The Iowan Pizza Chronicles: July 2015

Menu

The Venue

125 1st St. W

Mt. Vernon, IA 52314

(319) 895-9463

Opened in 2007 the winebar was expanded in early 2012 to include a beautiful wood fired pizza oven from Naples, Italy. The expansion tripled the seating area and allowed for the addition of a small stage for live music. Owner Matt Steigerwald once ran the locally famous Lincoln Cafe, decided to sell the business to long-time employee Jesse Sauerbrei back on September 1^st, 2014. The venue has a very clean and trendy feel with a focus on three things: wine, pizza, and live music. As far as the pizza goes, these gusy are doing it right, with an authentic Italian brick oven roaring proudly behind their counter. The chief prepares the pies so everyone can see. Seating is limited, so if you have a party larger than four, its best of come early. You can check out their website at http://foodisimportant.com/.

Venue - Inside (Oven), "Food is Important"

The Pizza

Chicago Style: No

Crust Thickness: Thin

Our group consisted of six participants, so we ordered four pizzas. They only serve them with one thin crust, and in one personal size that could feed 1-2 people. They have five pizzas that are always on the menu, with four specialty pizzas offered on the Tuesday that we participated.

Chicken, Sausage, and Chili Pepper - Nightly Special ($16).

Four Cheese – Nightly Special; Mozzarella, Feta, Buffalo Blu, and Parmesan Cheeses ($16).

Smoked Margherita – Smoked mozzarella, san marzano tomato, and fresh basil ($15).

Chicken, Sausage, and Chili Pepper Special, $16

Greens – Pistachio pesto, greens, and parmigiano reggiano ($16).

The Verdict

The pizza kept warm uncut, which allowed us to cut them as we saw fit. None of the pies was burnt which was a bonus considering their thin crust. The toppings were of very high quality, with unique and distinguished flavors bursting in each bite. Even over a glass of water, it will make you feel gourmet. They slices passed the bent test, meaning the crust was not soggy. The cheese on the smoked margherita could have used a little more. Overall, the delicious spice of the Chicken, Sausage, and Chili Pepper Special won me over, with the saltiness of the four cheese right behind it. Chicken, Sausage, and Chili Pepper Special ended up receiving the most votes (3). The only downside of this pizza is the price $15 is a lot for a personal pizza, but if you great pizza you have to pay for it. Personally, I enjoy the thick Chicago style pizza, but as far as thin crust goes, this may be the best I've ever had! If you are in the area, I would highly recommend to make the trip over to the winebar (Note: they are closed on Sunday and Mondays).