Salem has limited options when it comes to local, independent pizzerias. As of April, downtown Salem has had another stop, Church Street Pizza, adding an alternative to the area’s culinary landscape.
They generally serve six types of ready-made pies in the California-style
variety, including the traditional ones (cheese, pepperoni, vegetarian and Hawaiian) and two “Chef’s choice” options that change from day to day.
The chef may use ingredients from the local farmers’ market to inspire new concoctions, such as a pizza with lamb, feta and raspberries, a curry chicken-pineapple with fresh tomato pie or a fondue creation that will be coming soon. Other not-so-extravagant inventions are available more often, such as potato-bacon. The ingredients are fresh and mostly local, and the basil will soon come from the owner’s own garden. Some of the pizzas are made with homemade mozzarella (i.e. the Margherita), which is also available upon request on any pie for an extra charge.
The prices range from $2.75 to $3.50 per slice, depending on the toppings.
The pizza is light, all the way from the crust to the ingredients. Sauce is used very sparsely and ended up being very light on at least one of the slices sampled (coming with only two pieces of pepperoni). The quality of the cheese pizza seemed to stand out and it came with very little grease. Some palates may also consider the garlicky Margherita and the herb cheese pie too heavy on spices, but others may find this a plus.
A side salad was ordered and came with plenty of fresh looking and tasting greens. Salad dressing choices are limited to just three, but the quality of the greens on the plate made up for it.
Service was handled expertly, with options being presented and described in the pre-made shelves. One downside is that pies are only available in 18″ which may be an issue for custom pies at lunch time.
The most unique part about Church Street Pizza, aside from the chef’s daily creations, is probably the crust. This thin crust is especially designed to be reheated, conserving its lightness and softness. The chef tried different types of flour and ratios for months to come up with the exact consistency he was trying to achieve.
The location has a relaxed atmosphere. An employee at the store pointed out that they are now carrying Gilgamesh beer in addition to a Widmer. It was noted that there’s a dark and light beer for the best beer and pizza pairings. There’s also some high-end wine selections at affordable prices, Pepsi products, and Starbucks frappuccinos.
