Austin Pizza Garden
Fri., Feb. 23, 1996
11am-10pm Sun.-Thur., 'til 11pm Fri-Sat. Driving through Oak Hill, you'd swear you were on the outskirts of Disney's FrontierLand. Oak Hill is where South Austin gives way to Hill Country scrub, and zoning regulations apparently require 50% of businesses to reflect "Our Collective Cowboy Heritage."As you pass Red's Shootin' Range and the YMCA, you'll see a massive turn-of-the-last-century limestone building which, if you're travelling faster than 20mph, you'd never figure it for a gourmet pizza joint.
The Austin Pizza Garden recently replaced Gardenville's Oak Hill location and specializes in crispy, thin-crust pizza of the nuevo variety. Fans of esoteric pizza will never hurt for options -- the menu lists a total of 62 different toppings. Design your own creation with clams, caviar, macadamia nuts, and gorgonzola, but try to keep it simple, as sparse combinations tend to intensify individual topping flavors. APG's light crust crunches hard, with an almost crackerlike texture that works particularly well with pesto-based pizzas.
Those plagued by option anxiety can choose from 19 "gourmet signature pizzas." From the Colossus (a traditional sausage-based combo) to the Neptune (crab, tiny shrimp, and assorted vegetables), these combinations can please most taste preferences. The signature line also contains eight meatless options for diners of the vegetarian persuasion. The attentive waitstaff readily accommodates special orders (substitutions or mixed combinations) without hassle. Gourmet pizza, a bottle of wine, and Texas history... Wild Walt would be proud.
-- Pableaux Johnson
