This post is a little belated, but definitely worth the wait! Let’s just say I don’t really know my way around the kitchen, but I consider myself so lucky to have found a boyfriend that loves to try new restaurants as much as I do AND loves to cook! Every summer, we have been lucky enough to host a pizza night with friends at his grandparents house where they have a full pizza oven in their backyard. We hope to host another before this summer ends, but the one we had in July was definitely our best to date. We usually make variations of Margherita Pizza, Hawaiian Pizza, Veggie Pizza, and Meat Lovers Pizza for a big group of people. This time, there weren’t as many people, so we could spend a little bit more time crafting each pizza. My boyfriend and his brother got a little creative.
 
 
 

We started off with one I couldn’t eat because I am allergic to shrimp. It was a Pesto Seafood Pizza with Mozzarella, Pesto Sauce, Shrimp, Scallops, and Calamari. The crust came out perfectly cooked on this one and the seafood looked delicious.
 
 
 

The German Pizza was one of my favorites. The Sausage, Sauerkraut, Mozzarella, and Muenster Cheese all laid on top of a delicious onion and red pepper beer reduction. A lot of care and preparation went in to making this pizza. Steven was very particular about the beer reduction and it definitely tied all of the flavors together.
 
 
 

This Pancetta and Potato deliciousness is inspired by J. Trani’s ‘White Truffle Oil’ pizza. With thinly sliced potatoes, mozzarella, pancetta, and white truffle oil, this pizza was the richest out of them all. It didn’t come out like the restaurant’s creation, (the pancetta wasn’t as crispy and the potatoes weren’t as thin), but it held up the best to have as lunch the next day. And for that, I am perfectly content.
 
 
 

The Spanish Pizza was inspired by Tony’s Pizza Napoletana’s ‘The Barcelona.’ Covered in Garlic Olive Oil, Manchego, Iberco, Mozzarella, Chorizo, Jamon, Spanish Salami, and Red Pepper flakes, this pizza was truly decadent and jam-packed with so many different flavors. We took it one step further and added a few quail eggs as the final topping.
 
 
 

The Carnitas Pizza was a huge hit! Steven insisted on using Trader Joe’s Green Salsa as the sauce and topped it with Carnitas, Corn, Cilantro, Queso Fresco, and Mozzarella. Once we got the slices on our plates, we added some avocado for that extra oomph. Imagine your favorite Carnitas dish at a Taco shack, and then imagine it all on a pizza. It also helped that the carnitas and queso fresco came from El Super.

 
 
 

Now, we move on to the sweeter side of the night. They made two “dessert” pizzas for everyone. ‘The Cal Italia’ from Tony’s Pizza Napoletana inspired the first. Fig Butter was used in lieu of a sauce and it was topped with Asiago, Mozzarella, Prosciutto, and a Balsamic Glaze. I’m definitely biased because The Cal Italia from Tony’s is my favorite pizza of all time. Ever. If you ever have the chance to try this pizza at Tony’s, Steven’s equally amazing creation, or making your own, do it. The mix of sweet and savory with the fig butter and prosciutto is the best combination.

With only three toppings, Apricot Jam, Brie Cheese, and Prosciutto, this pizza packed a mighty punch.

They already have more ideas in the works! I can’t wait until the next pizza night!