FEATURE — Named for the interior temperature of its centerpiece oven, 700° Artisan Pizza’s reputation as a favorite dining spot has quickly heated up with its customers.

“The reception we’ve gotten from the community has just been absolutely fantastic,” owner-operator Tom Hoover said. “It’s something that’s taken me by surprise, and we appreciate it. We’re pretty humbled by it, actually.”

The St. George News “What’s on the Menu” show made its initial visit to 700° last December; this time around, host Sheldon Demke had an opportunity to try even more of the many amazing items on the restaurant’s menu.

Watch Sheldon and guest Nona’s recent visit to 700° Artisan Pizza in Episode 41 of “What’s on the Menu” in player above.

Among their favorite dishes was the stromboli, which is similar to a calzone but has the sauce baked inside.

“I had never heard of a stromboli, and had no idea what they were talking about,” guest Nona Miller admitted, calling the experience of eating one “amazing” and “unbelievable.”

“The vegetables inside were still crisp, but it was hot and then it was crunchy and crispy on the outside,” she noted.

Demke’s own stromboli experience was similarly positive.

“The peppers and the jalapeno and the cheese and the crust. Ah, the crust of this thing,” he exclaimed. “They wrap it and they bake it, and they unwrap it and they brown it. It’s so beautiful and so delicious. I’m already hungry for another one and I can’t wait to come back.”

Another hit was the marinated chicken wings, which, Hoover noted, are “fresh, never frozen,” and baked in the same oven as the pizzas.

“Everything we make is in our wood-fired oven,” Hoover said.

“We keep running out (of wings), so we’ll try to keep them in stock a little more,” he added.

“There’s a reason why they keep running out of wings here,” Demke observed.

Miller said she was also enthralled by the baked meatballs.

“Oh, the sound of them cooking in that oven,” she said. “Every time they came around, I could hear them sizzling and it just made my mouth water. And when they came out and they asked what kind of sauce I wanted, it was just wonderful. They tasted so good and my fingers are still sticky.”

Another standout feature of 700° is its popular pizza dough recipe.

“Normally, when I eat a pizza, you know, you get to the and and you’ll leave the crust,” Miller said. “You can’t leave the crust here. It is so amazing.”

Hoover said the dough is made from an old recipe that he learned when he lived in New York.

“We don’t use our dough for 72 hours. So the dough that we made today, we won’t touch for three days,” he said. “It helps with the aging process and the flavor profiles of the dough, which really is the basis for all of the creations that we have here. We use it just about in everything.”

Although most of 700°’s pizzas use a thinner artisan crust, a thicker Detroit-style version is also now available.

“We had customers that have asked for a little thicker crust,” Hoover explained. “So we decided to bring in the Detroit style. It’s a little thicker crust, not quite as much as a Chicago deep dish … it kind of lies in between.”

Another signature 700° feature is its almost limitless degree of customization, as virtually any combination of desired toppings can be added to a pizza.

“You can top them however you want to,” Hoover said. “We try to recommend about one or two toppings, but it’s unlimited. You can put what you want on there and we’ll make it for you.”

That concept of customization is now also being extended to beverages, Hoover said.

“This is something new that we’re bringing to Southern Utah,” he explained. “We actually are going to infuse flavors into some of our craft beers. We’ll be working with some of the local breweries, bringing in some special beers. And then we’re going to infuse our own flavors here at the store. And we’re going to do that either once or twice a month on Tuesdays.”

What’s on the Menu: 700° Artisan Pizza | Brought to you by Camping World.

Resources

• 700° Artisan Pizza | Website | Facebook | Location: 974 W. Sunset Boulevard, St. George (click for map) | Hours: Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Closed Sundays and major holidays. | Telephone: 435-703-6700.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

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