Bourgeoisie Pizza

I ventured to 135^th Street recently to Prairiefire and the two plus month old Grimaldi’s Coal Fired Pizza place.  I’d call it upscale pizza (as do the managers) – not just because of the price  which in pretty much in line with non-chain gourmet pizzas – but the environment. It’s brick, spacious, big bar, great large pictures of famous people who’ve eaten at the mothership Grimaldi’s, inventive chandeliers, cloth napkins and highly attentive service.  These were all good things, but not as important as the bottom line, pizza.   

And the pizza is really, really good.  Two primary reasons for this (besides the hand-tossed dough).  One, that coal fired oven, which is huge and very, very hot.  The coal is the best quality anthracite and heats that brick oven up to 1200 degrees – leaving the front areas for the pizzas at around 530 degrees.  What this does is somehow create a crust that is thin, somehow crispy, yet still foldable – vital for a New York pizza. 

Two, and this one I sorta have to take with the proverbial salt grain but Manager Louie Izurita was adamant this makes a difference and who am I to disagree? They purify their water down to (up to?) New York standards (15 particles/1 million in NYC compared to our 300/1 mil.  . They use the same reverse osmosis distilling system and the purer water helps make a difference.   I’m not going to mention the 25 different fresh topping possibilities including meatballs which were hugely good, and what is a remarkably nice wine selection. There are about 50 bottles ranging from $15 to $70.  Currently 24 of them cost less than $30 and they vary some of them monthly. 

Two bonuses caught my attention:  an unusually good house salad that was crunchy and cold and wonderful homemade desserts including a variety of cheesecakes.  All yummy.

We left with a to-go-home box.   Everybody does, said Mr. Izurita. It, the pizza, not the box, tasted great the next day, too.

Grimaldi's

5601 West 135th Street, Suite 2240 
Overland Park, KS 66223 
Ph. (913) 851-5062