Detroit, MI — I walked out of a parking garage next to The Belt in downtown Detroit on a lovely Fall afternoon this past Thursday. The sun was doing its best to break through sections of cloud, illuminating the hustle and bustle of a growing, noisy downtown around midday. I usually try to make it downtown a couple of times a month for sporting events, nights out exploring new bars with friends, and in pursuit of new foodie adventures. This particular occasion was for the latter; I was finally checking out a popular pizzeria I’ve had several friends tell me about over the last several months: Mootz Pizzeria!
As I rounded the corner and began walking down Library Street from Grand River Ave, I saw the bright yellow and green sign ahead about halfway up the block. Across the street, a large corporate office was getting attention from the largest crane in downtown, with skyscraper-level construction underway on the building between Library Park and Woodward Avenue. I approached Mootz and began my usual routine of exterior photos and video before walking inside. As I worked, the noise of construction and busy passerbys on the hunt for lunch bloomed some inner joy, seeing Detroit’s vibrant downtown teeming with grit and growth.
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I walked inside and took a moment to observe all the photos lining the walls that told the story of Mootz Pizzeria and its creators in the foyer before stepping into the restaurant. I walked in and met up with my hosts, Walter Gregorio, Director of Operations for Mootz Pizzeria, and Alex Urban, the Near Perfect representative and Senior Account Manager. Walter and Alex had a table waiting, so I sat down to join them for a meal and walkthrough of the Mootz legacy.
Alex, a colleague of several wonderful folks I’ve worked with from Near Perfect Media, was familiar with my work and excited for me to check out Mootz. Walter gave me a run-through of several popular menu items, including some new additions that week! Walter strongly recommended splitting some Garlic Knots for an appetizer, as well as the Truffled Bumblebee. According to many reviews I saw on Google and Yelp, the Garlic Knots were definitely a popular and fan favorite in the appetizer category, which Walter also confirmed. Whenever I try a new pizzeria, I have to get an order of the cheese bread, a tried-and-true side for any pizza adventure, so we tacked on an order of that as well. Our server was very helpful and echoed similar suggestions when we were placing orders for appetizers. The staff was all aboard on a one-track mindset of full steam ahead, certainly the kind of train I’d like to be a passenger on when it comes to the culinary experience.
I was looking forward to sitting down with Walter later and learning more about his personal journey and how he got to Mootz Pizzeria, where he takes quite an active role in the day-to-day. While the three of us sat and chatted, there were times Walter would get up to assist his staff or jump behind the host booth to find a table for newly arriving patrons and guide them to their table. Throughout my visit, I would see several owners/upper management doing the same thing as they conversed with guests and conducted tasks throughout the establishment. It was inspiring to see; talk about dedicated management! It’s heartwarming to see such a motivated staff from every level. Our server was very polite and engaging, quickly flipping out dirtied plates and keeping close tabs on refill opportunities. You could tell attention to customer satisfaction, and hospitality were high among the core tenets and philosophy for Mootz Pizzeria.
Between food arrivals, I was decisive with my time and bounced around to gather b-roll footage and photos of the happenings at Mootz. All around, tables were overwhelmed with copious trays and plates of food as large lunch groups dined amid the lunch rush. I overheard several groups making positive remarks regarding the pizzas and dishes they had ordered. I returned to the table when I saw our first round of appetizers arrive, and my eyes lit up when I spotted the Garlic Knots and Truffled Bumblebee, induced by a visually satisfying selection.
The Appetizers
I quickly learned why the Garlic Knots were a fan favorite. The bake was perfect, resulting in very light and chewy, puffy and buttery knots, which were smothered in garlic and parmesan cheese. These are the fun apps to eat, where each bite brings awareness to the warm and soft bread in your mouth. Although it already sounds like the cat is out of the bag on this side dish among most diners, I’ll reiterate for anyone who needs the reassurance: this appetizer is a must-try for any visit!
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The Truffled Bumblebee was a visual masterpiece and 10/10 for presentation. I’ve seen variations of this dish served in different ways at several restaurants across the country, and this was the most compelling I’ve encountered. The whipped milk ricotta was absolutely perfect consistency and held all of the additional ingredients together. The creamy whipped milk ricotta and deliciously gooey truffle honey paired wonderfully with the bee pollen. The figs added some richness and their own hints of earthy honey and butterscotch. After enjoying a hearty scoop of all the ingredients on a warm and fresh slice of Tony’s walnut focaccia bread, this appetizer will have you licking the plate clean! Exceptional sweetness, with some different textures at work from the gelatin honeycomb and creamy ricotta, while getting the occasional walnut from some downright mind-blowing baked bread. Visuals aside, this appetizer is another flavor bomb worth adding to your tab!
