Americans eat about 100 acres of pizza a day which equates to about 350 slices sold per second. The types and combinations of pizza are endless, from Chicago to New York and every region in-between, America serves up some pretty incredible pies across the country. And while build-your- own-burrito and burger places cover the food scene, the pizza version of Chipotle has yet to emerge into the mainstream.
Locally though, the growing franchise Pizza@ is popping up all over Orlando from Artegon Marketplace to Downtown Orlando later this year. Pizza@ was founded in 2014 as one of the first fast casual pizzerias in the area. With big 13×6 inch pies and over 6 billion possible topping combinations, Pizza@ allows you fully craft your own pie from a wide array of ingredient and dough options. Ready in approximately two minutes, these large pizzas are made under the care of the owner and his family. It’s always refreshing to meet someone that enjoys their trade, and it’s evident that co-founder Johnny Peterson is passionate about sharing his pizzas with Orlando.
We’re anxiously awaiting the opening of Pizza@ Lake Eola as the fast casual options downtown are severely limited. In the meantime, we visited their location at Artegon Marketplace and sampled a couple of pies last week. In addition to a build-your-own menu, the restaurant also offers a number of menu items to order directly. Here’s what we tasted and enjoyed last week:
Artegon Ana: Named after Johnny’s wife, this white pizza is covered with mozzarella, sausage, artichokes, chickpeas, feta, truffle oil and a white Alfredo ricotta sauce. A departure from your typical red sauce pizza and the truffle oil was a nice touch of flavor.
Classic With a Kick: Flooded with tomatoes, sausage, pepperoni and basil with dash of spicy chili oil.
With endless possibilities and crispy crusts, Pizza@ is serving up some much needed fast casual pizza! So get ready downtown Orlando, personal pizzas are coming your way soon.