Crescent Moon Bakery's Football Pizza - Northeast Minneapolis

There are few things more adored by Americans than ordering a pizza. It's one of those activities that doesn't judge. You could be alone. You could be with your spouse and 8 kids. You can be with friends. You can be experiencing your first slumber party. For me; pizza, movies and pop (YES, pop) fall in that PB & J category. But sometimes, you have to shake it up a bit. Even if it means carryout. And so one night, I got a little crazy and went for a Crescent Moon pizza.

Crescent Moon is a Middle Eastern restaurant located on the Central Ave strip in NE Mpls. Along with official bragging rights that is was one of the first (because now they're everywhere), it also offers.....pizza. Want a gyro? Perhaps a heaping plate of chicken kourma? Crescent Moon has it for you. Oh, you wanted pizza as well? CHA CHING. Normally, mixed-cuisine restaurants scare me (imagine GYRO-PIZZA-FRIES in flashing neon signs) but Crescent Moon ain't like those suckas.

Advertised as Afghani pizza (or the "football pizza), it really is not as foreign as it sounds. They do offer gyro meat, eggplant, or afghani beef as toppings, but that's about it. The rest is pretty standard. We decided on a large Spinach Lovers (spinach, onions, tomato and garlic) with pepperoni (about $16.)

The picture doesn't do it any justice, as this is BY FAR the best pizza I have ever eaten. The crust is like a thick, more sturdy pita. I don't know what kind of cheese they use, but it is abundant and gooey without being overpowering. The sauce is tangy and a little kicky, and the pepperoni is the best I have ever had on a pizza. It is crispy, smokey and spicy. You must love garlic if you are to love this pizza, and it is served with their signature green chutney as a dipping element. It sounds strange, but that sauce is the best part of Crescent Moon. It is bright, spicy, and acidic. You can ask for them to put it directly onto your pizza, which I fully intend on doing next time I order from them.

While not bizarre, I do like to think of this pizza as being a little exotic. The tangy, bright flavors are a step up from the salty/cheesy/saucy that we're used to.The green sauce is a vibrant compliment to anything you order at Crescent Moon.

If you have never had a football pizza, and live in/around the NE area - YOU GO NOW!

http://www.crescentmoonfoods.net/RESTAURANT.html