Hangry for Pizza, A Pizza Pop Up Recap, Spak Gets Their Flowers
Lots of good pizza sprouting from National Pizza Day, plus Spak is honored by the state government.
The body crumbles under the weight of hunger. It’s the bodies arch nemesis. Without food there’s no energy, there’s no fuel to keep the body functioning. People deal with hunger in different ways, some zen their way through it, others go into a sort of frozen stasis to conserve energy while others go into a blind rage.
Since the advent of pop-ups people have had to face being hungry in public. A new frontier of holding it together between Instagram selfies, praying your order is called up. Surviving hot pop-ups is part of being trendy and taking part in society. It’s a necessary evil, but we gotta deal with it.
Since having a kid my time of starving in parking lots has been reduced to a minimum. We’ll whip a little tablet for kids out to buy some time, but the luxury of wasting away in the elements like our ancestors is not a luxury I have. But for Mun’s pizza I convinced the family this would not be a problem. It was one of Dan’s first big pop-ups in weather that wasn’t absolutely freezing. Surely it would fly under the radar.
Well we got there around 5:30 PM and there were already dozens of orders ahead of us. Dan is making pizzas at light speed and getting them and out of his single Gozney Roccbox as efficiently as a one-man pizza kitchen can. Meg, his partner, was taking orders and running pizzas out. They’re still getting off the ground and learning a lot about the process. The wait is simply a product of developing a stellar pizza product in a region that values quality pizza.
We ended up waiting quite a bit and saw others around us degrade. Initially our family was bubbly. Finally, new pizza. We were excited to try something intriguing, fun, different. Charlie was in good spirits. Then more and more pizzas came out and our stomachs emptied.
A grown man next to us started saying how he couldn’t wait any longer for a “fucking pizza.” He was having a full blown meltdown. He went up to the pizza tent and Meg told him it was close. This guy was crushing beers. Could he hang on? Could the hops and barley in the beer satisfy the hunger? Isn’t that why monks invented beer? To quell the hangry sensation?
I was worried. Conversation at our side of the table went extinct. We went into preservation mode. Christa made the move to grab some chips from the bar. We were pulling all our auxiliary power to keep it together. Charlie’s squawks about being hungry were coming in more frequent as episodes of Doc McStuffins rolled on.
The angry guy next to us got their pizza, folded a slice in half and swallowed the whole slice in one bite.
Then our name was called. Our pizzas arrived.
They were divine. A life saving pizza. Under such intense pressure to serve up an impossible amount of pizza, Dan cooked a perfect Margherita pizza. The pizzas looks like Neapolitan, but had a nice crispiness to them. There was a layer of garlic aroma drifting off the pizza. The cheese was tasty, sauce was refreshing. It’s everything you want from a pizza cooked on an oven outside a brewery.
I was impressed. I talked to Dan on my way out and he was floored by the demand. Maybe he was caught off guard, but he never let his focus or dedication wane. He vowed to double the ovens to prevent bottlenecks going forward. I’m interested to see how he grows.
Tom Tallarico at the Tony Sac’s Pizza Pop Up
I received a text from my dad asking me if I heard of Tony Sac. I did not. He was popping up at Local Provisions in Fox Chapel, my dad’s favorite spot. He went to the pop up and wrote the following essay.
Local Provisions (LP) is a smallish Market/Café which has a variety of local foodstuffs. It’s a variety of items which in some cases you won’t see even at large grocery chains. The products are of a high & diverse culinary quality. There is also a kitchen, tables & bar for dining & enjoying unique cocktails & well designed food combinations. It’s, by far, my favorite place for unique shopping & dining.
LP held a major event early this week on the day the store is usually closed. It was a Pizza Pop Up. Of course, Pittsburgh has a vast array of well renowned Pizza Shops & Food Trucks but I have never experienced a Pizza Pop Up. It was quite a treat! Tony Sac is the pizzaioli. Had never heard the name & nothing appeared when Googled. Tony does not have a storefront or food truck. I find that he caters various events along with the Pop Ups.
I arrived 15 minutes after the 5:00 start & the place had already been bombarded with Pizza Lovers. I approached Tony to find out how to order. They ovens were so busy, he asked me if I could wait 20 minutes. Of course I could. He did take my order. The food list included 3 types of Pizza & Meatballs with whipped ricotta. I couldn’t decide which Pizza so I choose 2 different; the Marghertia & Honey Badger which included soppressata, ricotta & Hot honey; 3 of my favorite toppings; great combination.
I did return in 20 minutes & the 2nd Pizza was being boxed. What I actually found charming, yes charming, was the the Pizzas were in 2 different boxes. (Actually, I recently started collecting pictures of different Pizza Boxes per the different shops I visit.) Simply put, the Pizza was very tasty. The sauce was made of San Marzano tomatoes with the sharp tomato taste. The crust was very thin (my preference) but sturdy enough to support the toppings just fine & had a good crunch. Toppings were top quality. The last thing I’ll mention is I look forward to the Pop Up return & will be on the lookout for his Pop Up appearance elsewhere.
Spak Bros. Honored by Pennsylvania Senate
On National Pizza Day Spak Bros. shared the Instagram post above. The proclamation reads:
Founded by brothers Ryan and Nathan Spak, Spak Brothers offers quality service and local, sustainable foods, including a variety of pizzas, calzones, hoagies, salads, wings and sides. Lauded as a hub for the art community in the Garfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh, the business highlights local artists as an art gallery and participates in the Unblurred: First Fridays celebrations. In addition, Spak Brothers' boxes and receipts feature custom designs made by local artists, and it donates food to events. Throughout its history, the business has served its clients with grace and distinction, and it has truly become an integral part of the Pittsburgh community and this Commonwealth.
Now therefote, the senate of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania congratulates Spak Brothers upon its richly deserved recognition; extends warmest wishes for a future replete with ever increasing success;
And directs that a copy of this document, sponsored by Senator Lindsey M. Williams, be transmitted to Spak Brothers, 5107 Penn Avenue,
As I mentioned in the post, well deserved. They are a wonderful member of the community. Glad I live walking distance to them!
That’s a lot of pizza updates! Something for everyone. Hope you get some satisfying pizza tonight. And sometimes if you gotta wait a little for a pizza, it’s always worth the wait.
Pizza ya later!
-Dan Tallarico, Pizza Journalist