Published: June 19th, 2009 01:45 AM
Last Modified: June 19th, 2009 03:42 AM
ERIK HILL / Anchorage Daily News
Owner Bill Perkins shows a Sicilian Supremo with banana peppers June 11 at Manhattan Pizza in Spenard.
Related Links
Manhattan Pizza faces the giant windmill in Spenard and perfumes the neighborhood's air with the aroma of baked bread. I smelled it before I saw it and followed my nose to a storefront with a red awning and a wrought-iron fence. Two tables are available on the patio and there are six or seven inside.
I walked to the counter and perused the menu, a simple affair of pizza, calzones, subs, salads and desserts. I like when a restaurant keeps its offerings small, concentrating on those items and, hopefully, doing them well.
Manhattan's menu has some of the stalwart stand-bys of pizza joints, the meat lovers pizza ($14.95 for medium, $18.95 for large), the Italian sub ($7.95), as well as some house specials. The inflation fighter pizza ($16.95 for medium, $21.95 for large) is a mammoth concoction of pepperoni, ham, ground beef, sausage, green and black olives, green peppers, red onions, mushrooms and mozzarella. It is designed to give customers more bang for their buck. Diners can also build their own pizza and choose between two crusts; New York-style is a thinner crust, and Sicilian-style is a cross between bread and pizza crust.
My friend was running late and the smell of spices and wood-fired crust forced me to order before she arrived. I made the executive decision to have the medium supremo ($14.95) and a medium barbecue chicken ($14.95) and sat down to wait in salivating anticipation.
When my dining companion showed up, she was surprised to see Manhattan offers beer and wine. Her order of Woodbridge Chardonnay ($4) arrived in a single serving bottle with a twist-top and a little plastic cup. It's a nice touch to be able to get something to drink with your pie.
Our order arrived after what seemed like an interminable wait (45 minutes). The server apologized and explained that it was the dinner rush and the owner was the only one cooking. I didn't mind, but made a mental note to call in orders in the future.
The supremo is a thin-crust pizza topped with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, red onions, green peppers and mozzarella. The crust was nicely charred in some spots, giving it a smoky flavor and chewy bite. The vegetables were cooked only till crisp and tender and the cheese won best supporting role for not overwhelming the toppings. Its straightforward simplicity proves that some things are better left alone.
The barbecue chicken pizza, on the other hand, was new-and-improved in my book. Manhattan Pizza's version adds banana peppers, bacon and cheddar to the standard combination of barbecue sauce, chicken, red onions and mozzarella. Usually turned off by barbecue sauce's cloyingness, I enjoyed this rendition with gusto. The banana peppers' piquancy cuts through the sweetness of the sauce and adds a tangy layer of flavor that makes the pizza multi-dimensional. The chunks of chicken were juicy and the crumbled bacon was plentiful, providing a pleasing crunch to the experience.
Owner Bill Perkins attributes the quality of his pizzas to Baker's Pride brick ovens and special ingredients shipped up from Outside. He's been in the pizza business for many years, acquiring his Sicilian recipe from a partner he had in California. After that partnership dissolved, he heard from a friend that he should check out the Last Frontier. Perkins said he arrived in Alaska with 58 cents in his pocket and a recipe that was at least 50 years old.
For my second taste of that recipe, I called in an order for a calzone supremo ($10.95). It is identical to the pizza, with the addition of cheddar cheese. Many things can go wrong when a pizza gets folded in half; soggy crusts, too much sauce, not enough filling, etc. It was piping hot when I picked it up half an hour later, and I managed to drive home without tearing it apart. I know from experience that hot pizza sauce and driving don't mix.
The crust had that signature blistery texture and the ratio of ingredients, sauce and cheese was ideal. I could taste each individual flavor and enjoy the play of melted cheese and chewy crust. If I were feeling generous, it would be big enough for two people.
Manhattan Pizza is a solid addition to the burgeoning Spenard food scene. It has been open for a year and a half, but the quality of the food speaks to an experience that spans decades. Follow your nose to a good pie and a cold beer.
• Got a restaurant tip, a new menu, a favorite dish or a chef change? Send an e-mail to play@adn.com.
Manhattan Pizza
*** $$
Location: 2602 Spenard Road
Hours: 3 p.m.-11:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 3 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday and 3 p.m.-11 p.m. Sunday
Options: Dine in, takeout and limited delivery
Phone: 333-5555
Want to rave or pan? Write your own review of this restaurant or any other recently reviewed place at play.adn.com/dining.
ADVERTISEMENT
UPDATE ON COMMENTS POLICY: Read before posting | Edit your profile and avatar »
By submitting your comment, you are agreeing to adn.com's user agreement.
Read the adn.com updated privacy policy | 
Important warning about e-mails purporting to be from the adn.com staff.
© Copyright 2009, The Anchorage Daily News, a subsidiary of The McClatchy Company 
Contact Us | Newsroom Contacts | Communication Forms | Subscriptions | Advertising | Featured Advertisers
Daily News Jobs |
RSS Feeds |
|
ADN Store |
Newspapers in Education
Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | About our ads | Copyright
@Nyx.CommentBody@