On one Friday after work, I decided to drive from Morgantown to Nebo, West Virginia. "Why?" You might ask. Well, because Pizzas & Cream was named to the 101 Most Unique Places to Dine in West Virginia list. So, of course, that means that it became a top priority for me to get a slice (or scoop) from this place.
My GPS got me most of the way to Nebo, and then a sign from Pizzas & Cream pointed me in the right direction. Just keep going past where your GPS tells you to stop, and you'll run into it.
After parking, I walked the gravel sidewalk that wrapped around the home and off to the right in what looks as though it is a modified garage made into a brick-oven heaven.
Here's some background from their website:
It all started as a father and son building project between Ed Miler and Stephen Miller. While Ed’s wife Joy Miller was out of town visiting her parents, Ed decided he was going to build a wood-fired brick oven in their back yard. He had always wanted to add something like a BBQ grill to their outside living space but after Ed and Joy’s 25th anniversary trip to Italy he was inspired to build something a little more unconventional, next to their fire pit. Ed knew it was better to ask for forgiveness than for permission and to Joy’s surprise the oven project was nearly finished when she returned from her vacation.
To the whole family’s benefit, learning to cook in the wood-fired oven became a tasty hobby. Sure enough the Miller’s passion for quality or what some might call obsessive compulsive behavior, lead them to perfect a pizza recipe better than anything they had ever tasted. They couldn’t keep pizza this good to themselves; they began to share their delicious pizza with their neighbors, which grew to having pizza parties with their church family. Things escalated quickly when word of mouth spread how good the pizza actually was; they knew they had created something very special. The dream of starting a pizza shop in heart of West Virginia slowly churned into reality, with the decision to add Americas 2nd favorite food to the menu, ice cream.
The Millers came to the conclusion that if they could create the best pizza they have ever tasted, there is no reason they couldn’t make the best ice cream. Just like the oven project, Ed and Stephen decided to take on another construction project and built the shop around the already existing oven. The family continued the trend of making things themselves and developed a menu of artisan style cuisine with superior quality ingredients. Ed’s idea of starting a family business in his back yard wasn’t just a dream anymore, it was Pizzas & Cream. Backed by popular demand, the Millers opened Pizzas & Cream March 11th 2015.
As soon as I walked in to the building there was an overhead speaker welcoming me ... something like "It's not a dream... it's Pizzas & Cream!" A little kitschy, but also sweet. Inside, there are just a few chairs for waiting on your take-out pizza in a small waiting area. They're cash and check only. And, they have a lovely outdoor fire pit with benches where folks take their orders to eat during warm weather.
And, I received a warm welcome from the gentleman, who I assume is the owner, behind the counter. He was juggling many orders on the phone, while manning the kitchen and mingling with guests. He struggled a bit with my name, which we shared a laugh about. It would be a few minutes, still, before the mushroom pizza I had called in about 20 minutes earlier would be done. So, I pulled up a seat and waited.
They have a number of specialty pizzas, like the "Savory Carnivore" with pepperoni, Hot Italian Sausage, Black Forest Ham, Smoked Bacon, Sauteed Mushrooms, Roasted Onions and Roasted Garlic. Then, there's the "Cheesy Mexican" with South of the Border Sauce, Seasoned Beef, Roasted Peppers, Fresh Red Onion, Lite Ghost Pepper cheese, Extra Mozzarella and Cheddar. They also have pepperoni rolls and a really cool assortment of unique sodas.
To my delight, I was informed that each new customer gets a free Italian ice. I opted for strawberry and inhaled the giant scoop while waiting. It's light, refreshing and would be the perfect complement to any warm summer evening.
So, I waited patiently for my pie to come out of the ice cream-shaped oven as the folks working talked to me about Morgantown and made me feel like I stepped into their personal kitchen. It was friendly, homey and welcoming. I wouldn't have minded hanging out here and sharing my pizza with these guys. Very cool.
Well, I first decided to be strategic and eat the ice cream. And, it's really good. It's not sickeningly sweet - it's lightly sweet and tastes ~real~. I can only imagine this stuff is homemade, because it's absolutely delicious. Tons of pecans with that buttery, caramely flavor that I can't get enough of. Truly a great scoop of ice cream.
Then, it was onto the pizza. I'll just go ahead and say this - this is one of the best pizzas I've ever had. From the crisp, chewy dough to the slightly sweet and seasoned sauce, the melty cheese and the plentiful mushrooms... it was just perfection.
Apparently, the crust is made with just five ingredients: flour, salt, water, yeast and a sourdough starter. That starter has some love in it. Then, it's topped with plum tomato, basil, salt and hand-picked herbs. It's so good, I kept sneaking slices from the box as I drove I-79. Once I finally hit Morgantown, I opened the box to see just one left. Worth it.It's simple, it's crazy flavorful, and it's so, so good. Every single element is expertly crafted with fine attention to detail. And, the result is an incredible pizza that will be the standard I, from here on, hold all other pizzas to. Excellent experience all around, Pizzas & Cream.
Grade: A
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