Here’s part two of our pizza pie roundup (click here for part one). We’re sharing a few of our favorite mom-and-pop pizzerias further afield but oh, so worth the short drive. Mangiare!
Owners Tom and Judy Bennett had a life-changing experience in Pieve di Brancoli north of Lucca, Italy, when the caretaker for their lodging, Ivano, announced that he was making pizza for dinner. Meh, they thought until he started pulling pies from the forno (wood burning oven) with a crust they’d never experienced before graced with just a few toppings – no piling high here. They’ve recreated this experience at their eatery, American 35, where Tom runs the pizza program honoring Ivano as the Patron Saint. He uses Small’s Family Farm bread and all-purpose flours to create an airy cornicione (rim) that is blistered, the char adding to the flavor. The pies are topped with just a few ingredients fired in the oven using apple and cherry wood from local orchards. This is a place to get adventurous – the Tonno é Cippola with a house made red sauce, tuna, green onion, and mozzarella and the Cup & Char with charred pepperoni, fresh mozzarella, hot honey, and chili flakes for example. The seasonal menu relies heavily on locally sourced ingredients, including the bar program where craft cocktails are legit – Judy makes all the accoutrements from scratch. The atmosphere here is as alluring as the pizza. Tom and Judy honor the 1890’s building that served as the American Legion Post with a vintage, clubby feel while remaining family friendly.
128 Main St, Waitsburg / 509-387-3111 / Wednesday – Friday, 4pm – 9pm / Saturday, 1pm – 9pm / Sunday, 1pm – 9pm / Closed Monday & Tuesday
Sheila and Kurt Berry traveled through Dayton for years and fell in love with the pastoral town. In September 2024, they realized a dream and took over Chief Springs Brew Pub & Pizzeria, rebranded as Buckwheat Brewing Co. in homage to the area known for its abundance of wildlife and rolling wheat fields – Kurt uses wheat from the Palouse Valley in his beers, which can only be found at the pub. The couple spent plenty of time playing with homemade pizzas in their Traeger – adding chicken and jalapeno to the otherwise straightforward margherita – some of which will make their way to the existing popular menu. The brew pub and adjacent pizzeria cater to road trippers, campers, wildlife enthusiasts, and locals. The family-friendly pub, where you can have your pizza delivered to from next door, has a laid-back atmosphere, often with a country artist crooning in the background from the jukebox. The hand-tossed pizza provides just enough loft to build ingredients on, and the dusting of semolina flour makes for a crispy crust on the outside and perfectly chewy on the inside. A crowd favorite is The Works with marinara, cheese blend, Canadian bacon, pepperoni, Italian sausage, bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, pineapple, tomato, and onions. For something different, try the Reuben with corned beef, 1000 island sauce, and sauerkraut. Note: they offer take and bake.
Brew Pub: 148 E Main St, Dayton @ 509-382-9999 / Pizzeria: 134 E Main St, Dayton @ 509-382-4677 / Hours: Sunday – Thursday, 11am – 8pm / Friday – Saturday, 11am – 9pm
Hop Thief Taphouse and Kitchen
When brothers Rob and Daniel Jacobs took over ownership of this lively, expansive eatery in 2023, they inherited a heavy hitter of chef in Erik Johnson. Johnson has both a Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management degrees, with a killer resume that includes 11 years at the Marcus Whitman Hotel, and notable restaurants in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene. He offers a hand tossed Neapolitan style crust and a Detroit style pizza using dough made from a flour combination from Small’s Family Farm and ingredients from local purveyors whenever possible. His spin on the Detroit style involves the layer of sauce on the bottom versus the top which lets the ingredients stand out. The double fermentation gives the dough an airy loft, sandwiched between a delightfully crunchy crust with a nice char of cheese around the edges. Creative ingredients find their way to pies including onion jam, garlic confit, chorizo, and pumpkin seeds. Try The Smokey Pickler with campfire sauce, diced chicken, applewood smoked bacon, house dill pickle chips, yellow cheddar, ranch drizzle. Or go with the popular Meat and Greet with San Marzano tomato sauce, pepperoni, salami, smoked honey ham, Italian sausage, and bacon. The restaurant is known for its self-pour taphouse with 40 selections of beer, wine, cider, kombucha, nitro coffee and sangrias with a local and Pacific Northwest focus.
795 SE Sydnee Ln, College Place / 509-593-5150 / Sunday – Thursday, 11am – 10pm / Friday – Saturday, 11am – 11pm