Pizza Rock Green Valley Ranch
New Yorker – Sliced Mozzarella, Tomato Sauce, House Made Fennel Sausage, Pepperoni, Garlic, EVOO, Oregano, Romano, Ricotta
Old Chicago – Sliced Meatballs, Italian Sausage, Ricotta, Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, White Cheddar, Provolone, Garlic, EVOO, Romano, Oregano
Detroit Red Top – White Cheddar, Wisconsin Brick Cheese, Butter Toasted Corners, Marinara, Garlic Oil, Romano, Oregano
Cal Italia – Asiago, Gorgonzola, Mozzarella, Fig Preserves, Prosciutto di Parma, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Balsamic Reduction
Zeppole – Fried Pizza Dough, Cinnamon-Sugar, Cardamom, Caramel, Chocolate Sauce, Citrus Whipped Cream
Now approaching four years at Green Valley Ranch Resort Spa and Casino it was in celebration of National Pizza Day that seats were taken at Pizza Rock, the same table earmarked for eight guests in April 2016 this time hosting six including a young boy who was kept entertained by an ADHD-inducing stream of people doing stupid things on CHIVE TV displayed across several televisions.
Largely unchanged through the intervening years, Tony Gemignani’s team still in charge of several ovens while front-of-house is competent but mostly perfunctory in terms of service, it was following a group of conventioners that guests were seated at 11:30am, approximately 50% of the Restaurant’s 200+ seats filled an hour later as Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and R.E.M. played at modest volume.
Spread across a lengthy space with everything from a big truck to bar area, the menu equally expansive with Pizza-styles from New York to California and Naples represented, it was after clarifying both the order and timing that Drinks were filled, Iced Tea for many instead of Pepsi products while others simply drank Water that was kept full across the ninety-minute visit.
Slow to get started, NCAA Basketball plus live NHL action and conversation filling the time, it was after perhaps half-an-hour that two Pizzas arrived simultaneously, an “Old Chicago” baked in brick with gas outperforming any Midwestern “Bar Pie” thanks to unbleached Flour that maintains a lot of tooth beneath piped Ricotta, Sausage and Meatballs while a touch of Cheddar provides just enough Salt to brighten a thin layer of Tomato Sauce.
Not skimping on Ingredients, the $26 “New Yorker” placed on a stand next to its Windy City cousin loaded with Meat and Cheese, guests in search of a great “Slice” will be delighted to see Tony’s Award Winning Pie blistered and bubbly, the ability to stand up with barely a fold attesting to quality Flour and evenly heated ovens while housemade Fennel Sausage adds a lingering herbal essence that plays well off the char.
Finishing every bite of round one, specifically requesting two additional Pies be fired twenty minutes later preventing a log-jam previously experienced both at Pizza Rock GVR and DTLV, it was as trays were cleared that Cal Italia and Detroit Red Top were presented, the award-winning former expectedly sweet but brilliantly balanced inside a delicate Cornicione while Mo-Town’s recently resurgent style showed Gemignani to be ahead of the curve as he’s been offering this buttey pillow almost fully encased in Cheese and striped with Marinara since opening at the Downtown Grand in 2013.
Disappointed to learn that Brunch is only offered on Sunday, the French Toast targeted as Dessert thus unavailable while Pizza Rock’s Mud Pie wasn’t “ready yet” at 1:00pm, it was in consolation that four Zeppole were offered, Tony’s Flour frying up more like a Beignet with great texture and pronounced Cardamom that paired well with both lemony Cream and thick Caramel but less-so Dark Chocolate Sauce.
FOUR STARS: Every-bit deserving of his myriad accolades it is great to see Tony Gemignani succeeding across multiple Las Vegas venues, the owner’s hands-on approach undoubtedly on display in a kitchen from which every Pie both looks and tastes as it should, though the FOH still seems a bit robotic and being “out of” menu items (save for those listed as being in limited supply) is unacceptable.
RECOMMENDED: New Yorker, Old Chicago, Detroit Red Top.
AVOID: Mud Pie at Lunch, apparently, and arriving too late if seeking the Margherita which is limited to 73 Pizzas daily.
TIP: Happy Hour is offered from 3p-6p and 10p to close daily, and during Vegas Knights games fans who “Wear their Gear” get a free Beer with any $10 purchase.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
www.pizzarockgvr.com
