Metro Pizza
Bread and Butter
Meatbella – Mozzarella Cheese, Tomato Sauce, Pepperoni, Basil, Meatballs folded in the corners
Detroit-style Red Top – Mozzarella Cheese, Tomato Sauce, Basil, Cheese Lattice
Weekly Special Pizza – Desert Bloom Eco Farm Potatoes, Purple Potatoes, Pesto, Peas, Stracciatella Cheese
Half 86th Street Square Pie – Mozzarella Cheese, Tomato Sauce, Half with Pepperoni
Coconut Gelato, Peanut Butter Gelato
Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake
Although Metro Pizza has its own Social Media handle, (mis)managed by an “influencer” like so many others, those looking for Sin City’s most innovative Pies know to follow @everythingbutanchovies, the personal account of Pizzaiolo Chris Decker who can frequently be found showing off his fresh new ideas at the Sky Pointe location.
Acting as the flagship of John Arena and Sam Facchini’s family of pizzerias since November of 2012, an expansive footprint including Lulu’s Bread & Breakfast allowing for lengthy fermentation of Metro’s beautiful Crust, it is upon entry that guests will find themselves greeted by charming hostesses, a number of seating options offered including booths and tables.
Self-appointed “America’s Neighborhood Pizzeria” since the early eighties, though even today so much more, once seated with a menu the most arduous part of a visit comes down to deciding which direction to venture, a collection of Appetizers competing with Pasta and Salad, though complimentary housemade Bread served piping hot with Butter may be enough for those who prefer save room for an extra Slice or two.
Brought north on this particular day by a pair of pictures from Chef Decker, the first an oft-requested special dubbed “Meatbella,” it is in embrace of #instagram that this oversized Pie fuses a traditional Brooklyn Round with the lesser known “Stella,” a star-shaped edge in this case folded around tender Meatballs with a medium-thin middle capable of standing up to a fold despite plenty of Pepperoni, Mozzarella and Tomatoes.
Moving next to Detroit’s Red Top, the style currently experiencing a renaissance from coast-to-coast, it may come as a surprise to many that something thick and loaded with Cheese eats so light and fluffy, but be that as it may the combination of long leavening and good ingredients yields four exquisite slices, each with great diversity of texture thanks to its caramelized lattice.
Not about to forgo Metro’s world-class Sicilian, the “86th Street Square Pie” now offered in halves, it remains as true today as ever that there is no better example of the genre within five-hundred miles (or more) and eating nearly light as the Red Top there will still be plenty of room to try something as unique as Chris’ bounty from Desert Bloom Eco Farm, this week featuring two types of Potatoes plus Peas, their Tendrils and housemade Pesto.
Saving a bit of space for Dessert, Coconut and Peanut Butter Gelato both creamy and not overly sweet, it was leaving Carrot Cake for another day that Chocolate Fudge instead showed off its extra-moist Crumb and layers of Frosting, the addition of a Hot Fudge drizzle as plated further gilding the proverbial lily.
FIVE STARS: Serving Las Vegas for 37+ years and continuously evolving the concept while slowly growing the brand it would be difficult to say anyone has contributed more to Sin City’s love of Pizza than John Arena, and although any brand featuring more than one space may suffer from inconsistency Metro sets a high standard by rewarding their old customer base with predictable greatness while Chris Decker’s creativity looks towards a new era and without ever neglecting the basics – the same synopsis as always since it warrants repeating.
RECOMMENDED: The 86th Street Square Pie and Coconut Gelato are mandatory, but anything offered as a special from @everythingbutanchovies Social Media feed is worth asking about. Be aware, however, that the Detroit-style requires an hour’s notice.
AVOID: N/A.
TIP: Love Pizza? Consider the Metro Pizzalover’s Club with free Sign-up at Metro Pizzalover’s Club and also check out the calendar of events and specials here.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
http://metropizza.com/
