Restaurant Review: Pizza at Onespeed

What is a blogger's worst nightmare after planning a special dinner at a fabulous restaurant you've been wanting to try for some time? Forgetting your camera. Sadly, thus was my fate when I enjoyed a recent dinner with friends at a highly acclaimed, immensely popular pizza place called Onespeed for my birthday. So I've borrowed a few pictures to help illustrate my visit, although I didn't get the shots I wanted to.

One of the first and coolest things you'll notice about the laid-back ambiance may be the gorgeous wood-fired oven, decorated with a colorful mosaic-like pattern. It's beauty and art meets utility.


Onespeed is the newest project by Rick Mahon, local celebrity chef and powerhouse behind one of the most well-established restaurants in town, the Waterboy. Featuring French-style food, the Waterboy is the kind of place where you will find sweetbreads on menu... and people rave about them. I see Onespeed as poor man's- ok, middle class man's - Waterboy. You get the high quality ingredients and thoughtfulness in the way they're assembled, in a more casual atmosphere and with a less expensive price tag.

Paul and I arrived earlier than the rest of our party, and while we waited we ordered the fries with aioli dipping sauce, having heard them praised. We knew we were in for a treat at first bite- the fries were fluffy inside, and thick aioli mildly redolent of garlic; each element was a perfect specimen of what it was supposed to be, and compellingly addictive.


Later, after being joined by our friends and ordering a myriad of mix and matched pizzas, we found further satisfaction in a chopped salad made special by hearty chunks of blue cheese, applewood bacon, and homemade croutons. We liked all of our pizzas, from the crispy, medium-thick crust to the creative toppings ranging from sheepsmilk cheese and spinach to arugula, sauteed mushrooms and artisan prosciutto (see below). For dessert, my apple cranberry crisp with vanilla bean gelato was just right, not too sweet nor too monstrously big.


Lately, there seems to be a rash of restaurants that connect pizza with cycling. There were hard core cyclist discussing vintage bikes standing near our table at one point. I also noted that the pizza delivery guy actually transports the pizza by bike. (He must deliver fairly close by.) This one was a winner, and we will be back.