Provo’s MOZZ offers artisan pizza with locally sourced ingredients
A Margherita pizza from MOZZ in Provo.
A Roasted Cauliflower pizza from MOZZ in Provo.
Blackberry Mint, Kraft Rootbeer and Lemon Lime Lavender Taproot Sodas from MOZZ.
A Cookies and Cream dessert from MOZZ.
Slices of a Meat pizza at MOZZ.
Slices of a Roasted Cauliflower pizza and a Margherita pizza from MOZZ in Provo.
The restaurant interior of MOZZ in Provo.
The self-service counter at MOZZ in Provo.
While downtown Provo may feel like it’s getting a tad overcrowded with restaurants, in my eyes there is always room for a new eatery that sources ingredients from local vendors. The more Utah farm support, the merrier.
MOZZ, an artisan pizza casual dining spot that hosted its grand opening just last week, proudly boasts a list of 20 local vendors they partner with.
Along with high-quality ingredients, the restaurant features high-quality decor. Whimsical decorations, chic furnishings and exposed brick all contribute to an overall trendy, pleasant atmosphere that fits right in with downtown Provo’s vibe.
MOZZ’s dishes and drinks appeal to the adventurous over the picky. While some menu items are more traditional, like the Margherita pizza or Caesar Salad, MOZZ puts a unique spin on everything from the classics to the highly eccentric.
Our Margherita pizza came with hand-stretched mozzarella, olive oil and deliciously sweet little leaves of fresh basil (if only there had been more than one bite of basil with each slice). We also gave the Meat pizza and Roasted Cauliflower pizza a try, and all three were satisfying picks that we would order again.
The Meat pizza came with calabrese, housemade Italian sausage, tomato sauce and housemade mozzarella, and the meat lovers in our group agreed there was a good amount of toppings and a pleasant spicy kick. Surprisingly, the same meat lovers discovered they enjoyed the Roasted Cauliflower pizza as well, despite their eyerolls when I ordered it and their general distaste for the vegetable.
The Roasted Cauliflower pizza was my personal favorite bite of the night — the little florets were perfectly roasted, the caramelized onions added a nice pop of flavor, and the mix of ricotta and gruyere cheeses was fantastic.
One not-so-satisfying aspect all four of us noted was the black-spotted crust. While some diners like a more well-done pizza, we all felt our pies had been left in the oven for a tad too long. The burnt parts of the crust made some bites too bitter and charcoal-like, and while I’m usually a fervent advocate of eating your pizza crust, I ended up with a small pile on my plate at the end of the meal.
Along with 12 different pizzas, MOZZ’s menu also offers a smaller variety of salads, sandwiches, desserts and drinks. We tried out the Caesar Salad, which was a pleasant starter before our main course. In addition to the traditional components of romaine, dressing, Parmesan and croutons, MOZZ’s version also includes shredded kale and crispy speck (an italian cured meat).
As for drinks, it was a fun experience choosing and trying a three-glass sampler of the specialty taproot sodas. We gave Blackberry Mint, Kraft Rootbeer and Lemon Lime Lavender a go. The consensus as we passed the glasses around was mixed — each flavor was liked by some and disliked by some.
The Blackberry Mint lacked carbonation, but some liked its flavor and sweetness level. The Lemon Lime Lavender was low on sweetness and strong on floral essential oil flavor. And the Kraft Rootbeer had an overwhelming black licorice taste.
MOZZ’s small dessert menu offers a single chocolate chip cookie or a warm cookie in a dish with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. We gave the latter a try, and while any basic cookie-ice cream combo is going to be yummy, we felt it paled in comparison to other similar dishes served in nearby local restaurants. The dish fell short with a single small, mediocre, old cookie that was reheated and crunchy, and at $5 with tax, we felt we’d pass dessert next time.
Speaking about prices, I’m not going to beat around the bush — the con of locally sourced ingredients is a higher price tag. Personal pizzas average about $12-$14.50 each, and were a single diner to order a full meal of side salad, pizza, drink and dessert, you would be looking at a bill of around $25-$30. Quality ingredients don’t come cheap — it’s up to you to decide if the price tag is worth it.
MOZZ
Where: 145 N. University Ave., Provo
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m; Friday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 4-9 p.m.
Prices: $11-$14.50
Info: (801) 852-0069, https://www.mozzartisanpizza.com/