Indie Pizzas II

The Red House Pizzeria

Little brother of El Chile and El Chilito, the Red House features a Western kitsch Joel Mozersky design. It’s morphed from El Gringo to Stor­tini to the Red House Lounge (the Stortini pizzas caught on, and besides, they had hauled that wonderful 20-plus-year-old stone-lined oven all the way down here from the Pizza Founda­tion in Marfa). Pricewise it’s a winner, with happy hour half-price pizzas from 5 to 7pm daily. Red House has great cocktails, a perfectly acceptable beer selection, and a limited Italian wine list. Service can range from friendly and caring to strongly indifferent depending on the ambient temperature and the color of the server’s mood ring. Music inside can be way too loud, but the patio is the place to be if possible (heaters and blankets in the winter).

Red House does 14- and 18-inch pies, ranging from $11.50 to $20.50, with add-ons for about $2. The crust is light, thin, and golden-brown, with a subtle yeastiness and a nice char. Tomato is simple and crushed. The cheese tastes full-milk, but it can be applied a little exuberantly at times. The sausage is house-made, semiseasoned, and semifatty. All in all, a very acceptable pie. The neighborhood crowd is pleasantly eclectic and mellow, but Red House gets major points off for listing extra virgin olive oil as “EVOO” on the menu.

This article appears in September 11 • 2009.