The cheese bread lived up to my hopes and was VERY cheesy. As someone who made thousands of cheese breads over the years when I worked for Dominos and several other pizza shops when I was younger, I appreciate good cheese bread. The ‘mootzarrella’ cheese was prominent in flavor and applied graciously to this bread, further snowed on with parmesan cheese to coat every breadstick. The garlic butter and dousing of parsley locked down the presentation and garnish department, adding savory and earthy tastes. Whether I was dipping a breadstick in ranch or marinara sauce, I was enjoying every bite just as great as the last.
The Pasta
We split three different types of pasta for the next round. We went with one of Alex’s suggestions for the Gemelli, his personal favorite and a house specialty. After some time to think and discuss, we also decided to order the Penne Spicy Arrabbiata and Cajun Salmon Alfredo. The Gemelli consisted of a house-made cream sauce with influences from wild mushrooms, spinach, and Italian sausage that had just the slightest of perfect kick to it. The Cajun Salmon Alfredo came with Fettuccini noodles, perfectly cooked, along with a great Cajun-infused Alfredo sauce, sautéed roasted red peppers, and shaved parmesan. The Penne Spicy Arrabbiata kicked up the heat with the spicy Calabrian red sauce, sliced peppers, spicy Italian sausage, pecorino, and shaved parmesan.
Our pasta dishes were graciously introduced by Executive Chef Angela Rayes, who radiated joy in her passion for food and her craft. Angela briefly explained each pasta as she placed them on the table one by one, each sounding more delectable than the last. Walter had mentioned one of Angela’s many wonderful contributions since coming on board as the head chef was that she took some items on the menu and gave them some upgrades. For one such pasta, the Gemelli, for example, Chef Angela elevated the cream sauce by implementing the wild mushrooms and how long she rendered the sauce. Her calculated culinary approaches and understanding of molecular breakdown are genius. It’s why I’ll never tire of listening to chefs share how they’ve manifested their creations and ideas into this world; it’s the greatest form of inspiration and motivation!
I really enjoyed the Cajun Salmon Alfredo. The sauce was soaked into the noodles and coated beautifully with the shaved parmesan. The peppers and parsley gave some colorful pop and accentuated the buttery Fettuccini noodles. The salmon was cooked very well, adding a salty and spicy protein to co-star alongside the cheesy and zesty cream blended sauce. When forking scoops of food, with all of the elements combined, it was a hearty bite. The tangy Cajun-infused Alfredo sauce was extremely captivating, with a nice mild heat and peppery finish.
The Penne Spicy Arrabbiata was a few notches higher on the heat scale. No doubt the Calabrian chilis are at work in the sauce, bringing the tastebuds alive along with the spicy fennel sausages. The Italian sausages were seared nicely (a process I would later see in action), while the sautéed roasted red peppers added some sweetness to offset some heat. The penne was Al Dente and a perfect noodle selection for that red sauce. The shaved parm and parsley illuminate from the mainly red dish. Not only do these garnishes upgrade the presentation, but the thick, shaved parm slices are supported well by the long and thicker penne noodles, resulting in an enhanced cheese consumption experience. I really enjoyed this pasta dish, which is actually a new menu item! I wouldn’t be shocked to see this pasta rise in popularity among those who favor and enjoy spicier dishes.
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I saved my favorite for last: the Gemelli pasta! After two bites, I understood why it was Alex’s favorite. The sauce was some next-level WOW, because was it good! I also love cooked mushrooms in cream-based pasta. The earthy tones and rubbery textures were softened after being saturated by the house-made sauce as I forked away at bites of noodles. My fork lunged at any opportunity to incorporate the cooked spinach and wild mushrooms in every bite. The same zesty fennel sausage from the Penne Spicy Arrabbiata stars in this dish as well, pairing just as nicely with this creamy sauce as the spicy red sauce. Once some of the shaved parm melted slightly, it added a nice thickness to the sauce as well, adding more cheesy and nutty flavors to the sauce. Overall, it is a great tried and true pasta dish at Mootz Pizzeria.
The Pizza
I was definitely starting to fill up, so I knew I would only be able to manage about two slices of pizza once our four selections arrived. One of my selections was for the Bee Sting, featuring NYC pizza sauce, pepperoni, fresh mootzarella, fresh basil, and hot honey. I am an ardent fan and supporter of hot honey, especially on pizza. We also ordered the Uptown & The Bronx, another NYC-sauced pizza with pepperoni, parsley, mootzarella, pecorino, and shaved parmesan. Walter lobbied for the Juliet, noting its visual appeal. To try and incorporate another new menu item, I suggested we try the Frank Pesto. This new creation comes comprised of mootzarella, caramelized onions (woot!), bacon, whipped ricotta, pesto, pecorino, and evoo (which I just learned stood for extra virgin olive oil. I love learning new things!).
