Back in the 1960s before the world was “woke” a catchy television jingle painted a pretty bleak picture: “Aunt Jemima pancakes without her syrup. It’s like the spring without the fall. There’s only one thing worse in the universe. That’s no Aunt Jemima at all.” Frankly, there’s one thing worse than Aunt Jemima pancakes without her syrup. That would be a village with no pizza. A Village With No Pizza. Doesn’t that sound like a horror story about a dystopic place where residents are haunted by insatiable cravings for an essential food group? In actuality, that horrific situation described the village of Placitas where, for generations, residents had to find pizza elsewhere.
As in all clichéd horror movies, escape to an idyll that proffers pizza was fraught with obstacles. Thankfully instead of axe wielding killers and cars that don’t start, those obstacles included having to drive to Pizza 9 in Bernalillo or Davido’s in Rio Rancho. Only the Israelites wandering in the dessert for forty years seemed as long as driving through Bernalillo where perpetual construction of Highway 550 remains a twisting and turning, stop-and-go nightmare. The alternative (and probably quicker than driving through Bernalillo) is driving to Albuquerque, some 25 miles away.
Fittingly, just before Halloween of the dreaded year 2020, the Placitas pizza plight mercifully came to an end when the Placitas Pizza Co. opened for business. Located within the Homestead Village Shopping Center next door to Blades Bistro, it’s a welcome sight for pizza paramours–even in the midst of lockdown in place restrictions. Placitas Pizza makes it easy to sate your pizza cravings; you can call in your order or order online six days a week (currently 11:30AM to 8:00PM every day but Tuesday). Dough is made fresh everyday and fresh ingredients are sourced from local farmers’ markets. No matter what time of year, you can be sure you’re eating the best of the season.
It’s not solely about pizza at the Placitas Pizza Co. The menu features a three bread-based item antipasto section as well as three insalatas. There are also five sandwiches on the menu, including a vegetarian sandwich. Specialty pizzas are available in ten-, twelve-, fourteen- and sixteen-inch sizes. There’s even a gluten-free cauliflower crust option (available only in the ten-inch gluten free size). You can choose from among eight specialty pizzas, including one vegetarian option. You can also build your own pizza with the meats and veggies you want.
Our inaugural order was for the curiously named Lavori (pepperoni, sweet Italian sausage, bell peppers, onions, olives, mushrooms, and green chile), an Italian term which essentially translates to “the works.” We asked for pepperoni and green chile on only one side of the pie (my side) and were happily accommodated. While some pizzas are made with a crust rigid enough to support the weight of a dachshund–or at least the weight of its ingredients, the Lavori’s crust is delicate and requires special handling. Yes, it’s flip-floppy and difficult to eat without ingredients falling off. That’s not a bad thing. We prefer this style to cardboard crusted pizzas as stiff as an ironing board. The ingredients are excellent, a nice balance of high-quality meats and veggies in generous proportions. The sauce is nicely seasoned, rich and delicious, with just enough oregano to be noticed. It’s easy to predict that villagers will be as delighted with their pizzas as we were with the Lavori.
In a year many are calling the worse of their lives, Placitas Pizza is like a ray of sunshine to the village which can no longer be called “The Village Without Pizza.”
Placitas Pizza Co.
221 NM 165 Suite I
Placitas, New Mexico
(505) 508-1671
Website | Facebook Page
LATEST VISIT: 20 November 2020
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: N/R
COST: $$
BEST BET: The Lavori
REVIEW #1192
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