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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 7, 2016)
PIZZA GARDEN This medium pizza from N e h a l e m ’s Pizza Garden is split: the top is Thai, and the bottom is Supreme. Nehalem home-cooked pizza is made with heart R Rarely do I link pizza with home cooking. But Nehalem’s Pizza Garden weds the two like cheese and pepperoni. “I don’t claim to be a chef,” writes owner Jeanne Wells, introducing the menu. “I learned to cook as a child, standing on a chair next to my mother. I make most things from scratch.” In a converted house, Pizza Garden is cozier and more inviting than it appears from the street. The interior walls are bold, green and fuchsia, adorned with easy art, plants and the like. There are semi-private nooks, space for medium-sized parties, and a four-seat, tile bar. The south-facing rear of the restaurant is almost like a sun room, full of natural light and placid views of the wind- ing Nehalem River. Outside there’s a large deck that must be marvelous on summer evenings. Alongside a few appetizers, salads, hoagies and pastas there were two specials on this day, and my companion and I ordered them both: a Reuben pizza ($19 medium) and the “Crobster” ($12 small), a seafood lasagna. We began with a Caesar Salad ($5.50 small, $7.50 large), and said yes to the inclusion of an- chovies. There weren’t loads of them, but the bites ¿VKRIIHUHGOLWWOHEXUVWVRIRLODQGVDOWWRDSHSSHU\ acidic standard that hit the necessary marks. The Crobster, a lasagna that crossed pesto and Alfredo sauces and added lobster, was a reason- DEO\VL]HG ³VPDOO´ 7KH GRPLQDQW ÀDYRU RI WKH dish was ricotta, and it produced little more than a bland shrug. The sauces were thin, both in viscos- LW\DQGÀDYRUDQGWKHFKRLFHRIOREVWHU²ZKDW with the abundance of other regionally available VHDIRRG²ZDVSX]]OLQJ The day’s other special, however, the Reuben pizza, was absolutely stunning. Now, appropriating the seminal Jewish deli VDQGZLFKPLJKWVRXQGVWUDQJHDW¿UVW6DXHUNUDXW on a pizza? But please, hear me out: It’s incred- ible. The sweet thousand island, the salty, briny corned beef, the melty cheese, the bitter caraway seeds (mimicking the rye bread) and the acidic NUDXW²LW¶VDOOWKHUHGHHSDQGEDODQFHG,WSLQV the essence of a Reuben right on the nose, while being less bread-y, and as the adored delivery vehicle that is a slice of pie. It’s practically bet- ter than the inspiration. And unlike the sandwich, 14 | April 7, 2016 | coastweekend.com Reuben pizza never gets soggy. On return trips to Pizza Garden I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I wanted more of that rich, bitter, sweet, salty, melty perfection. But, alas, there was more to try. In the meantime I hope it’s added to the permanent menu. Now, before going any further, we need to talk DERXWWKHFUXVW²EHFDXVHUHDOO\DSL]]DLVRQO\DV good as its crust. Pizza Garden does an admirable job: a crisp bottom, flaky outer edge, and supple interior. It comes in three variations: regular, thin, and glu- ten-free. There isn’t a world of difference between the UHJXODUDQGWKLQ²WKH³WKLQ´FRXOGEHWKLQQHU It’s also worth mentioning that the pizzas are ZHOOVL]HG DQG D ¿QH YDOXH 7KH PHGLXP inches, with eight slices) would easily feed two, maybe three adults. While numerous pies on the North Coast see prices ballooning beyond the $30 Rubicon line, Pizza Garden’s large, premium pies WRSRXWDW7KH\¶UHDOVRDYDLODEOHIRUGHOLYHU\ in Manzanita, Wheeler and Nehalem for a $3 fee. And if that’s where you are, then that’s where you VKRXOGRUGHUIURP²WKH\¶UHWKHEHVWLQWKHDUHD Now, back to the pies. 7KH6XSUHPHPHGLXP²ZLWKSHSSHUR ni, onion, red and green bell peppers, mushrooms and olives was plentiful and traditional. The mar- inara base was not overly sweet, with an herby ÀHFNFRYHUHGZLWKDWKLFNFKHHVHEOHQG The Greek ($19) medium), sported sundried tomatoes, red pepper, onion, kalamata olives, arti- choke hearts, pepperoncinis, mozzarella, feta and lamb. Oddly, our server offered almost a warning that the lamb was ground, making sure we were mouth OF THE COLUMBIA COAST WEEKEND’S LOCAL RESTAURANT REVIEW Story and photos by THE MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA • mouth@coastweekend.com Pizza Garden Rating: 35815 N. Hwy 101, Nehalem 503-368-7675 HOURS: 2 to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday; noon to 9 p.m. Friday to Sunday. PRICE: $ – a medium pizza will feed two adults SERVICE: Warm, chatty, easy. Delivery, pick-up, dine- in. VEGETARIAN / VEGAN OPTIONS: Plentiful. Pizza Garden is especially thoughtful in catering to those with dietary restrictions, including gluten-free. DRINKS: Beer, wine, soda, coff ee ready for it. Absolutely loving lamb I welcomed it, only to be let down by the lack of meat. There was about half as much as there should’ve been. When bites included lamb, its richness leavened WKH VKDUS 0HGLWHUUDQHDQ ÀDYRUV:LWKRXW LW WKH Greek made me pucker. $IWHUWKH6XSUHPH,ZDVFRQ¿GHQWWKDW3L] ]D *DUGHQ KDG D ¿UP JUDVS RQ WKH VWDQGDUGV so I went out searching with the Thai. Like the Reuben it recontextualizes pizza, but it wasn’t as VXFFHVVIXO7KHSHDQXWVDXFH²DORQJZLWKDFWXDO SHDQXWV²RIIHUHGKLQWVRIJLQJHUEXWZDVRYHU run by the cheese. So too were the shrimp which, again, there wasn’t enough of. In hindsight, chick- en probably would’ve been the better choice. Besides all the dairy, meats and gluten, Pizza Garden is a robust option for those with dietary re- strictions. The gluten-free crust (add $1) is thin and crispy, and the vegan cheese is yeasty and creamy. I had them together with the Kronos Vegan ($18 medium). With a garlic, herb and olive oil base, spinach, tomato, red onion, roasted garlic, artichoke hearts and almonds, the vegan and gluten-free varia- WLRQVZHUHDQ\WKLQJEXWFRPSURPLVHV²WKH\ZHUH HTXDOVÀDYRUVZKROO\HQMR\DEOHLQWKHLURZQULJKW For dessert, Pizza Garden offers an array of ice creams and sorbets, cobblers, cakes and the like. I quite enjoyed the $3 taster, two-scoops served in ramekins. The butterscotch was rich and espe- cially creamy, an ideal counterpoint on the fresh, ice-y, marionberry sorbet. The frozen deserts felt particularly like something grandma might make. ,QGHHGDQ\WKLQJ²HYHQSL]]D²FDQEHFRQ sidered “home cooked.” It’s short hand for food that’s prepared simply, humbly, generously and with KHDUW$QGWKDW¶VKRZ\RX¶OO¿QGLWDW3L]]D*DUGHQ KEY TO RATINGS poor below average good & worth returning excellent outstanding, the best in the Columbia-Pacific region
