http://www.stonehearthpizza.com/
Pizza Style: Neapolitan
Venue Style: Sit Down
Food Orders: 1 Classic, 1 House-made Sausage & Caramelized Onion, 1 Create Your Own, 1 The Divine Goddess.
Beverage Orders: Craft Beers
Lg Cheese Pizza: (14”) $13.75
Attendees: Boboli, Tombstone & Celeste

Mystery Guests:

What is Titicaca & Mr. Oregano

Ooooweeee…what is that smell?! Stone Hearth’s aromatic first impression hits you in the face harder than the giant, 200lb red curtain that obstructs their entrance-way.  This was a nice touch because it felt as if you were fighting your way through a dark catacomb in search of a glorious treasure that lay just ahead. As we entered, the first thing “The Guys” (Boboli, Tombstone, & Celeste) and guests (Mr. Oregano, & What is Titicaca) noticed were the smiling faces of happy people…lots of ‘em. That was a good initial sign and was a welcoming factor that indicated that there had to be something good about this place.

Immediately after entering, our group was greeted by an accommodating staff member who conveniently seated our party next to the kitchen. Although this gave The Guys a great vantage point to witness the behind-the-scenes-on-goings it was also a tad inconvenient due to how closely settled our party was in proximity to the wait staff.  This was a minor setback that made it difficult to openly discuss the great and not-so-great aspects of the establishment (one of them being a swarm of persistent fruit flies).

Stone Hearth has draft beer selections that change due to season and availability, which contributes to the freshness of their offerings. Before we got started on the pizza analysis we all decided to partake in some local craft beers which were average but not disappointing.

After a few minutes of pizza pondering, we decided to order the first two of (ultimately) four pies for the  evening’s consumption.  The Guys started out with a “Classic” — Stone Hearth’s signature, Neapolitan-style cheese, and the “House-made Sausage & Caramelized Onion” which is fairly self-explanatory (except for the addition of charred red and yellow bell peppers). These two were followed by a “create your own” concoction (ordered by Celeste), which was comprised of fresh basil, prosciutto and a mushroom medley of white, Cremini and Portobello. Our special guests had the final pizza choice of the evening.  Their selection:  “The Divine Goddess” – a white pizza with garlic oil, topped with a mixture of fresh spinach, broccoli, local sourced ricotta cheese, garlic and finished with their cheese blend as well as a pinch of Parmesan.

Classic Cheese 🙂

Sausage, Pepper & Caramelized Onion 🙂

Fresh basil, prosciutto & mushroom 🙂

The Divine Goddess 🙂

The pizzas arrived about two inches short of their 16” promise (we used our piePhone to take the measurements) which was disappointing. The signature red sauce on three out of the four pies seemed nothing more than a basic San Marzano sauce but was excellent in its simplicity. The cheese blend of mozzarella and provolone was equally excellent in its simplicity. This blend seems like a no-brainer for any pizza place worth “you the readers” time, yet so few place use it. For the most part the
mixtures of flavors were just right on all of the pies. The only minor complaint, agreed upon by all, was that they could have been cooked a little longer to lend a bit more crunch. The “Classic” came out piping hot, with a great melt. The house-made sausage on the House-made Sausage & Caramelized Onion was very flavorful however the bell peppers overpowered all the other tasty ingredients… tisk, tisk!  Once the peppers were flicked off, the pie really came into its own and had an opportunity to shine. At first bite you could taste the marriage of their high quality (and we mean HIGH quality) ingredients. With our first impressions made on the first two pizzas we were not disappointed with Celeste’s “create your own” order or “The Divine Goddess.” Each featured fresh, high-quality toppings.

All-in-all, everything was top notch; from cheese, sauce to crust, this pizza was delicious. Even the oregano and Parmesan, in their Holy Trinity of accoutrements, were freshly ground and chopped, nothing seemed to be freeze-dried or preserved. This was hands-down the best overall pizza that the guys have reviewed to date. 
Stone Hearth is a great place to sit down for a few beers with friends or to take the family out for a night on the town. Stone Hearth offers a really tasty pizza. Some may argue that it’s a bit overpriced especially considering that their 16” pizza is actually a 14” but in our opinion, that should not deter you if you’re just looking to have a fine pie.

SG Rating – 6.5 Slice out of an 8 Slice pizza perfection.

Tagged: Neapolitan