Full disclosure: I know the owners of SLABpizza.
The first half is Mr. Andy & Simy Gartz the foodie gurus who kindly delivered Provo's best Asian fusion restaurant--Rooster.
The other is our neighbor Eric Beutler. He's the guy who bought a couple pizza ovens (way back when) at a garage sale for $2. Now he makes pretty good pizza to sell to the public.
Did I say pretty good?
I meant pretty dang good.
(And if this wasn't a Provo blog, I might use stronger language.)
SLAB can give you Pepperoni, it can give you Cheese, it can even give you Hawaiian. If you were to order any of these I think you'd be a satisfied customer alright. But you'd be missing the point. The point where Andy and Simy Gartz come in.
The point where really great crust meets Thai Chicken with peanut sauce.
Or the New Mexico Green Chili--a nod to Andy's home state and fine producer of spice. A pizza with meat and chili so tender and vivid your tastebuds will remember it for days.
But mostly, you simply must try (as in: YOU SIMPLY MUST TRY) the Buffalo Wing pizza. It comes with a ranch-wing sauce smothered in blue cheese and happy bites of chicken tickled by celery. Yes, tickled by celery.
On a related note, have you ever been tickled by celery?
SLAB is sold as pies or as slab--as they call it--which is a good ten inch wide pizza:
(a slab)
Basically, this is fun pizza. It is a little artisan, a little homemade, a little experimental, a little traditional. As Eric says, "We want to be a part of the pizza community here. Add to it." With the success of Pizzeria 712 and Nicotalia's, I predict SLAB will fit right in.
Thanks to my famous friend Wendy of Blue Lily for meeting me for an early dinner and taking photos as we wound ourselves around two pies.
(Ok, mostly I did the eating.)
(For two! I am eating for two!)
Buffalo Wing slices with Wendy is a very choice way to enjoy Provo. You can get the pizza, but the friend is mine.
SLABpizza online menu here.
669 East 800 North Provo, UT 84606
(801) 377-3883
(We call for take out regularly. Prime.)
Yes.
43 comments:
Oh my goodness. This review wants me to get my credit card out and book a flight to Utah just to get some.
Now any time I eat pizza in the UK I'm going to wonder "Is this as good as SLAB?" (And I know the answer's going to be "NO")
I'm realyl hungry now.
How come you have no black friends???
No black friends? Really? Oh Anonymous....
Anywhoooo, can they deliver to Ohio? Next time Chup comes to the heartland, I would love a piece of this and that. Or all of it. I will trade Buckeyes for one Buffalo Wing pizza. Deal???
Anonymous- Provo has very very few black people.
CJane- Come visit me in GA and I'll help you make the best black friends. :-D
Anonymous - and that relates to pizza how? Do you just leave random ugly posts wherever you go whether they are relevant or not? Weird. And a bit sad. Be nice, its much healthier.
That pizza looks very very yummy. And I'm from the Chicago area where we know pizza.
I agree with Debbie. Comments from anonymous are irrelevant and uncalled for in a post about pizza???
There are very few black people in Provo because there was never a large scale migration of black people from the south following the civil war. Neither were there migrations later. Utah has lots of Polynesians, and Salt Lake has its fair share of Vietnamese and Bosnians and lately Sudanese, but Provo is a smaller town, and people generally have not moved there from other races, apart from the original northern European settlers. This is not racist. This is normal, migratory patterns across America.
Also, I love Pizza, and I love Provo (can you tell?)
It's not even 10 am, I don't live anywhere near Provo, or the west of the U.S., and now I have a HUGE craving for a SLAB!!!
Maybe I can convince my husband that we need a trip...
This is a post about pizza, not racism. Get over yourself, Anonymous.
I am almost glad Anonymous was so obnoxious. It is nice to heat C Jane defended so. They are all right, I especially like Thora's explanation. Sounds like yummy pizza!
Slab looks amazing. Next time I'm there I am making a trip.
there are lots of black football players in provo. :) believe me, my friend dated them all. :) LOL
Oh. Wow. This is cruel and unusual punishment to a pregnant woman. They don't deliver to Salt Lake, do they?
I'm going to have to make a trip.
And now I'm going to crave pizza. ALL. DAY.
PS: Anonymous, I have a foster brother and a sister-in-law (both black) who live in PG. Is that close enough for ya?
"Have you ever wondered then why there are so few black people in Provo?
Maybe because of its racist people?"
So that must mean that there are so MANY black people in the south because of the fact that the south has no history of racism.
And I guess the reason that the New England states, traditionally very liberal, progressive, and socially open-minded people, have so FEW black people is because of the rampant racism that they've always been known for. Yep, say "Massachussets" and the first thing a person thinks of is racism against blacks. Right.
I just lost a few IQ points reading Anonymous's comments.
HA! I love these comments. I am laughing out loud in my pj's.
Anyway, I have been to SLAB. I got the Thai chicken pizza... and then went back the next day, and the next for more!!! I also know Eric, and now every time I see him I get hungry. Weird? Maybe. You must try for yourself!
I have noticed you blogging about slab in several of your recent posts; imagine my surprise when I opened the post this morning and found out that my cousin Eric is one of the owners! I love the part about the $2.00 ovens....so Beutler-esque! Congratulations Eric! Thinking of opening a spot in Phoenix??
OH THAT JUST MADE ME SOOOO HUNGRY
I wonder if they will do heart shaped pizzas for Valentine's Day? It's our tradition.
Perhaps "Anonymous" is trying to get a rise out of everyone by bringing up black people because of the past treatment of African-Americans by the LDS church. Little things like the Curse of Cain Doctrine and the Priesthood Ban (just lifted in 1978). Just a guess. Now, back to pizza.
