Whatta YOU lookin’ at? Yeah, you. Okay, I know. Poor De Niro circa Taxi Driver impression. Sorry. But what about New-York-style pizza in Ketchum, Idaho? Sweet! I haven’t actually been to New York (yet anyway), but I’m thinkin’ the pizza at Wiseguy Pizza Pie is pretty damn close to the real thing. Am I right? Or am I right? Fuggedaboutit!
There are two things I do know about New York pizza however. It’s large and it’s got beautiful thin crust—like Kate Moss-thin. Hence the large slices can be easily folded and eaten while walking to the subway. Or in our case, while walking to the bike path since that’s Idaho’s version of the underground.
Peter and I arrived at the Wiseguy Pizza Pie location in Ketchum (460 Sun Valley Road, or 121 N. Main St., Hailey) on a Friday night. We snagged the last booth (one of three) and inhaled the hoppin’ vibe of the place. There is a long bar, (perfect if you are dining solo or with a lucky companion) with two big-screen TVs. The Masters Golf Tournament was on and the bar was packed. I was definitely in the minority, as the place was —take note ladies—packed with dudes. But, I’m here with Peter, so we studied the menu and decided on our pie.
Left: House salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Right: The PJ Pizza: Ham, mushrooms and caramelized onions.
After scanning the “Real Fancy Pies” section with offerings such as the “Fat Guy” pie with salami, pepperoni, sausage, ham and bacon (14 inch for $16.75) and the “Fun Guy” pie with mushrooms sautéed in olive oil and garlic, caramelized onions, grated parmesan and feta (14 inch for $16.25), we decided to make our own combination with ham, mushrooms and caramelized onions, (14 inch for $14.60). To satisfy my salad addiction, I ordered a House Salad with romaine lettuce topped with cherry tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, croutons and feta with a Balsamic Vinaigrette on the side (regular $4.75, family $6.95). We complemented our meal with —what else?— a pitcher of beer ($8.50).
My salad arrived and for lack of a better word, it was perfect. Not too small (don’t you hate TINY side salads?) and just enough goodies—including a yummy, tangy balsamic vinaigrette—to spruce up the romaine lettuce. I was thrilled. Minutes later, our pie arrived. Per my assumption about New York-style pies, it was large and thin. The crust divine, the sauce mild, but not too mild. The toppings were sparse, but perhaps that’s a New York style thing? We managed to consume every morsel of our pie and washed it down with the last of our ice-cold beer.
And while I tried my hardest not to eavesdrop, the bar was loud, guys were close and I overheard much braggadocio about the “ripping ski day” and the latest and greatest mountain bike they had their eye on. Several high school kids came in and out reminding me of me at their age, and how I would have loved to meet my friends at Wiseguy and talk about… the best ski day ever and the mountain bike we just had to have.
