Gourmet Pizza Company
July 13th, 2006
There are two types of pizza: beer pizza and wine pizza. While most pies are enjoyed with an ice-cold beer, the pizza from Gourmet Pizza Company is best paired with a glass of wine.  If you are from Chicago or New York the argument likely goes a little farther, but for the rest of us who just enjoy a great pizza, you can find one in South Tampa.
After a couple months of eating chain restaurant pizzas while living in Feather Sound, it was refreshing to find so many local pizzerias near my new home in South Tampa.  I often enjoy a plain cheese pizza from The Deck, but the complexity and variety that comes from the creations at Gourmet Pizza Company continue to impress me.  In fact, the first meal I had in my new apartment was their Classic Combo pizza.  All of the ingredients seem to come together as one great meal; the crust, the sauce and the toppings.
The biggest debate I hear from pizza aficionados is about the crust. The Gourmet Pizza Company crust is not too thin and not too thick. I can’t really categorize it regionally, but it’s a favorite of my Manhattan-raised girlfriend. I love the crust, but being raised in New Orleans doesn’t make me a pizza connoisseur;  it’s not exactly the pizza mecca of the world. Under the weight of many toppings, the crust in the middle of the pizza can give way, but that problem disappeared when re-heating the leftovers in the oven and firming up the crust. Though the crust is an important component in any pizza, Gourmet Pizza Company shines in its selection of toppings.
Gourmet Pizza Company has a specialty pizza for almost any taste, from regional flavors like the Thai Chicken Pizza and the Cajun Crawfish Pizza or a wide variety of meatless pizzas and the simple but great, like the Margherita, topped with mozzarella slices, fresh basil and garlic. The Chicken Smoked Gouda Pizza is a nice option for a light meal; the gouda blends well with the smoky bacon and Italian seasonings, but the slices of chicken are a bit bland. On the Chicken and Spinach White Pizza, the chicken does a good job of giving way to the flavors of the house cheese blend, roasted red peppers, garlic and spinach.   My favorite however is definitely the Steak Gorganzola Pizza. The caramelized red onions, fresh mushrooms, creamy gorgonzola cheese and bold flavors of rib-eye steak on the pizza paired well with a glass of California cab; this was one pizza that was not made for beer.  This particular pizza probably falls in the top ten that I’ve ever had.
In addition to pizza, you can check out entrees like meat or veggie lasagna, cheese ravioli or calzones. There are also several different salads, but after a trying a mediocre Caesar salad, I’ve decided to stick to what they do best: pizza. If you live in South Tampa, you can pick up your pizza or have it delivered to your home. Though dining in is an option and the four tables are rarely occupied, Gourmet Pizza Company lacks a liquor license, so a gourmet pizza with a nice Chianti is probably out of the question; you’ll have to settle on a soft drink.  As I mentioned, the pizza re-heats really well in the oven, so even if you are traveling a distance, you’ll be fine. With the inundation of coupons in your mailbox for the national pizza chains, it may be difficult to remember the local guys. Fortunately you can log on to the Gourmet Pizza Company website and take advantage of their “internet specials.” So now, it seems you no longer have an excuse to eat mediocre pizza.
Gourmet Pizza Company
610 S. Armenia Ave. (near the corner of Swan)
Tampa,FL 33609
813-258-1999
www.gourmetpizza-company.com
