UPDATE: Punch Pizza changed their photography policy.
As I’ve been pizza blogging and taking a lot of pizza photos lately, why quit?
Brian and I visited Punch Pizza on a Sunday evening, somewhere I visit every few months or so. A treat like usual to have staff all in Italian football jerseys and unusually, there was no wait to get seated. Also surprising was the lightning fast service. I’ve never had problems with service at Punch but the speed from seating to pizza in front of us was amazing. They couldn’t do it faster even if they had a drive-thru.
Anyway, I got the Quattro Formaggi and Brian the Vesuvio. We both enjoyed our pizzas quite a bit although they were a bit on the soggy side. In my preferences with Neapolitan pizza this is sometimes normal but it was a tad too much I think. Crust was gooey, chewy and just barely crispy on the edges. A little too burnt on one part for me but that comes with the territory of wood fired pizza. A good, unique taste at Punch and satisfying overall.
Brian said that on its own merit, his pizza was good but in comparison to pizza at Pizza Nea, it was something a bit less. I think I agree with him. Not to say that Punch Pizza is bad in any way, it just doesn’t achieve the kind of perfection that Pizza Nea sometimes nails. Brian and I also agree that the atmosphere at Punch is better, though. To read a few more comparisons, check out Scott McGerik and Garrick Van Buren.
I took a few more photos and then turned to take a photo of the oven. One of the cooks immediately told me “no photos of the oven.” I asked him if he was serious. Twice. He told me that they don’t allow photos of their oven because they don’t want people stealing their design.
I hate to break it to you Punch Pizza, but you’re not that special. If I were to steal good ideas and start a pizzeria, I’d probably steal my ideas from Napoli, not Highland Park. (You can see photos of the oven at the Eden Prairie Punch location thanks to Dusty Lens and Bill Roehl. It’s a bit different, but similar.) If one was really mischievous, a newer point and shoot with basic zoom would take a great shot of the oven in Highland Park from just outside the main entrance. It seems silly to me that Punch has their so-called proprietary oven design sitting right in plain view for everyone to see. Especially when they’re trying hard to mimic Neapolitan pizza.
Either way, we enjoyed our time there and the speedy service. The pizza was satisfying and it didn’t, as we described, “weigh us down” like many other pizzas in the area do. We’ll be back, especially as I want to order a pizza to D.O.C., which they offer.
Punch Neapolitan Pizza
704 Cleveland Ave S
Saint Paul, MN 55116
651-696-1066
UPDATE: Punch Pizza changed their photography policy.
Comments 5
I’m with you on your Punch vs Pizza Nea comparison. Pizza Nea – at least the one in Northeast – is a step above.
Posted 09 Dec 2007 at 20:42 ¶i never knew there was a punch pizza in highland park and i go past that corner at least once a week! …and i’ve never heard of pizza nea…intriguing and enlightening.
Posted 09 Dec 2007 at 21:31 ¶I much prefer Pizza Nea to Punch Pizza. Unfortunately, the Pizza Nea on Lake Street has closed and I rarely make it to northeast Minneapolis.
Posted 10 Dec 2007 at 08:32 ¶I gotta say, I side with Punch over Pizza Nea in Neapolitan ‘za wars. Punch always seems… I’m grasping for the right word… fresher? Something about that 120-second turnaround. Although it is a shame about Pizza Nea on Lake closing down.
Re: the “secret” oven… that’s bonkers. Any industrial spy worth his or her salt would a) pick a better target or at the very least b) easily snap a shot in a clandestine manner.
Posted 11 Dec 2007 at 19:56 ¶I had the same experience at Punch regarding the oven. Very weird.
Posted 04 Jan 2008 at 22:01 ¶Trackbacks & Pingbacks 5
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