Review: The Pizza Peel and Tap Room

Around dinner time, as I was thinking about the first post for this website, my son began shouting “Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!” And that got me thinking, pizza! What a great idea! I decided that I should discuss my favorite pizza joint in the area, The Pizza Peel and Tap Room. It’s true, they don’t deliver, and they are very close to where I live, but they sure have provided us with great service and fantastic pizzas!

I moved to Charlotte from a small town in Connecticut, close to New Haven, a city known for its pizza as well as a certain university. I have stood in line many times for the terrific pizza at Frank Pepe’s (only the New Haven original would do) in weather many degrees colder than the current Charlotte weather. The point is, I like pizza.

So, when we first came to Charlotte, we began to seek the perfect pizza. After several attempts, we found The Pizza Peel, a vision of Will Bigham, a local restaurateur.

The first thing I noticed about the pizza is that the crust contains whole grain flour. Don’t let that throw you off, it has enough of the flour to add flavor, but not enough to compromise the fluffy bready crust. After snooping around, I was pleased to learn that the pizza crust was developed under consultation by Peter Reinhart, bread-making guru and chef on assignment at Charlotte’s Johnson and Wales (and whose book on pizza I intend to buy as soon as I post this article). They have an eclectic selection of specialty pizzas, but, of course, they offer regular pizza toppings as well. I particularly like the Aguascalientes, a spicy pizza topped with chili sauce, tomatillos, chorizo, cheddar, onions, corn and black beans. My husband prefers the Buffalo chicken, with it's spicy garlic and blue cheese topping. Of the vegetable specialties, the “positive friction,” with toppings of sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, feta, fresh tomatoes and pesto, is a terrific pick. They also have a limited non-pizza menu with a selection of pasta and sandwiches, but the pizza is the draw.

Eating in is even better than taking out. They are friendly and terrific for kids. They have a great beer menu, with 37 beers on tap and 59 bottled beers listed on their online menu at the time of writing. The décor is appropriate for the venue, a rustic bar with pizza peels hung decoratively on the walls.

The Pizza Peel and Tap Room is a jewel of Charlotte’s family restaurants. It is a perfect spot for family dinners and casual date nights alike. And, if you don’t want to leave your dining room, bring it on home!

~Aurora

The Pizza Peel and Tap Room

422 Colwick Road

Charlotte, NC 28211-2312

704-714-8808

https://www.tapandpeel.com