Building the Ideal Pizza Party Spread
Plus get an exclusive pizza from Slice On Broadway for a limited time and start planning your heart-shaped pizza plan.
Hosting a pizza party is a big deal! While pizza is the number one most satisfying party food, there’s a lot of pressure to nail the details. Yes, pizza rules. We all agree there. But that’s where the niceties end. Pizza shops now offer a myriad of toppings. You can get pre-built deluxe pizza showing off gourmet ingredients from the shop. These are top of the line pizzas that can impress and satisfy if deployed correctly. But they are intense, and may be too abrasive for some visitors.
On the other end of the spectrum, you can keep it simple. Order a plain pizza, maybe a pepperoni. Nothing too fancy. The pizza becomes the background to meeting, greeting and chatting about the minutia of life. “I was running through the cemetery and saw some turkey and deer” one might say between bites. “Have you ever seen the show Severance? It’s a fascinating show on Apple TV that plays around with the premise of what makes us who we are. If we split our brain into two different people, are they two different people? Can you kill one and not the other? Where does one self begin and the other end? Do memories make the person who they are?” someone else might say as they’re nibbling on crust. Basic stuff.
The past two weeks we’ve been hosting pizza parties. Because of my experience as a pizza journalist visitors expect the best. They don’t say that, but I’m sure the guests discuss it on the drive over. The pressure exists, but luckily Pittsburgh is home to a variety of pizza shops for any occasion.
Spak Serves Up Delicious Vegan Treats
One party we hosted had people that were both vegan and lactose intolerant. Okay, sounds like pizza isn’t the best food for them. But this isn’t 2000 anymore. Science, technology and supply chains have come together to empower vegans to enjoy good pizza. Of course when it comes to vegan pizza options there’s only one that comes to mind: Spak Bros.
Spak caters to all demographics by supplying delicious vegan pizza, hoagies and, of course, vegan ranch. It stands toe-to-toe with its non-vegan counterparts. Spak is unmatched with how accessible they make pizza, not to mention the consistent and reliable level of quality.
Ain’t No Party Like an Etna Slice House Party
Last week we hosted a party with pals without restrictions. Anything goes. No topping was too zany, no pizza too weird. I’ve kept a close eye on Etna Slice House and wanted to try their pizza since they got their new oven up and running.
Etna Slice House does not disappoint. You can order online and the trip to Etna isn’t too far from Lawrenceville. A dip over the bridge and, boom, you go from one Butler St to another.
These slices are not messing around. Instantly crushable, pairs well with a Sapporo or any cold beverage, and the crusts explode with every bite. We ordered a plain, a pepperoni and a buffalo chicken. The buffalo chicken pizza is extreme. Look at this thing.
A base of hot sauce, a lake of cheese and little pieces of chicken dot the landscape like marshmallows floating on a lake. Everything is evenly distributed ensuring you get maximum flavor in every bite. And not a slice was spared from the masses.
Three large pizzas and a hoagie, decimated and eradicated from earth. Turned into precious energy and sustenance for a group of people spending a Saturday night together.
Limited Time Exclusive Pizza at Slice Of Broadway Beechview Location
Two weeks ago Rico Lunardi from Slice On Broadway competed in Italy and finished fourth overall. That pizza will be available at their Beechview location for a limited time. Check it out if you can.
Heart Shaped Pizza from Spak
Wow am I writing about Spak Bros too much? No…no certainly not. Well they’ve been doing some great partnerships with Two Frays brewing lately. And if you are very excited to eat a heart-shaped pizza, plan your Valentine’s Day accordingly.
Spak will be serving up heart shaped pizza and if you bring it over to Two Frays you’ll get a box of Sweethearts candy and a flower. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Valentine’s Day! Especially if your Valentines is a pizza!
What a wild world of pizza we have here in Pittsburgh. New shops, shops competing internationally, really makes you proud to call Pittsburgh home.
Hope you’re having some great pizza this weekend.
Thanks and pizza ya later!
-Dan Tallarico, Pizza Journalist