'Not Your Normal Restaurant': Pig Ate My Pizza Brings Experimental Flavors To Robbinsdale
ROBBINSDALE, Minn. (WCCO) -- Herb-marinated cheese curds on one pizza, pepperoni roses on another: from the second you see the name on the door in downtown Robbinsdale, you know Pig Ate My Pizza is going to be a little bit different.
"You have chefs serving tables, chefs in the back, everybody part of the same thing, definitely not your normal restaurant at all," said Nate Moser, a chef who's been with PAMP since it opened in 2013.
"We grind all our own sausages, do all of our own meats, cook everything here," Moser said.
The nationally-acclaimed team behind Travail, chef/owners Mike Brown, James Winberg, and Bob Gerken, launched PAMP as a side project in May of 2013. Travail moved to a new building on Broadway Avenue, so the pizza joint launched in the original spot.
In 2019, while the team was building a new location for the third iteration of Travail, PAMP again moved into Travail's old spot. The new Pig Ate My Pizza features a full bar, twice the seating, and a tiny brewery so the team can brew their own microbeers.
"With this small system we're able to experiment on smaller stuff without losing a lot of money if it doesn't work," Moser said.
The approach to dough is one reason Pig Ate My Pizza stands out. It's a combination of art and science.
"We put it in the cooler for two days before we use it, then a two hour proof at room temperature," Moser said, "It gives it a very mellow flavor, not like a sour pizza."
Most of the pizzas here feel like they're sitting on a baguette: slightly crunchy outside, soft and airy inside. The goal is to have a super-even bake without any real brown, charred bubbles. The oven is all-brick inside, set at 650 degrees.
"We can cook a pizza in 5 to 6 minutes, which is very fast," Moser said.
The Piggy Pie is different. Almost a doughnut-like dough, it cooks in a pan evoking memories of Pizza Hut. It's been the number one seller since day one.
"We top it with a mix of meats: pepperoni, bacon aioli. That hits it home with the extra drizzle on top," Moser said.
So much care to each step. This Morning Maple pizza: it starts with a maple gruyere sauce, then breakfast sausage they make, then bacon, then more sausage, before it goes into the oven.
The new spot includes two kitchens that lets them be creative beyond pizza. Appetizers like the little piggies- a deep fried potato churro. And fries sprinkled with parmesan and guanciale - an Italian cured meat.
A daily happy hour and a Sunday brunch buffet all add to the fun atmosphere: top ingredients prepared by top chefs.
"The price point's a little higher, but it's all worth it I think," Moser said.
Pig Ate My Pizza
https://www.pigatemypizza.com/
4125 W. Broadway Avenue, Robbinsdale
Tuesday – Saturday 11 a.m -10 p.m.
Sunday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Happy Hour: Tuesday-Thursday from 3-6 p.m. and Friday-Sunday from 3-5 p.m., includes a $6 double patty cheeseburger and $1 off beer and wine.
