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
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acidic standard that hit the necessary marks.
The Crobster, a lasagna that crossed pesto and
Alfredo sauces and added lobster, was a reason-
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dish was ricotta, and it produced little more than a
bland shrug. The sauces were thin, both in viscos-
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with the abundance of other regionally available
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The day’s other special, however, the Reuben
pizza, was absolutely stunning.
Now, appropriating the seminal Jewish deli
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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
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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
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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
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It’s also worth mentioning that the pizzas are
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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
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in Manzanita, Wheeler and Nehalem for a $3 fee.
And if that’s where you are, then that’s where you
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Now, back to the pies.
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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
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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
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Greek made me pucker.
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so I went out searching with the Thai. Like the
Reuben it recontextualizes pizza, but it wasn’t as
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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-
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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.
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sidered “home cooked.” It’s short hand for food
that’s prepared simply, humbly, generously and with
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KEY TO RATINGS
poor
below average
good & worth returning
excellent
outstanding, the best in the
Columbia-Pacific region
