▼ Café Via Della Slice Shop 222 North Fifth Avenue Via Della’s white pie might look too thin to deliver a meaningful mouthful, but each bite of this wonder packs an intense punch. Covered with homemade white sauce, moz- zarella, and grated Reggiano, the flatness of the crust lets the cheese pop — and then you’re hit a burst of caramelized onion that adds a jammy sweetness in all the right places. The journey ends with a lavash-like crust studded with sesame seeds for a nutty finish. Eating it on a paper plate in the re- vamped warehouse space on Fifth Avenue and Van Buren Street only adds to the allure. Pie-Eyed Where to find the best white pizza in Phoenix. BY ALLISON YOUNG I f you think white pizza lacks some- thing (cough, red sauce), think again. Omitting the tomato base for a creamy garlic sauce or aromatic olive oil lets the true stars of the pizza — namely the cheese and dough — really sing. So ditch the Margherita and shake up your pie game with these eight white pizza standouts. Myke’s Pizza 31 South Robson Street, Mesa Myke Olson, owner of Myke’s Pizza inside Cider Corps in Mesa, doesn’t just obsess over pizza crust; he obsesses over ingredi- ents. His potato and bacon white pie starts with a righteous round of dough that’s been fermented 48 hours and then massaged and shaped into a flat circle. On it goes garlic cream, mozzarella, aged Gouda, bacon, and fingerling potatoes that have been wood-fired for flavor, plus a few sprigs of rosemary to balance out the richness. There’s also a white pie with pineapple, pickled chilies, pork roll, aged gouda, and spicy honey, plus a can’t-miss seasonal white pie with peaches and pis- tachios. Hot Daisy Pizza 610 East Roosevelt Street Tammie Coe is famous for her cookies, cakes, and cupcakes, and that baker’s mentality served her well when perfect- ing her pizza dough at Hot Daisy, her slice shop on Roosevelt. It is a time-consuming process that starts with the right ingredi- ents, then calls on passion and relentless pursuit to get just the right light-and- crispy finish. And yes, practically any- thing would be tasty on top, but the Corny Baby-Elote Pie layers garlic cream sauce, mozzarella, crumbly cotija, and roasted corn, with a drizzle of chipotle oil and a garnish of fresh cilantro. It’s a texture party that brings a zing of herby, zesty, crunchy, salty, and sweet. Whole pies are available. Barro’s Pizza Multiple locations It makes sense that Barro’s white pizza feels comforting, like a hug from Grandma. The dough comes from grandmother Angelina Barro’s secret family recipe by way of Italy and Chicago. The pillowy, bil- lowy crust is both thick and flaky at the same time. It’s topped with not one, but three, cheeses (mozzarella, parmesan, and dollops of ricotta), plus white sauce, garlic, oil, and tomatoes, for an ooey, gooey, verg- ing-on-deep-dish feast from a local chain that’s still family-owned. La Piazza Al Forno 5803 West Glendale Avenue, Glendale It’s easy to develop an eating style with the Bianca pizza at La Piazza Al Forno in Glendale. You might start with a knife and fork, working your way from the thin, pli- able center of homemade mozzarella, gen- erous dabs of ricotta, and giant leaves of fresh basil, to the outer crust, all puffy and blistered with a slight char. There is no shame in stealing a smear of ricotta for the edge. Or you might use your hands, folding the moist center in on itself and eating the Neapolitan-style stunner more sandwich style. For an even cheesier white pie, the Allison Young Myke’s Potato & Bacon is meat and potatoes with pizza pizzazz. Quatro Formaggio doubles down by adding fontina and provolone. Pizzeria Bianco 4743 North 20th Street 623 East Adams Street The Wiseguy from Pizzeria Bianco is the pizza personification of its name. Confi- dent and bold, hunky slabs of locally-made fennel sausage and meaty rings of roasted onions sit arrogantly on blistered mozza- rella, a housemade specialty that’s smoked to a nutty finish over pecan wood. Then there’s the dough, made with local wheat flour and naturally leavened before puffing up to bronzed perfection in the wood-fired oven. A total fan and critic fave — the pizza and the godfather of Phoenix pizza Chris Bianco — it’s mouthwatering machismo on a plate (or in a box). Lamp Wood Oven Pizzeria 8900 East Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale Ask the staff at Lamp about their favorite white pizza, and you’ll get a different an- swer. The host emphatically says Stacy’s Mom, a simple white pie with garlic and ricotta, but adds: “add sausage.” One server sings the praises of the Kensington and its sweet-savory combo of figs, goat cheese, and wild arugula. Another is all about the Geppetto, a Gorgonzola, caramelized on- ion, and Sicilian sausage wallop of flavor. With nine white pies to choose from, each building off a base of fresh mozzarella, pecorino, and Parmigiano-Reggiano and cooked Neapolitan-style in a 900-degree wood-fired oven for a puffed-up crust, you can’t go wrong. Red Devil Italian Restaurant 3102 East McDowell Road 3004 East Bell Road When you want a no-frills, no-nonsense, unpretentious white pizza, Red Devil is your place. Made simply with olive oil, mozzarella cheese, fresh garlic, and stud- ded with just the proper ratio of Roma to- matoes on top, the large pizza is a whopping 16 inches across with ultrawide, super-foldable slices that would almost be too cheesy if it weren’t for the tang of the tomatoes. Ideal for takeout and feeding hungry families, we just have one gripe: There can be a lot of crust, so you might want ranch for dipping. Allison Young Bianca Pizza at La Piazza Al Forno is a a cheesy, doughy landscape of deliciousness. 25 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES JAN 13TH– JAN 19TH, 2022
