Being as some people say, the “pizza snob” that I am I was a bit apprehensive when I heard that the “Chipotle of Pizza” was opening doors in my town. I mean come on, a build your own pizza through a sneeze guard is not what I would call a great approach to crafting an above average pie. I like the idea of the DIY approach to pizza making but it seems such an odd concept with the Chipotles, Taco Del Mars and Subways of our world. That being said, this pizza snob was actually impressed.
Is the dough fresh? Are the ingredients fresh? How is the red sauce? How many beards and dudes with top knots am I going to encounter here? These are questions that run through my mind as I first walked through the doors.
As my first step into the restaurant is greeted with a loud exuberant “Hi” which seemed to come from every direction it seemed as the staff was upbeat and ready for my pizza challenge. My every instinct is telling me to turn and walk out as I come nearer to the sneeze guard. Those cambros full of ingredients take me back to my college days working at Subway in Seattle and that memory is not helping the situation. “Hi, is this your first time at MOD” brings me out of my tailspin as does the sound of The Ramones coming from the speakers, I mean they are playing The Ramones, I could craft a pizza while singing Rockaway Beach in my head, it can’t be that bad.
My perfect pie creation has begun and it’s all up to me. I must say I was getting a bit excited as I look at all the options. Here’s the kicker, you can have your 11″ pizza any way you want with as many toppings as you want all for the same price. Hey, not a bad fucking deal, let’s do this!! Now I do generally lean towards the simplistic side of pizza, ya know, pepperoni and pineapple, cheese, if you fuck those pizzas up then I will just give up on you. There is no shortage of options here, yet, I still go the simple approach. Red sauce, Mozzarella, mushrooms, pineapple, onion, olives and bell peppers finished with a dash of grated assiago cheese. Now to some that may not seem simplistic but when you have the bevy of options available at MOD it is quite simple.
As they take away my little 11″ pizza Frankenstein I just created to be slid into their 800 degree gas fired ovens I start to get more eager to get that first taste. There are no conveyor belts at MOD which in my humble opinion is not how you cook a pizza. As I wait, I see an odd machine that looks like a tortilla press on steroids being manned by a MOD squader that is taking fresh balls of dough and pressing them to that perfect thin 11″ circle. Getting better!!
And here are a few other bullet points taken directly from the MOD website
- Our dough is organic and is made with wheat-based pizza flour, water and seasonings and contains no dairy or sugar. It does not contain additives or preservatives.
- Our signature red sauce, made fresh daily, is made with two varietals of tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, parmesan cheese and herbs.
- We use approx. 2oz of shredded, whole milk mozzarella on all of our signature pizzas.
- Our pesto does not contain nuts. Ingredients include basil, canola oil, parmesan, milk, water, garlic and salt.
- The amount of cheese and other toppings used varies based on customer preference (as we make your pizzas on demand).
I order a fountain drink to wash down my pizza and am stoked to find their ice teas and lemonades ready right next to the boring soda options. There is even an organic ice tea option as well..
I hear my name after a short 3-5 minute wait, pick up my creation at their counter and begin to be pleasantly surprised bite after bite. MOD Pizza is thin to my liking, perfectly cooked in their non conveyor belt way, red sauce was great, light and not a heavy tomato paste like sauce that is so prevalent out there these days. I finished my pie off with some slices of fresh tomatoes.
Bottom line, this pizza snob will be back and has been back to MOD since that first visit. Their DIY approach to pizza making is legit and you would be doing yourself a disservice by not hitting up MOD Pizza as soon as possible.
Oh, and did I mention they have beer on tap and milkshakes..WHAT!!!??
This Static Age 