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EAT THIS: DETROIT-STYLE PIZZA AT D20 PIZZA
After more than two years of watching and speculation by Santa Cruz Westsiders, a new restaurant has opened in the former Burger spot at the corner of Bay and Mission streets. D20 Pizza is currently in a very soft opening with takeout only while owner Colin Freas dials in the process for his richly textured Detroit-style pies.
D20 Pizza is named after the 20-sided die used in the game Dungeons & Dragons, and when it’s fully open this fall, it will offer dozens of board games for guests – from classics like Monopoly to buzzy newcomers like Wingspan and Ticket to Ride – and host tabletop gaming events and trivia nights. Inspired by board game bars and restaurants throughout the U.S., Freas is hoping his version will appeal to students and nearby residents, while offering some of the best pizza in the city. “Other cafes in the area seem to offer gaming with a side of food. This is food with a side of gaming,” he said.
For those unfamiliar, Detroit-style pizza is baked in a rectangular pan and known for its thick, focaccia-like crust. Its most defining feature is a crispy, frico-like “crown” created when the cheese runs over the edge of the dough and is fried against the side of the pan. Freas created his sourdough recipe with the help of Mike Coover of pop-up Lido Pizza Club, and it ferments for 24 to 36 hours before it hits the oven.
The result bears all the hallmarks of a great pie: airy dough structure rimmed with that crunchy crown, gooey cheese and blistered toppings like sweet summer corn and cherry tomatoes, classic cup pepperoni or roasted oyster and cremini mushrooms with thyme. Every pizza is finished with a generous sprinkle of fresh basil and a flurry of snowy Parmesan. All the pizzas are 8 by 10 inches. Cheese is $20, and everything else is $25.
These next two months are about dialing in the recipes and making sure the product is consistent, said Freas: “We’re aiming to have the best pizza in town.”
1520 Mission St., Santa Cruz; 831-777-5331. Tuesday-Saturday 3-9 p.m.
BEST OF THE WEEK AHEAD
Below, find a curated list of the best food and drink events in Santa Cruz County for the coming week. At the top, I share my picks of unmissable local happenings.
NEWS OF THE WEEK
ICYMI – here are the food news stories from Lookout that you might have missed, plus important news from beyond our borders picked by yours truly.
- Once a downtown hotspot, 515 Kitchen & Cocktails for sale amid construction challenges (Lookout)
- The ultimate guide to seafood restaurants with a view in Santa Cruz County (Lookout)
- Lily Belli on Food: Homeless Garden Project’s Sustain Supper, Extra Tasty Tour gets sour (Lookout)
- Found Treasure: Cocktails with otters (Edible Monterey Bay)
