77'Club Pizza Excursion + Row House Pizza Week
Finally became a member of the 77' club which creates stunning, exotic fusion pizzas that are not easily forgotten.
Visiting the ‘77 Club
Weeks ago I got an instagram recommendation to follow the ‘77 Club. The account was mysterious. They were making pizzas and serving them up to anyone willing to send a DM and travel out to Beechview. Seems simple on paper, but that requires a lot of effort for the unknown. What is the ‘77 Club? Is it worth adventuring for considering you probably have to drive past a handful of your local shops to try something that almost no one knows about? To get into the ‘77 Club mindset listen to this playlist they put together. Perfect for reading this article to.
Seeking out new experiences is hard. It’s a muscle you have to exercise and these days it’s so easy to rest on your laurels. You’ve explored enough for one life time, you know what you like and what you like is great. Life is good. You can only consume so much and, really, how much better could something new be? You’re better off having a lifetime TV Party.
To stop discovering new things is akin to wilting away. Your leaves fading from green to brown, hardening and crunching into splinters as a strong breeze blows by. That’s no way to live a life when there’s an infinite amount of pizza to explore. What if the next bite of pizza you eat is the best pizza?
My goal was to get a slice from the ‘77 Club. This was complicated because I tend to delete Instagram from time to time, which is where the ‘77 Club does all their business. But this week I got a DM on Sunday saying that they were going to be cooking pizzas for pickup on Wednesday. This was my shot. Family dinner on Wednesday would be the following pizzas.
These pizzas seemed far from standard. I admit I was nervous I’d ruin family dinner. Would Charlie eat any of these? Would I scare my family away from future pizza adventures? The Todas Las Flores sounds outrageous, would those flavors work on a pizza? I know those fears are baseless, but you can say that about any anxiety, doesn’t make it any better. I told them we’d take one of each and I’d see them Wednesday at 6pm.
After Charlie’s soccer practice we headed out to Beachview. I packed extra fruit snacks as a thanks to Charlie for tolerating an absurd pizza adventure. We passed by Fiori’s then we were at our destination. As a safety measure I loaded up the Fiori’s website and started to place a call to order a plain pizza for Charlie. No, no there would be no safety net. I hung up. We were all in on the ‘77 Club.
Charlie and I loitered outside waiting for our pizzas. She picked some budding weeds that we could take home to Christa. I put them in my pocket next to the dandelions she picked earlier.
“Why are we at someone’s house?” Charlie asked.
“For pizza, should be some really good pizza.” I said. “This is going to be a great pizza adventure.” If you say something enough times, sometimes it comes true. A bee buzzed around a nearby bush dotted with white flowers.
The front door opened and Charlie hid behind my legs. There stood Brittani Boutilier of the ‘77 Club, one year old baby in her arms. She welcomed us in, introduced us to her cat and took us to the pizza deck. There, Dustin Boutilier was working the pizzas using a Solo Stove Pizza Oven, the Pi, a product I didn’t know existed.
Brittani talked to me about their pizza venture, how they are working on building out fusion pizzas, how her and Dustin have worked through dozens of different dough recipes to find something they like, how they’re gaining a loyal following. While talking pizza she effortlessly played with her daughter, keeping everyone entertained and engaged without missing a beat.
Dustin and Brittani moved to Pittsburgh about two years ago from California and are eager to make an impact on the pizza landscape. Based on what I had, if they can keep their momentum we will all be clamoring to be members of the ‘77 Club.
I asked Dustin about his dough recipe and he rattled off a ton of specs. Then he told me about an entirely different pizza dough he made a few days ago at a different hydration level that turned out a bit differently due to the humidity. This is an ongoing pursuit of their perfect pizza and any more tinkering will only elevate an astounding pizza.
This pizza stands apart from the Pittsburgh pizza landscape. It’s unlike anything I’ve had here, outside of maybe something at Dinette. The dough is delicious, soft, crushable. So flavorful. Not a scrap of dough was left behind. The foundation supports the eclectic toppings devised by Brittani and Dustin.
The Todas Las Flores was more akin to my plate at an Indian buffet, but way more balanced. The spinach chutney and carrot complemented each other perfectly, and the shredded potatoes added a counter flavor, blending it all together effortlessly. This pizza was refreshing, light. Something you’d eat to cool down on a hot summer day.
The Plantasia was equally impressive. So simple, but so loud. The San Marzano red sauce served as a solid bass line hypnotizing you and urging you to take another bite. The garlic and feta provided a pop that richoeted flavors across my mouth. I didn’t want to eat anything after this pizza. I needed these pizza flavors to linger in my mouth for as long as possible.
Charlie’s criticism was that there wasn’t enough cheese on her pizza. She stole pieces of the feta and added them to her slice. I was doubtful a pizza so potent wouldn’t cross her lips, but she crushed a whole slice and asked for more.
On my way out I asked Dustin about the name. He said it was for his love of ‘77 Punk music. He added that he liked the idea of a club, something you could belong to. Kind of secretive.
If I were you I’d look into finding out how to be a part of the ‘77 Club before it gets too popular. Sounds like they’ll be doing some pop-ups in the Pittsburgh area so stay tuned to their Instagram for more updates.
Row House Pizza Movie Week
One of my favorite activities is going to the movies. Eating popcorn, no distractions, maybe drinking a sprite or a cherry coke. Is there anything better? How lucky are we to have Row House in our neighborhood putting on amazing pizza events. And now this week is movies that are somewhat pizza related. Imagine: watching a classic film, eating pizza. Just when you think life is out of surprises…
Starting today you can check out a movie that has an element of pizza and, during primetime showings, you can buy pizza from a different pizzeria. Checkout the lineup, but here’s the pizza combinations:
Toy Story - Wednesday, May 22 - Spak Bros
Do the Right Thing - Saturday, May 18 - Fioris
Bio-Dome - Sunday, May 19 - Pizza Pronto
Moonstruck - Monday, May 20 - Piccolo Forno
Moonstruck - Thursday, May 23 - Pizza Lupo
Moonstruck, Friday, May 17 - Driftwood Oven
Maybe I’ll see ya at Moonstruck!
Good time for a pizza adventure. Let me know if you got a pizza adventure you’re going on or any hot up and coming pizza tips.
Pizza ya later!
-Dan Tallarico, Pizza Journalist