Mineo's Arrives at Pittsburgh Airport and some Late Night Pizza from La Grassa
We hosted a banger of a pizza party, plus new pizza is coming to the airport and some secret late night pizza for corner slice lovers.
Is Pizza the Perfect Holiday Party Food?
The holiday season is upon us which means a flurry of parties. Not to mention a flurry of flurries too. We’ve hosted a few parties, attended a handful of others, but recently we held a pizza party to celebrate a December birthday. We needed food that was nice, but wouldn’t pose a preparation burden. Mini beef wellingtons was too complicated, but what was nice and easy.
Driftwood Oven fits the bill nicely. It’s an elevated pizza. Worthy of the name artisan. It stands out from other pizza shops with its sourdough starter base and hearty crust. Driftwood Oven toppings are next level. The peppers aren’t just standard pickled peppers, they’re injected in zest and flavor without relying on spice. The cheese doesn’t clog up your gut and the pizza is airy and digestible. A couple of roman style pizzas paired with a round or two will satisfy any party guest. Something to think about if you’re feeling overwhelmed and exhausted ahead of hosting a holiday event.
I’m thinking I might try and get a few roman style pizzas ahead of time to serve on the 25th. Probably not a bad idea to leave a few slices of pizza out for Santa instead of cookies this year. Can you imagine plump old Santa crashing down a chimney, toys scattering everywhere. They’re fixing the glasses on their face when all of a sudden, sniff sniff, that isn’t the waft of chocolate chip in the air…it’s cheesier, there’s a bit of yeast in the scent and a sweet spice of hot honey…
Pizza is no longer relegated to birthday parties. Let’s start treating this new era of pizza like the marquee food that it is. This stuff can headline parties!
Mineo’s Pizza Books Ticket to Pittsburgh Airport
I searched the other headlines to make sure no one used “books ticket” to describe Mineo’s coming to Pittsburgh International Airport. Lots of “lands at.”
We all know airports exists outside our normal realm of life. Basic rules and agreements we established as a society are not honored in an airport environment. Booze, clothing, food, money, all of it is treated different in the Airport Realm. Do calories count? Does it matter that you’re slamming double IPAs at your gate at 8 a.m.? Why are so many people wearing pajamas and paying $20 for a bagel? Being in an airport is akin to having a dream that seems so normal until you go to fill your car up at the gas station and the pump is spitting out Coke Zero.
The Pittsburgh Airport is undergoing incredible upgrades, with an emphasis on providing better food that highlights the region. If you’re going to add a pizza shop to the airport it makes sense to include Caliente Mineo’s. Mineo’s is a pizza institution that has reached legendary status in the area. New visitors to the region are baffled by the Mineo’s lust while locals are ravenous for the stuff.
I reached out to Mineo’s with a few questions about this endeavor, but have not heard back at the time of publishing. I’m really interested to hear how this airport approach will differ from their other restaurants. Will they be making dough on site? Will they be fully equipped to make sauce, provide a suite of toppings? Or will this be more of a to-go slice by slice situation?
The Pittsburgh airport has hosted a few pizza shops before, but none seemed very successful. In 2018, Villa Italian Kitchen was in operation at the airport before shutting down some time later. A generic “PGH Pizza Co.” took over the space, but I’m not sure I ever saw it in operation.
There has been successful pizza shops embedded in the airport. Varasano’s Pizzeria is an amazing wood-fired pizza place in Atlanta that has a thriving pizzeria in the Atlanta airport. If Mineo’s goes all in on this this could help redefine what Pittsburgh pizza is. What better way to promote your brand of pizza than showcasing it to world travelers who don’t have to leave the airport to get their hands on a local pizza?
La Grassa Late Night Pizza Pop Up at The Vandal
You ever find yourself tossing and turning in bed unable to sleep because all you’re thinking about is getting your hands on a corner slice of pizza? You awake from a nightmare where the corners were sliced off of every pizza at a pizza party? There’s no crunch, it’s only munch? Well La Grassa has you covered this Saturday.
They’ve been doing the occasional late night pop-ups at the Vandal. Perfect end to a night out or a start to the night if you’re young and full of vigor, free of the stress of everyday life. These rectangles plop down in your gut wonderfully and would pair well with a Vandal martini. The martini will bzzzzzzz cut right through those slices and help you break down that thick crust.
I enjoyed my La Grassa at The Vandal back in June and it’s great to see them keeping this pizza project flowing while also solving the issue of a severe lack of late-night food in Pittsburgh. If you’re out this Saturday night drop by The Vandal from 10pm to midnight to grab a corner slice, espresso martini and official La Grassa hat.
Wow what a fun update. Hope you’re enjoying the last month of the year! Not sure what to get a pizza enthusiast for the holiday? I wrote up a pizza gift guide in 2022 so check that out.
Thanks and pizza ya later!
-Dan Tallarico, Pizza Journalist