Mr. P's Pizza: Wood-Grilled Redemption

I have to be honest, I used to love Mr. P's Pizza on Savannah Road in Lewes when John owned the place. He was picky- let's be honest- anyone who knew him knew he was a pain in the a#*- but the pizza that came out of his wood fired ovens was always excellent. In fact, it was my favorite pizza at the beach. Then things changed. He left the business and the new owners, well, I don't know what their goal was, but to my taste buds, it wasn't to make good pizza; same oven, same hand-tossed production, even the same baker...but it just didn't taste the same. The crust was thinner, the toppings sparser, the experience simply not as good. So, after 2 or three pizzas from the new owners, I just decided to stay away. And I stayed away for awhile. Better than a year in fact.

Well, for whatever reason- convenience, curiosity, my penchant for giving second chances- I decided to try Mr. P's Pizza again a few days ago. As before, I ordered the Vito: tomato sauce, fresh, whole-milk mozzarella cheese (extra-cheese, thank you), pepperoni and garlic. I gotta say, I was a little hesitant while I waited for my pizza. Like before, it was a treat to watch the dough get hand-tossed and spun into what would form the basis of my pie. I watched the fresh ingredients get piled on then I watched the whole thing get slid into their unique and beautiful wood-fired oven. Then I waited. And I wondered.

If it's true that a picture is worth a thousand words, then this should tell you what my pizza tasted like:

But, in case you're still wondering, let me say this thing was phenomenal! The cheese was perfectly melted; the sauce, a perfect compliment to the garlic- both were tasty but not overpowering; the pepperoni was thinly sliced and cooked so as to release all its flavor but not get too crispy. Then there was the crust. That fantastic Mr. P's crust. It really is like no other: thin, but hearty, chewy but delicate. It's one of the few-if not the only pizza- where I enjoy eating the crust as much as I do the toppings. Wonderful.

So there you have it, a story about second chances, redemption and perhaps most importantly, some simply outrageously good pizza. Wanna try Mr. P's for yourself? Stop by for a slice (actually, just get a whole pie. Trust me.) They're located on King's Highway on the way to Downtown Lewes. Need more info?, call them @ 302.645.1900 or visit them on the web @ Mr. P's Pizza & Pasta