Pitfire Pizza Delivers

With five locations in Los Angeles, Pitfire Artisan Pizza decided it was time to stake their pizzeria claim in the unchartered territory of Orange County…and are we ever glad they did.  Owner Paul Hibler wisely chose to make his free-spirited presence known among the independent eateries and hipster bars along the strip known as 17th Street in Costa Mesa. Paul himself is the chief pizza maker behind Pitfire’s signature California/Mediterranean fluffy crusted, seasonally-inspired pizzas and, make no mistake, they have been at it for 15 years, long before the artisan, brick oven, wood-fired pizza movement began.

Farfalle with Huntington Sweet Fennel Sausage & Greens

Paul feels strongly about community – contributing to the community they’re in and fostering community within their space – he wants you to set aside your smartphones and connect with family and friends while enjoying authentic, sincerely prepared food at an affordable price. Our group of food writers and media mavens were seated  in the Community Room, equipped with pizza ovens and long community tables (with a secret door to the Speakeasy), it serves as seating for large parties and dining room overflow and is available for private events. Paul even demonstrated his pizza prowess and showed volunteers how to assemble a Pitfire-worthy pizza.

Paul shows Kim Nelson of Saturday Night Foodies how it’s done.

The regular menu includes pizzas, hearty pastas, warm paninis (Crispy Pork Belly with Zucchini Pickles, Apricot Mustard & Watercress anyone?), homemade soups, and fresh salads of locally sourced greens.  The abundant use of fresh greens in all of the menu items is impressive: kale, rapini, broccoli, spinach, vine-ripened tomatoes paired with artisan meats such as Huntington Sweet Fennel Sausage and Zoe’s Natural Meats is a winning combination that you would pay dearly for at certain celebrity chef pizza joints.  Be sure to peruse the eye-catching newsprint Fall Seasonal Menu specials like the Brussels Sprouts and Bacon pizza (above), the Late Season Tomato Pie made with local ricotta and a Roast Pumpkin Pizza of sage roasted winter squash and wild greens, Roasted Pear Salad, and Fennel Sausage & Fall Vegetable Pasta.

It’s a Sausage Party! Huntington Fennel Sausage and Zoe’s Bacon, Salami and Prosciutto

Specialty cocktails (try a Shandy – a cocktail of citrus juice and either a beer or a cider), a decent array of wines, and even better selection of craft beers are available to quaff whilst communing and cavorting. Pizza begs for beer and I asked for a beer sampler, and they delivered in a big way! Golden Road Brown, IPA Wipeout and the Oktoberfest were standouts for me – the beers change often, so there is no printed beer list and on my second visit the Oktoberfest was no more, but I found a new fave: the Boont Amber. Non-alcoholic beverages include house-made seasonal lemonades, vintage cane sugar sodas, and iced green and black teas.

Roasted Bosc Pear Salad | dates, ricotta cheese, pine nuts, fig & olive vinaigrette

Pitfire is super vegetarian-friendly, and you’re not limited to soups or salads, there are options in every “P” category as well. They also make their best effort to accomodate allergies – just ask,  and  offer gluten-free pizza crust and, for vegans, Daiya Vegan ‘Mozzarella’ for a small upcharge.

The Burrata Pie | tomato sauce, caramelized onion, burrata cheese, wild arugula, hazelnuts, pesto drizzle

The interior  space has an open, minimalist feel with counter seating, communal tables, deep booths clad in Volkswagon seat leather and headlights adorning the bold-striped walls. The design of their Culver City store won Pitfire (and architect Barbara Bestor) an American Institute of Architects award in 2011 for restaurant design {source: LA Weekly}. This design and the success of the counter service restaurant concept became the blueprint for Costa Mesa and future locations, but there are also features unique to each store to avoid that pizza chain look.

All pizza are priced from $9.50 to $11.95; pastas $9.75-$10.95; soups and starters from $3.50 to $6.00 – very reasonable for quality handmade pizza with lots of fresh produce and artisan ingredients. From a healthy standpoint, I especially liked that the pizzas are not smothered in cheese and the variety of greens in all the menu items – not just the salads. And, my favorite pizza of all the ones I’ve sampled is the Green Eggs & Ham below – I am obsessed and am experimenting with my own variation at home. But, I’ll be back again and again for theirs: puffy edged, yet crispy crust, luscious, runny egg and salty prosciuotto – and the six 4-ounce beer flight for $12.00.

Oh, and now they deliver! You can order online and request delivery – not quite sure what their delivery zone is, but I hope it includes Huntington Beach 🙂

PITFIRE PIZZA

353 EAST 17TH STREET

COSTA MESA 92627

PHONE:
(949) 313-6333

HOURS:
MON-THURS: 11-10
FRI-SAT: 11-11, SUN:12-1