Whether it’s stuffed, ready-to-go or bake-it-yourself, reinventing pizza has been an ongoing trend for the last 20 years.
Some of these tactics are designed to tempt our palate, our busy schedules and, of course, our bottom line. When a pizza delivers in one of these areas, it usually falls flat in another.
If it tastes good, it is likely to be more expensive. If it is fast, it may do the job to stave off hunger but fall short of doing anything beyond.
Riggatti’s Wood Fired Pizza, located at 73 N. Main Street in historic downtown St. George, provides great service and great taste, fired up in one to three minutes for a reasonable price. If you include the show and atmosphere, it’s a great night to share with friends.
Kaitlyn Pallas, a general education major from Santa Clara, spends every Wednesday night with her three best friends at Riggatti’s. Her favorite pizza is The Riggatti, consisting of a mixture of house made basil pesto and Alfredo, chicken, Riggatti’s own four-cheese blend, olives and feta cheese.
“I love this place because of the small town feel and atmosphere,” Pallas said.
Fred Murray is the owner and head dough tosser at Riggatti’s. He started with a pizza truck where he hauled his oven, which he made himself, and crafted pizza on the streets of Springville.
“I had been in construction my whole life, working for my father,” Murray said. “I wanted to do something that made me happy and came from my heart.”
The oven at Riggatti’s is Murray’s own masterpiece. The walls are 9 inches thick, and the floor of the oven is made with bricks that hold in the heat of the wood fire.
The oven maintains a temperature of 800 degrees, and the fire stays hot around the clock.
“The only time we make a new fire is on Monday,” said Murray. “The rest of the week we just feed it with oak logs,”
Because the oven is so hot, the smoke moves out quickly, leaving the heat to do all the cooking without taking away from the authentic pizza flavor.
Murray makes his own dough, and there is a method to tossing. After the dough has risen twice, it is stored and ready for use. The process starts from the moment the dough is picked up and ready to roll out and toss.
Tossing the dough is necessary. When it plays out in front of the customer, it’s a true art and makes waiting for your order entertaining.
“When I roll it out, it takes the bubbles out, which is necessary for taste and texture,” Murray said. “Tossing it puts the air back into it.”
Once the pizza is topped, it is ready to bake. It’s placed in the 800-degree oven for one and-a-half to two minutes, and it’s done.
The Pizza margherita originates from Naples, Italy. It is made with fresh mozzarella, basil and crushed tomatoes. These ingredients paired with freshly tossed dough make this pizza unique and delicious.
Enjoying this pizza is a treat to the senses. Due to Murray’s hard work, heart and passion, customers can escape the cookie cutter pizza we find in the more pedestrian outlets in town.
Riggatti’s also offers a dessert pizza made with chocolate ganache.
Moderately-priced pizza that is made with passion and grace is not hard to find at Riggatti’s. Prices start at $10 for a medium and ends at $18 for a large. It is worth every penny and calorie sacrificed.
They also feature a lunch special that includes a small pizza and medium drink for $6.99
Supporting this local business is easy with all that is offered.
