Strib FromCrustUp 101205

Strib FromCrustUp 101205
6/28/06
2:52 PM
Page 1
W E D N E S D AY, O C T O B E R 1 2 , 2 0 0 5 • S T A R T R I B U N E • W E S T • W 7
arts+leisure
DINING WEST PUNCH PIZZA
From the crust up, this is what pizza should be
Punch Pizza in Eden Prairie
uses the prized Neapolitan
formula to make fresh and
delicious pies that put others
to shame.
By KAREN COOPER
and BRUCE SCHNEIER
Special to the Star Tribune
If we could ask one thing of
you, it would be this: Stop eating bad pizza. Give up on
dreadful bready crusts, pale red
sauces and cheap cheese. Treat
yourselves. Go with the good
stuff.
The real deal must feature a
hand-kneaded crust, no more
than 14 inches across, and
come out of a wood-fired pizza
oven. Every detail about it,
from the type of flour used to
make the crust to the choice of
toppings, is important.
Good pizza is so well-prized
in Italy that they’ve passed
laws describing what a true
Neapolitan pizza must be. And
rightly so; protecting their
brand and image is important.
Happily, every detail is as
authentic as possible at Punch
Pizza. They’re one of the few
pizzerias outside of Naples,
Italy, to be a member of the Vera
Pizza Napoletana, an organization that regulates Neapolitan
pizza. And it shows.
This is not deep-dish
Chicago pizza, nor New York
flat pizza, but an artisanal,
handmade example of culinary perfection.
Capsule review: The pizza
is nothing short of spectacular.
Order anything that you think
sounds good. We’ve never had
a bad experience here.
Punch offers a variety of predesigned Neapolitan options,
or you can create your favorite
from their list of ingredients.
The ingredients are fresh and
the dough is delicious, so it’s
hard to go wrong.
We can recommend the
salame e funghi, which comes
with pepperoni, mushrooms,
garlic, fontina cheese and
oregano. We also liked the borgata, with sun-dried tomatoes,
goat cheese, eggplant, olives
and basil. The classic margherita is also delicious, though we
like enough basil leaves so
there is at least one on every
slice. We also like it with the
addition of artichokes and sundried tomatoes.
For a true Neapolitan experience, order your pizza wet,
with extra tomatoes and olive
oil, and with buffalo mozzarella. The restaurant flies the buffalo mozzarella in from Italy
every week, and despite our
general unfamiliarity with the
water buffalo, we found that
the cheese has a mild flavor
and has the perfect texture for
pizza.
Photos by JENNIFER SIMONSON • [email protected]
Mauricio Gonzalez, left, and Ruben Rodriguez assembled pizzas during the lunch rush at Punch Pizza’s Eden Prairie location. Even when the restaurant is busy,
orders come up fast because they spend only 90 seconds in the 800-degree wood-fired oven. Customers place an order at the counter, then sit down to wait.
The Punch salad has mixed greens, pine
nuts, Parmesan and prosciutto topped with
a balsamic vinaigrette. It’s one of four salads
on the menu.
But if there’s a particular pizza you
remember, they’re happy to make you a
special order. They’ll even make a calzone
for you if you ask.
Punch’s borgata pizza is topped with sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, eggplant, olives and basil.
If you like basil, another winner is the margherita pizza. The restaurant offers a selection of specialty pies,
or customers can create their own from the list of ingredients. There aren’t as many predesigned choices
as at Punch’s St. Paul location, but they’ll do special orders.
Punch serves four different
salads, either as a side dish or a
complete meal. They are all
tasty and can be a good meal
(the focaccia served alongside
is amazing), but we stick with
the pizza.
There’s one appetizer: artichoke dip. This is basically the
same version you find in
restaurants everywhere: arti-
chokes and cheese baked in a
ramekin. And there’s one
dessert: tiramisu mousse.
If you want, you can even
order a glass of beer or wine
with your pizza.
Punch is geared to the office
lunch crowd. You place your
order at the counter and then
sit down and wait for your
pizza. The pizzas cook for 90
seconds in the 800-degree
wood oven, so orders come
quickly even when the restaurant is crowded.
If you’ve been to the Punch
in St. Paul, which is a sit-down
restaurant, be prepared for
some other differences as well.
The menu is smaller, with
fewer pizza options and without the selection of antipasti.
Bruce Schneier and Karen Cooper are always
looking for good places to eat. If you have
a favorite in the area, write us at
[email protected].
PUNCH
Where: Prairie Center Drive, Eden
Prairie
Phone: 952-943-9557
Hours: Sun-Thu: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.;
Fri-Sat: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Atmosphere: Lunch-rush lively
Service: Fast and friendly
Sound level: Can be noisy
Recommended dishes: Pizza with your
favorite toppings
Prices: $9 large individual pizzas
Children: Bambini pizza available