A Different Anonymous
yes CJANE..it is all your fault how people in the mormon church treated people of color when you were a baby. BAD CJANE! BAAAAD!
anywho, I am sending this to my hubby because I really want to move there. But I dunno... haven't seen many asians either..that MIGHT be a dealbreaker...... lol nah
White baby,
Your ancestors enslaved them! you big jerk.
Why do people think we don't know things about our own religion?
Ooooh one of my friends just mentioned this place in her Facebook status. I'm going there for dinner tonight, yum!
I also LOVE Nicolitalia's (haven't tried 712) but I'm kind of worried. That pizza pie buffet place opened up, which I'm sure is not as good but is most likely way cheaper. I don't want Nicolitalia's to go out of business.
They are the best pizza I have ever eaten. Ever. And the only place my east coast co-worker will have pizza lunch with me!
Where else can you get such an education on pizza, mormonism, racism, and slavery all in one post! Go CJane! I love reading people's opionions, but if you have something that you believe is worth while to post use your real name! Some people have A LOT of time on their hands "anonymous".
(I will however allow "ananonmous" #2 whose friend dated all of the black gentlemen in Provo! that cracked me up!)
I totally dragged my husband to Slab after your last post about it... I had the Thai Chicken and he had the New Mexico. We were in HEAVEN! And Eric is super friendly and nice. I think I might go back again tonight for round 2 :)
Small world...Eric Beutler (and family) was neighbor when he lived in Mesa, AZ. My daughter still misses his daughter!
CJane - Now I want some pizza and you can't share with us in England. You are so mean 8-D~
Just kidding. It looks so yummylicious!! Hey and thanks fellow Cjane readers for the education about migration and the such. I have now learned something today and so I have fulfilled my learning quota for a Friday. ;-)
Everytime I order a Hawaiian pizza I think of this comedian we went to see in Kona and he said, "Why is it called Hawaiian when it has Canadian bacon all over it?" I guess a true Hawaiian pizza would have Spam?!
Next time I'm in Utah, I'm going to Slab. Since I've never been to Utah, it may be a while. L in Alaska
CJane, you've inspired me to make sure we do a story on Slab as well next week. I want to know more about that oven.
The tastebuds are popping. I need to make a visit to Slab to satisfy their cravings!
You're always in the know! :)
I'm so stuffed with fish but seriously STARVING for THAT PIZZZZZA!! arrr!
SLAB PIZZA ROCKS!! We travel all the way from Reno to eat it! We also get special treatment because Eric makes it for us at Nana's house anytime we want it (just watch out for those hot pizza pans! His wife Julie is my sister but I'm just not saying that because I'm related to the owners!!! Go Eric and Slab pizza. it is DELICIOUS...
cjane...Dan and I went there for lunch today. Once I saw the pictures this morning, I had to go! Yummy...very good pizza. Thanks for the suggestion. I'm so lucky to live in Provo!
Dear cJane (like iPod),
I took my little sister to Slab today. I HAD to try it after reading you write all about it. And I had thai chicken and it was so good, I even loved the thin crust. But most of all I loved that Eric promised me that he would pretend not to know me when I bring my husband in for a date tomorrow. Because I have to go again. Tomorrow.
Tara
thanks for the tip! we went and had slices at SLAB yesterday for lunch! the crust was perfect, recipes creative and Eric was great. Everything we'd want to see in a real Provo fast-pizza shop! -We'll be going back-
Thora, Provo is nearly 90% white. There are several reasons for that but to pretend that it is primarily a matter of population migration is false.
For example, until 1978 people of black African descent were excluded from Priesthood and temple ceremonies. Compared to other American religious, that is an especially late date of inclusion.
Things only change when honesty is placed above wishful thinking.
Back on topic...if I'm ever driving through Provo, Slab is now on my "must see" list.
Texas, according to your logic, there would be few WOMEN in Utah/Provo because until today (and probably tomorrow, and the day after, and after) women haven't been allowed to have the Priesthood in the LDS church either! I'd bet that the Provo/Utah population is close to %50 female, though.
Hmmm...my math must be off for this to all make sense, then. Perhaps you know some little calculatory secret you could share?
Courtney S, I'm not a mormon, I'm a sociologist. If you'd like me to provide some resources on race and gender in terms of demographics, I'd be happy too. Suffice to say they are not the same.
I understand this is a difficult topic, especially when a person has grown up as a member of the majority culture.
However, denial has yet to solve any problem. Of course, living in a nearly all white state may not be a problem in your eyes. I have no way of knowing that. But I do recognize stories that are popular within a group verses the nearly always more difficult truth.
For the love people.
My friend Milli, a Provo citizen who is also black, has much to say on this topic and has decided to write a post for this blog about what it is like to live in Provo. I think we all might be surprised how thriving our black culture is here in our town.
Courtney! you have no idea the service you are doing to your town!
I mean the whole state of Utah!
After reading your blog and Stephanie's I find myself saying constantly to my husband!! we need to go to Utah soon!! and also Arizona!!
Keep doing what you are doing!! It is great!!... and dont worry about the comments about lack of diverse friends!! you can tell them you have plenty of Latinamerican ones!! if it helps!!
Carolina (from Venezuela)
You are so beautifully rotund. Pregnancy looks good on you.
So I was telling my husband about Slab and I decided to show him this post, which led us to looking up the address. It is SO below Campus Plaza Apartments where we met and fell in love! Ahhh, how romantic. :) In fact, my apartment was right above Slab. I'm so excited for their success!
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