I’ll chat about the two I tried during my adventure for continuity purposes. Both of which turned out to be some seriously sensational slices of za! I decided to try the Bee Sting first and pulled a slice over to my personal small serving plate. After letting some initial steam ease, I observed the remarkable slice before me. It was true New York-style, thinner than our namesake Detroit-style and with puffier, chewier crusts due to the fermentation process. As I would later learn from Executive Chef Angela Rayes, Mootz takes a longer fermentation approach, which brings out more flavor from within the crust but keeps it light and airy with a chewy texture.
The Bee Sting was everything I hoped it would be and more! The particular hot honey brand used turned out to be from a fellow Detroit small business, DIP, and had a wonderful blend of hot peppers (even some ghost pepper!) in it for a burst of seriously sweet, sticky spice. I love the bottlecap pepperonis, especially when they’ve gotten a slight crisp, giving a more fun texture contrast to the soft and cheesy pizza. The hot honey just went so perfectly with this pizza, offering a surprisingly attention-grabbing heat (but fades fast, not like breaking out in sweats hot or anything) on top of the top-notch cheese with refreshing basil strips. I contained myself to only one slice so I could sample at least one more piece during the adventure itself, but that was difficult to do after finishing that first slice!
I decided my last slice would be from the Frank Pesto, which visually caught my eye from the glorious amount of cheese, thick globs of pesto, and crispy bacon bits. The first bite I took gave me a full send to Taste Township! It was salty and savory from the copious cheese and bacon. The creamy whipped ricotta makes another guest appearance, this time in perfect cheese sync with the mootzarella. Every ingredient found its way into every bite, a well-portioned pizza overflowing with flavor. The oil helped keep the pizza refreshed and helped bring out the stellar pesto sauce to the forefront. It was an absolutely perfect pizza and was presented very well. Our server mentioned that within the week of this new pizza creation being added to the menu, it was already starting to be ordered a fair amount. So take it from this foodie; next time you’re at Mootz, you have GOT to try the Frank Pesto!
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After we had all hit our respective walls and couldn’t eat another bite, we sat and chatted briefly about our favorites and impressions. Walter explained to me a little bit of background for some of the products they use, like the hot honey, specifically from other local businesses from around Detroit. Not only am I proud of the City of Detroit, but I’m an avid supporter/advocate for it whenever I’m out of state and preach the gospel of Detroit’s comeback in recent years. I like my local businesses that support other local businesses! That’s how we work together and build and connect bridges throughout life, and it’s always a great win/win for everyone. Working together and giving back to the community are important values at Mootz Pizzeria because they are so important to Walter. He is really passionate about what he does, all in the name of Mootz Pizzeria, because it’s an entity he truly respects. Walter sat down with me after our meal and walked me through his journey to get to Mootz and how it inspires and guides his decisions to improve the Mootz experience for everyone:
Before the arrival of our pizzas, I was fortunate enough to accompany Angela back to the kitchen to see how her infectious positivity and insightfulness inspired those around her. Angela walked me through a pasta prep and even got me backstage passes to see a true master of their craft crisscrossing dough for what would become future Garlic Knots. I learned during her detailed pasta demo that Angela was quite the accomplished chef and had previously run kitchens at places like Parc, earning accolades for top brunch in downtown Detroit. I would later sit down with Chef Angela and learn more about what inspires her and what she enjoys most about her career:
The vision and direction of Mootz Pizzeria in the heart of a Metropolis under restoration is part of what defines Detroit itself these days: grit. It’s hardworking folks coming together to keep working at something, constantly improving it along the way until they see it succeed. Even then, our human curiosity gets the better of us, and we push onward to see how far those heights can take us. In comparison, Mootz Pizzeria continues to grow in a literal and figurative sense, and it’s well deserved. I’m excited to see the restaurant’s upcoming expansion, which means more people will get to enjoy Mootz Pizzeria downtown! Mootz delivers great quality food from appetizer to finish. It has attentive and helpful staff, a motivated leader and role model in Executive Chef Angela Rayes, and a driven management committed to delivering only the best to their patrons. If Mootz Pizzeria wasn’t on your radar before, consider it a target destination now and check it out as soon as possible!
For more information on Mootz Pizzeria and to check out some of their other new menu items, click here.
MI Foodie Adventures 