Spring is in full swing, and the love of pizza is everywhere. Satisfying your pizza craving is easy. Edina has all kinds of pizzas with all kinds of trimmings. Go for something traditional, Chicago-style, New York-style, Minnesota-style or dessert style (a little sugar and spice does the trick.) Dine in, take out or have it delivered—it’s all here. The pizza possibilities are seemingly unending, especially when you factor in all the different toppings. Whatever you choose, you can’t go wrong with these Edina pies.
Gyros Pizza
Homestyle pizza spares all modesty and we are glad! The generously portioned gyros pizza is best when shared. The smell of garlic, Mediterranean herbs and vegetables will draw you in, and there’s no escape. Loads of tasty, thickly layered ingredients encourage seconds that lead to thirds. Bursts of toasty-brown mozzarella almost float in a sea of thick housemade sauce; feta adds another dimension of pleasantly sharp-salty notes. Onions, green peppers, tomatoes and Salonika peppers heighten the Greek flavors. After 25 years of pizza making, TJ’s is a steadfast Edina tradition with many an ardent pizza fan. Medium $15.25, large $18.50. 7100 Amundson Ave.; 952.941.2005.
Xerxes Pizza
The tasty Xerxes is one reason for Pizzeria Lola’s renown; on the menu for five years running, the remarkable robust flavors and contrasting textures make a powerful pizza. Named for the street where the restaurant sits, the Xerxes teems with sheep’s-milk feta, mozzarella, sautéed spinach, Kalamata olives and almonds; this is no ordinary pizza. The Xerxes proves that a vegetarian pizza need not sacrifice on satisfying flavor. Consider the lineup: gourmet cheese, leafy spinach, crunchy nuts and savory olives atop a legendary wood-fired crust with a chewiness that forces you to slow down and enjoy. Top off your Xerxes with a delectable soft-serve, because you deserve dessert with your pizza, too. $15. 5557 Xerxes Ave. S.; 612.424.8338.
Oreo Dessert Pizza
Chocolate fans are in luck when pizza cravings hit. You can have the best of both worlds, combined into one gloriously gooey baked good. Decorated with powdered sugar, caramel and frosting, the Oreo dessert pizza looks like an ornate oversized sugar cookie. The dark chocolate of crushed Oreos dominates the buttered, cinnamon sugared pizza crust. A quick sear in the pizza oven transforms the Oreo dessert into pure pizza decadence. Best eaten straight from the oven, this dessert is a “gift from God,” according to Jason Dich, general manager. Even with all the sugary extras, the Oreo dessert pizza is not overly sweet. Find out why so many Pizza Rev regulars include Oreo dessert pizzas in their orders. $3.49. 7529 France Ave. S.; 952.831.0337.
Lunch Buffet
Pile on the pizza! Sometimes you just have to pull out all the stops and throw caution to the wind. Savoy’s speedy, scrumptious lunch buffet lets you do just that. Prepare to be overcome by pizza—all kinds of pies, from familiar standbys to signature combinations topped with sauerkraut, not to mention fruity dessert pizzas—plus pasta and salad. Savoy Pizza is old school, triangle cut, with cheese, meat and veggies. “We want you to have a piece of every topping in every bite,” says Reed Daniels, director of marketing. The lunch buffet fulfills, with a promise of unlimited helpings. It’s a pizza-fueled lunch spread almost too good to be true. Bring your friends, bring your family, bring your co-workers, and bring on the pizza. Monday–Friday 11 a.m.–2 p.m. $9.99. 4960 W. 77th St.; 952.831.8100.
Escape to the Mediterranean with a gyros pizza at TJ’s of Edina.
Deep Dish
Mention Chicago-style pizza and a debate ensues. Is it authentic? Chicago expatriates and other pizza aficionados have rigorous standards. Prepare yourself for a pizza that lives up to the legend. Enter the Mozza Mia deep-dish, a serious pie with no shortage of heft—and “the best deep dish outside of Chicago,” says Heather Swan, general manager. Brought to your table in a cast-iron skillet, this pizza sizzles. Resist the urge to go too wild with toppings; three or four will do the trick. Pepperoni and housemade sausage are star contenders. A piquant sauce with roasted San Marzano tomatoes stands out in a scrumptious slurry of cheese on housemade pizza dough. If ever there was a knife-and-fork pizza, this is it. Yes, the deep dish has a longer than average cooking time, but that gives you a chance to savor its arrival over a glass of wine or beer. Have your pizza party on the patio and enjoy the fine 50th and France view while you wait. Small $12.50, large $17.50. Extra toppings $1 to 2 each. 3910 W. 50th St.; 952.288.2882.
Sicillian Pizza
Ah, the mighty Sicilian, as inviting as the Italian sun. Thick square-cut pizza slices are bold and beautiful. Crackly browned cheese (whole-milk mozzarella, Wisconsin brick and Parmesan) chunky tomato sauce and fresh basil are a mosaic of flavor. Besides the fresh-from-the-oven heat, a dash of oregano and garlic warm the tongue. The housemade crust is robust but light, with enough character to eat on its own. Whether or not you score a corner piece, do eat your crust crispies! Slice $4.50, 18-inch pie $24. 3904 Sunnyside Road; 952.303.4514.
Calzones
Take a pizza, fold neatly and bake. What do you get? A deliciously chewy, savory filled calzone cooked up Davanni’s-style. With all the charm of a home-baked turnover, the calzone is pure pleasure. The garlic-butter-brushed pizza dough sears into a shiny crust dusted with peppery herbs and pungent cheese. Inside, mozzarella and white sauce melt into your choice of veggies and meats: bacon, chicken, jalapeños, mushrooms, olives, peppers, pepperoni, spinach, sausage and tomato—to name a few. Take care to limit your toppings to two or three. When your fresh, made-to-order calzone is done baking, you might have to wait for it to cool before eating. It’s fun to dunk the calzone into a side of red sauce; just try not to let the filling ooze out. You won’t want to miss any of this. $6.59. 5124 Gus Young Lane; 952.920.9090.
BLT Pizza
The
talented team at the new and independently owned Z Italiano believes
Italian food should be unpretentious and approachable. Their cleverly
crafted BLT pizza measures up with mouth-watering success. People love
this bacon-lettuce-and-tomato pizza as much as they love their BLTs.
Applewood-smoked bacon and thin Roma tomato slices meld into a housemade
garlic white sauce. A five-cheese blend holds everything in place. A
surprise finish of cool, crunchy romaine lettuce gives this pizza a
genuine BLT taste. After a light drizzle of garlic oil, the bite-sized
ribbons of green glisten against the red tomato and meaty bacon. A
hearth-oven-baked crust makes for a brand-new BLT experience. You won’t
miss plain old sandwich bread one bit. $12.95. 1705 Southdale Center; 952.563.8485.
Carbone’s Special
The name says it all—a signature pizza with special toppings. Piled with veggies and meat, the Carbone’s special is a longtime favorite. Red onions, green peppers and fresh mushrooms complement sausage crumbles and pepperoni slices. An ever-so-slightly-spicy red sauce and thick topping of cheese intensifies the Italian flavors. The Carbone’s special pays homage to its Old World roots with cracker-crispy crust. The St. Paul-based chain has a tradition of pizza-making that goes back decades. Today, the Carbone’s special ranks as the restaurant’s most popular pizza and is a “real good value for the money,” says Dawn Holm, owner. Indeed, Carbone’s often posts pizza deals online. Takeout and delivery only. Personal $9, small $14.75, medium $16.75, large $19.75, extra-large $21.75. 3724 W. 50th St.; 612.920.0400.
