Bricks Neapolitan Pizza

After our jaunt to Stillwater we crossed the river and drove a few miles south to Hudson, as I'd heard good things about Bricks Neapolitan Pizza and I require a substantial dose of pizza the night before races.  So while I usually stick to my traditional Pizza Luce Ruby Rae, I decided to test the superstition attached to that pie and try my hand at another pizza joint.  As I'm writing this review post-race, still alive and happy with my performance, I'm pretty sure the pizza tradition has legs but the locale, perhaps, is less important.  As long as it's good...

And if "good" is a requisite for pre-race carb-loading, Bricks more than delivers because the pizza is fantastic.  We got there before 6 so we each received a free small salad with our pizzas and while I didn't take a picture of the gorgonzola salad, I can assure you that I pretty much licked that bowl clean. Delicious. The roasted garlic honey dressing was wonderful paired with that distinctive gorgonzola flavor.  I'll be trying out that combo (honey+garlic+gorgonzola) in recipes soon, I can feel it.

But the pizza is the real attraction.  I ordered the Bella (pictured), which had asparagus, parmesan, red onion, and pine nuts on top of the classic San Marzano and mozzarella-topped crust.  A great Neapolitan pizza has a light, flavorful crust with a touch of char on the bottom, small pockets of air where the outer edge meets the cheese, and a bit of restraint as far as cheese goes.  Bricks does this masterfully. The tomato-to-cheese ratio was perfect, allowing the special toppings to shine individually without being lost in a sea of ooze. I especially liked the surprise crunch of the pine nuts. I need more pine nuts in my life.

My boyfriend ordered the Salame (we were informed that "the boys" love this one, so clearly it's the tough guy, macho pizza), which had pepperocinis, basil, goat cheese, salami, and garlic.  It had a hint of a kick, but we're crushed red pepper people so a kick is always welcome. The Salame was a bit too salty for me, but as I'm not one of "the boys" perhaps it's fitting that I prefer my pine nut perfection. The boyfriend polished this off happily so clearly it was a winner in his book.

Bricks is a hike from Minneapolis, but on a sunny, autumn afternoon, when the days just kind of seem  created for the purpose of leisurely drives, Hudson should be on your list.  This place is worth the gas money, I promise.

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