“Delicious Pizza” In New Orleans Is Actually Pretty Delicious

“Delicious Pizza” In New Orleans Is Actually Pretty Delicious

What are the best food cities in the United States? Certainly New Orleans would fall in the top 10. Top five maybe? It’s not so far fetched to argue that New Orleans is one of the best food cities in the country. And that status is mostly due to food items like po’ boys, gumbo, and …

What are the best food cities in the United States? Certainly New Orleans would fall in the top 10. Top five maybe? It’s not so far fetched to argue that New Orleans is one of the best food cities in the country. And that status is mostly due to food items like po’ boys, gumbo, and beignets. NOT pizza. So I was stunned when Eater named a place called Pizza Delicious the best restaurant in New Orleans in 2014. Really? Pizza? In New Orleans? That accolade alone was enough to inspire a visit on a recent Big Easy trip.

Pizza Delicious (617 Piety Street) is located in the Bywater neighborhood — about a 30 minute walk from the heart of the French Quarter. There are a handful of hipster-centric cafes, restaurants and coffee shops in the area. And while you get the sense that development is a sensitive subject in historic district of New Orleans, I can only imagine that more commercial establishments will be making their way into the neighborhood in the coming years.

I arrived at Pizza Delicious around 3PM on a Friday afternoon, expecting it to be empty. But there were about 15 other people there. When you enter there are a bunch of booths on your right side, some tables in the center, and then a counter on your left where you can place your order. The place also has some really cool decorations and artwork adorning the walls.

There are three pizza staples on the menu — cheese, pepperoni, and margherita — and then a handful of rotating specials: Rosemary Potato with red onion and spicy bechamel, Vegan Spinach & Roasted Garlic Pesto with marinara, roasted peppers, and red onion (also available with cheese), and Hawaiian with sriracha pineapple and smoked ham. All pies are available by the slice or pie (except for the margherita which is only available by the pie).

All of the special pies sounded really delicious to me, so I ordered a slice of each + a cheese slice ($3.25 for the special slices and $2.25 for the cheese). The cheese slice was good. But nothing special. The special slices, however, were really special. I wasn’t expecting much, despite the seemingly interesting topping combinations. But I was really impressed with how well the toppings on each pie seemed to compliment one another. I don’t typically like pineapple on pizza, but the Hawaiian pie didn’t go overboard with the pineapple, leaving just a hint of the flavor. On the Spinach and Garlic Pesto pie, each ingredient was so fresh and flavorful that every bite was epic. And the spicy bechamel on the Rosemary Potato pie served as a unique base for what might have been my favorite slice.

Perhaps the only bad news is that the Pizza Delicious menu rotates so often that it’s unlikely you’ll be able to try any of these slices. But that’s okay. Part of the excitement is getting to try new pizza every time you visit (which, if I lived in town, would be often). And if you’re not fortunate enough to frequent Pizza Delicious, well then you can salivate over some past specials here. Next time I’m in town I really hope they have their Vodka Sauce pie and their Eggplant Parmesean pie! Here are photos of what I ate:

Rosemary Potato

Hawaiian

Cheese

Vegan Spinach & Roasted Garlic Pesto

Finally, it’s worth noting that Pizza Delicious doesn’t just serve pizza. I saw garlic knots on the menu and I couldn’t resist. They were great. And only cost $4. When I saw the price I figured I’d get 4 knots… maybe 6. But my order came with about a dozen. And they are so filling. A slice and an order of garlic knots will definitely fill up one person. Heck — go with a group and get a couple of orders to share. It’s hard to go wrong with garlic knots.

Is Pizza Delicious the best restaurant in New Orleans? Probably not. But is it delicious? Yes! I really love what they are doing with their rotating selection of special pizzas. So if you’re tired of po’ boys, take a stroll (or bike ride) out to the Bywater area and grab yourself some pizza.