it takes a bit more than wide variety to make a good pie.
Jeff Tompkins, manager of the Pizza Baron on Keystone Avenue, said it starts with the dough and blossoms from there.
“You have to put some TLC into the pizza when making it,” Tompkins said. “I make the dough fresh daily, make the sauce and chop the toppings. It’s all fresh.”
However, tender loving care is only one portion of Pizza Baron’s overall appeal. Tompkins said that a good pizza also should be affordable. He said that accessibility is a major draw to the “college crowd.”
“We do a lot of specials with wings and pizza for very affordable prices,” he said. “We also guarantee the widest delivery range, going so far as to deliver to Sun Valley if need be.”
With single slices being served for 95 cents until 4 p.m. and hours that last until 1:30 a.m. on weekdays, Pizza Baron is easily one of the most college-friendly pizza parlors in Reno. Tompkins, however, said he likes his pizza for different reasons.
“I like lots of cheese and great dough,” he said. “That, to me, is a perfect pizza.”
While this description fits many qualifications for a great pizza, it is not exactly the healthiest pizza. And while health isn’t thefocus for Pizza Baron, it is definitely the defining feature for Eclipse Pizza.
Eclipse Pizza, as manager/chef Luke Ingvoldstad, 25, described it, is a pizza place that reflects the health-conscious and active mentality that employees of the restaurant maintain.
“We try to make a better, healthier pizza without sacrificing great taste,” Ingvoldstad said.
Ingvoldstad, a grad student at the University of Nevada, Reno, said that heavy cheeses and flour dough was not very good for health reasons. As a result, Eclipse uses a thin, whole-wheat crust with light cheese and an emphasis on sauces. But Eclipse is not just a health food spot, he explained.
“We’re a gourmet pizza place,” Ingvoldstad said. “We want our customers to taste all the ingredients in every bite.”
Between Eclipse Pizza, Pizza Baron and Black Rock Pizza, the perfect pizza must be healthy, convenient and unique. But in the end, there is one all-encompassing wildcard that determines a perfect pizza.
“We make the most perfect pizza possible for each customer,” Johnathan Burnham of Blind Onion said. “We’ll make pretty much whatever people want.”
Burnham, a 23-year-old psychology major, said Blind Onion would customize pizzas to fit anyone’s needs. He said that he has made half-and-half of almost any kind of pizza and even gone as far as to fill crusts with cream cheese and red peppers. As far as meeting the other standards, a variety of toppings make each pizza customizable.
Gigantic slices are served daily with refillable soda for only $4, easily affordable by student standards and choices of cheese and crust make this pizza parlor healthier than most.
While everyone has an opinion of which pizza aspect is more important, at the end of the day the perfect pizza is all in the eye of the beholder.
Burnham said, “It all depends on what the customer likes.”
The best pizza places in Reno for…
Originality: Black Rock Pizza
With 30 different pizzas made up of two different crusts, seven sauces and nearly 70 toppings, Black Rock offers the widest selection of combinations allowing for the most original pizzas the mind can imagine.
- Specialty Pizzas: Black Rock Shrimp - shrimp, artichoke hearts, fresh parsley, topped with asiago cheese. Cowboy Poetry - smoked tri-tip strips, bacon chunks, mushrooms, jalapeño peppers, red onions topped with asiago cheese.
- Location: 2855 N. McCarran Blvd. Suite 106
- Price Range: About $9 for personal pizza, $18 for a pizza-for-two.
- Hours: Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Runner Ups: Pub & Sub for The Tree Hugger and Sparky’s Sports Bar & Grill for The Gilroy.
Service: Eclipse Pizza
With a staff made entirely of UNR students, friendly faces and knowledgeable employees compliment the fun college atmosphere. It is as if everyone working at Eclipse has not only mastered the menu, but want nothing more than to assist the customer in any way possible.
- Specialty Pizzas: Downieville – sausage, peperoncini, jalapeños, artichoke hearts, Roma tomatoes, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. Mascott – tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, chicken, spinach, pine nuts, roasted garlic, sundried tomatoes, roasted peppers and artichoke hearts.
- Location: 3950 Mayberry Dr.
- Price Range: About $7 for personal, $15 for medium and $19 for large.
- Hours: Open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Runner Ups: Record Street Brewing Co. for passionate, helpful owners and JJ’s Pie Co. for a great friendly staff
Price: Pizza Baron
At $17.99 for a large cheese pizza and 30 chicken wings, Pizza Baron’s various deals are a steal. Open through 4 p.m., Baron serves pizza by the slice for less than one dollar and charges only 40 cents per topping.
- Specialty Pizzas: The Deal – a large plain cheese pizza with 30 wings for only $17.99.
- Location: 1155 W. Fourth St. Suite 113
- Price Range: 95 cents per individual slice before 4 p.m., $1.75 per slice after 4 p.m., a small pizza is about $8.75, $12.45 for a medium and a large is $16.40.
- Hours: Open Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m., Saturday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.
- Runner Ups: Pizza Plus- Most pizzas are under $20, not to mention a pizza buffet Monday through Friday between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. for only $6.99.
Overall Pizza: Blind Onion Pizza & Pub
Tangy, unique sauces, twisted, layered crust and fresh, delicious toppings make for unique pizzas that remain within the confines of traditional pizzerias. Complimenting each pizza is a choice of both clover honey and buttermilk ranch
- Specialty Pizzas: The General’s – pepperoni, Italian sausage, salami, black olives, peppers, red onions and mushrooms. Megan’s Chicken Parmesan – red sauce, chicken breast, mozzarella cheese, fresh herbs and grated parmesan.
- Location: 3605 Kings Row
- Price Range: About $9 for a personal, $17 for medium and a large is about $24.
- Hours: Open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Runner Ups: Blue Moon Gourmet Pizza for the Tahoe Ranch and Blue Moon Gourmet Pizza for the Iron Man
Julian Rhodes can be reached at julianrhodes@nevadasagebrush.com
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October 15th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
I decided to try out Pizza Baron because of this article. The pizza wasn’t that great, and I think the only good deal is 95 cent slice. But coming from New York, I think I am spoiled about getting good pizza in town.
October 17th, 2008 at 3:08 am
The best pizza places in Reno for…
Awesome 90’s babes decor: JJ’s Pie Company.
… they also win the award for pizza greasiness, which is a good thing.