Mootz Pizzeria and Bar in downtown Detroit will open to the public Monday, Jan. 28 and feature New York-style pizza, as well as starters, salads, hoagies, pasta, and a full beer, wine, and cocktail menu.
The pizza is baked exactly as it would be in New York at 700 degrees using a domed, gas-fired brick oven that is hand-crafted in the U.S. The pizza sauce is made from California-grown tomatoes, and the mozzarella is made in Wisconsin. The name is a reference to the short-hand version of mozzarella often used by New Yorkers.
“The Mootz Pizzeria and Bar menu pulls from popular offerings at New York’s most prominent pizzerias while also featuring items Detroiters won’t find anywhere else,” says Bruno DiFabio, who created the menu and is a six-time World Pizza Games champion and culinary consultant. “New York pizza has officially arrived in the Motor City.”
Pizzas include Uptown and The Bronx, which features cup and char pepperoni, NYC pizza sauce, oregano, and mozzarella; Philly Cheese Steak Pie, featuring sliced rib-eye, caramelized onions, mushroom mozzarella, and yellow American cheese; and Juliet, which includes prosciutto, fig jam, gorgonzola, mozzarella, and a balsamic glaze.
“Detroit has an incredibly rich history of pizza and Italian food, which is why we wanted to open our restaurant in the city,” says Tony Sacco, operating partner of Mootz Pizzeria and Bar. “We know Mootz’s New York pizza will stand out amongst current offerings downtown, and quickly become a favorite with Detroit’s foodies.”
The bar has 20 beers on tap as well as craft cocktail and wine menus.
The 4,000-square-foot restaurant is located at 1230 Library St. and seats 100 guests. It also has a patio and a by-the-slice counter called Side Hustle, which will be open late on Fridays and Saturdays with a separate entrance next to the restaurant.
Mootz Pizzeria and Bar does not accept cash and offers online ordering, two free hours of validated parking in the nearby Z Deck, and bicycle delivery within a 1-mile radius beginning in the spring.
The restaurant will be open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-1:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday. After 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, only pizza, desserts, and the bar will be available. Side Hustle will be open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-3 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
