Brick Oven

 
The great pizza palaces of the northeast United States, in cities like New Haven, and Boston, all have one thing in common: wonderful brick ovens that impart a terrific character to the pies. In 1982, Stan Adams opened the first Brick Oven Pizza on Red River here in Austin. An oak fire fuels the oven, capable of generating between 650-700 degrees of heat. How good is the firebrick interior? When they stop stoking each night at closing, by next morning, the oven has typically lost only 30 degrees of heat. That’s the kind of oven where pizza magic happens.

I have long been a fan of The Brick Oven. And I’ll get to the pizza. But let me tell you about the appetizers and the pastas first. My family loves the crisp, cold salads. We always order the homemade creamy peppercorn dressing. My daughter likes it so much she has been known to dip her pizza into it.

Their garlic bread is to die for. The secret to it is, in my opinion, the sourdough bread. It’s crispy when baked and the melted mozzarella cheese blends well with the bread. The Mushroom caps stuffed with seafood are another recommendation. The lovely onion cream sauce is the perfect complement. Also try the Spinach and Artichoke dip. In a city where one cannot escape this appetizer, the Brick Oven’s version is one of the best.

The toasted garlic bread that accompanies this dish is perfect for dipping.

Brick Oven also serves up some seriously interesting pasta dishes. My favorite is the Chicken with Rigatoni in a Chipotle pesto cream with cilantro and Parmesan. The rigatoni is al dente, and the sauce, a tad on the smoky side, is wonderful. My daughter Jennifer is a huge fan of the Capellini Pomodoro. Like many great Italian dishes, the key to this one is its simplicity: It’s done with chopped roma tomatoes, basil, roasted garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. Served over Angel Hair pasta, it’s a serious treat. My basketball-playing daughter Lauren enjoys the Cannelloni. This dish features chicken, spinach, mushrooms, and a trio of cheeses: ricotta, Parmesan, and Romano that are rolled into pasta sheets and then baked in a delightful tomato cream sauce.

I told you we’d get to the Pizza. Brick Oven has consistently been in my Top Three pizza spots in central Texas. My favorite is the sausage, onion and mushroom with the pizza done medium well so the crust is nice and crisp.

Another treat is the Veggie Pizza. Green peppers, lives, tomatoes, onions, mozzarella, and I always add zucchini. Lovely flavor to this pizza. Another recommendation is the Margherita Pizza. This classic pie has a distinctive flavor drawn from the mix of mozzarella and grated Romano cheese, fresh Roma tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and fresh basil.

And if there’s room, and do find some, top things off with a Stromboli. We love this baked meat pie filled with sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms and a delightful blend of cheeses and spices.

There are four Brick Oven locations in Austin including this one on Red River. All owner operated, and all very good. Stop by this weekend and indulge yourself in some serious grazing. Tell ’em Rob Balon sent you. For Fox 7 news, I’m Rob Balon dining out at Brick Oven and wishing you as always, bon appetite.