Copyright Salt Lake Tribune
Sam Pew’s pizza has been overwhelmingly popular for years, ever since he first scared his landlord with the blocks of mozzarella cheese he would carry inside — and the number of ravenous customers arriving later and leaving with pizza boxes. But the popularity of Pew’s Secret Pizza Club has only grown in recent weeks, since Barstool Sports founder and One Bite Pizza reviewer Dave Portnoy visited last month and tried some (the reviewposted to Portnoy’s social media Oct. 14). That appraisal — an 8.2 on Portnoy’s scale — earned Pew’s pizza Instagram thousands of new followers. Pew admitted the demand for his pizzas has far outpaced their current location at Leavity Bread & Coffee, 1000 S. Main St., where he leases space after bakery hours. However, Pew promised that a new, better way was on the horizon — a brick-and-mortar location where he plans to recreate the quintessential East Coast pizza shop of his youth. The timing of such a move is uncertain but, Pew said, imminent. Until then, the imperfect but by this point nostalgic drop method will stay in place. Pre-orders typically occur on Thursday for drops on Sundays and Tuesdays. [Read more:A slice of passion: How SLC’s pop-up pizza makers are changing the city’s food culture] Pew and his two-man crew make about 100 pizzas per drop and sell about 90 through their website — meaning sometimes there are pizzas left over. He said chronically unlucky pizza pursuers can message him on Instagram to try to secure one of these. Other strategies include waiting (virtually) on the drop website for minutes after all the pizzas have been claimed, to see if others’ carts time out or someone changes their mind. Their loss is your gain, and dedication and patience pays off in the pop-up pizza world. Sign up for drop reminders here. Next drop: Pre-orders for Sunday and Tuesday are on Thursdays at 5 and 5:20 p.m., respectively. Still can’t get a secret pizza? Pew said when he’s in need of a good New York-style slice, his favorite is from Big Apple Pizzeria, 2939 E. 3300 South. Pew also said he’s considering adding a third night of pizza to the rotation. Pie Boy Pizza Baby’s Bagels, 204 E. 500 South, transforms into a pizza joint on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings. Dubbed Pie Boy Pizza, they’ve got four types of pies — cheese, pepperoni, white and tomato (a vegan option) — plus caesar salads and a selection of desserts. Portnoy rated this pizza a 7.9 and said it was his second favorite behind Pew’s. “This continues to just prove what I say,” Portnoy said. “It doesn’t matter what city you go, you’re going to always find not just good pizza, but really good pizza.” Oh, and Baby’s Bagels have a liquor license. Their drink selection includes wine, beer and Spaghetts, a mixture containing Miller High Life and Aperol. Next drop: Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 5 to 8:30 p.m. for carry-out or dine-in. One Eyed Dog Pizza One Eyed Dog Pizza started as a romantic gesture from chef Brady Houmand to baker Becca Shapiro. She wanted him to make a tavern-style pizza, reminiscent of her favorite from her hometown Chicago. He obliged, and she said it was quite good. They’ve been perfecting the recipe ever since — to great fanfare. Their irregular pop-ups often sell out. A good tavern-style pizza, according to Shapiro, has a corn meal-like crust that is consistently crisp throughout, then cut into bite-sized squares that feature evenly distributed toppings. Next drop: They don’t have any pop-ups planned for the near future, but Shapiro said they’re planning one more drop this year and will ramp up in 2026 — as they prepare to launch their brick-and-mortar, selling their tiny-square-cut pies and Shapiro’s desserts. Stay tuned and check their Instagram for updates. Priscilla’s Pizza Marcus Chen’s traditional yet non-traditionally topped pizzas are just getting traction in SLC’s pizza pop-up scene. He sold out at his last event at Picnic Cafe, 1329 S. 500 East, on Oct. 18. Chen typically makes about 30 pizzas per drop, and he posted the phrase of the day for that last event was: “We’re going to need more dough[]balls.” Expect more pizza available at his next event. Also: Unlike the others mentioned, these pies are sold by the slice — increasing the odds that you’ll get a taste.
