Dig into the Valley's newest Detroit-style pizza
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I know about New York- and Chicago-style pizzas, and even California pizza from their eponymous kitchen.
- But when I saw that Via 313 was opening its first restaurant in Arizona, it occurred to me that I'd never tried Detroit-style pizza.
- I decided to remedy that with a trip to its restaurant at Rural Road and University Drive in Tempe.
Be smart: Detroit-style pizza is a rectangular, deep-dish pie with a crispy crust, brick cheese and a layer of sauce on top.
- Since I don't know much about Motor City pizza, I asked my Axios Detroit colleague Joe Guillen to lay it out for me.
- "The proper crust is essential. … When done right, it's thick, crispy and liable to leave your fingers a little greasy. It's heavy pizza — so order with an empty stomach — but totally worth it," he explained.
What I ordered: With those criteria in hand, I sat down at Via 313 last week and ordered a small Detroiter, which features two kinds of pepperoni — smoked under the cheese and natural casing on top of it.
- The crust seemed sufficiently thick and crispy — and definitely a bit greasy.
- It was cheesy and delicious, a nice change of pace that seemed like a good halfway point between traditional pizza and the hardcore Chicago-style of deep dish.
- They brought me a complimentary order of garlic cheese bread, which was also awesome.
Zoom out: Via 313 isn't the only Detroit-style pizza place in the Valley. You can also check out Jet's Pizza, Fly Bye or The Rec Pizza and Wings.
- And pizza isn't the only Detroit cuisine available here, either. Get a hot dog or burger at Detroit Coney Grill in Scottsdale and Tempe.
I also highly recommend Detroit Soul Food Sistas on the Go, on 19th Avenue north of Indian School Road. They're not open for lunch, but you can stop by for dinner Tuesday-Sunday.