A trip to pie-sci, Detroit’s experimental pizza destination
Rust Cohle, one of the 21st century’s greatest thinkers, once said “Time is a flat circle. Everything we’ve ever done, or will do, we’re gonna do over and over and over again.” Sometimes that’s how I feel when it comes to noshing on yet another pepperoni and cheese pizza. Don’t get me wrong…I’m not hating on the pepperoni and cheese. It is a classic for a reason, especially those old school spots that use the little pepperonis that curl up into little grease bowls. Mmm…
And we here in Detroit are blessed with an embarrassingly high number of quality pie joints. Not only does the city already harbor longtime favorites like Niki’s in Greektown, Eastern Market star Supino’s, and of course the original Buddy’s just north of Ham-town but in recent years new additions like arcade bar Pop + Offworld, Grand Circus Park’s Brass Rail, and La Lanterna in Capitol Park have all opened their pizza-oven doors. And let’s not forget about the big chains like Dominos, Little Caesars, Jet’s, Hungry Howie’s and Cottage Inn (all metro Detroit/Ann Arbor based companies…man, we like our pizza) that all have Detroit outposts.
But I digress, where is one to go when in search of a pie that’s a little more experimental? Something with with, I don’t know, fruit as a topping. Maybe strawberries. Or some out of the box thinking like taking the flavors of Mexican street corn, you know the queso fresco and mayo with a squeeze of lime, and integrating that into a pizza.
Well, that is exactly what was going through the mind of pizza entrepreneur (pizzantrepreneur? No? OK) Jeremy Damaske when he started concocting his unique flavor combinations on Sunday nights inside the Woodbridge Pub years ago. After building a loyal following, he and his crew were finally able to open their own brick and mortar, Pie-Sci (5163 Trumbull in Woodbridge), next door in 2016.
this is how you get in (Photo Credit: Me)
And from the looks of things on my visit on a Sunday evening a few weeks back, the results of all the hard work in their kitchen lab are paying off. Neighborhood folks from all walks of life kept coming and going, picking up their orders from this mostly carry-out spot.
take a seat (Photo Credit: Me, again)
There is seating both inside (modestly decorated in reds and whites with built-in bench type seating) and outside on a spacious patio. Most of those dining in chose the al fresco option to take advantage of the gorgeous mid-summer weather.
al’s fresco (Photo credit: Also me)
But how did the pizza taste, you ask? Before we get into that, let me just say how difficult just choosing a pie was. The menu, which changes with the seasons depending on freshness of ingredients, is broken down into Pizza Elementary, High, or the U of Pizza, depending on a diner’s comfort with the unconventional.
check out these offerings! (photo credit: yep, still me)
I ended up going with the ‘I Am The Eggplant’ not only due to my fondness for late period Beatles, but because of the intriguing mix of the balsamic roasted eggplant with zucchini topped off with some roasted garlic and fresh basil. I must say it did not disappoint.
Mangia! (photo credit: erik belcarz)
The crust was thin, yet sturdy at the base and inflated at the edges. It was light and chewy with a nice char, as well. It was cheesed appropriately to avoid that heavy feeling you get at times with some pies while also giving the toppings plenty of room to shine. Their red sauce (they also offer a white) had a nice zing to it and was also distributed evenly. My only critique would be that the zucchini somewhat overpowered the eggplant, but it is a modest one at that being as that the zucchini seemed plucked straight from the garden and was quite flavorful.
The one regret I had was that I was unable to try some of their other options, but I suppose I can remedy at my next visit. Of particular interest is their current special, ‘The Fig Lebowski’. Their ode to one of my favorite bums, The Dude, contains roasted red pepper-tomato sauce, mozzarella, black pepper bacon, caramelized onion, figs & honey. I’m sure that would pair well with a White Russian or two.
So, while time may be a flat circle, the golden discs of goodness being served up at Pie-Sci are experiments in pizza you won’t mind indulging in over and over and over again.