A few weeks back, when the sun was still shining, and it was warm, and it stayed light past 5:00, we went with a couple friends to a relatively new pizza place in town, Biga. Biga churns out wood-fired, authentic Napoletana pies from their hearth oven, using fresh seasonal ingredients and their biga (with a little “b”). A biga is essentially what we’d call a sourdough starter – a mix of flour, water, and whatever friendly yeasts are floating around in the air. Each pizza is baked at 900 F and is done in about ninety seconds, during which they get get bubbly on top and crispy on the bottom – just the way I like it.
The pizzas are generally kept pretty simple, so as not to overwhelm with too many flavors. There’s also always a seasonal pizza or two to capitalize on unique local ingredients. This time, we started with a seasonal appetizer of roasted winter squash drizzled with a rosemary cream sauce. I love winter squash, and the preparation of this was rustic but delicious. No frills, just letting the flavors come out on their own.
As for pizzas, there are a lot to choose from, and since we’re indecisive, we wound up with four. It was hard buckling up on the way home.
We ended up picking two seasonal pizzas, one topped with honeycrisp apples, fresh bacon, and cheddar; the other was loaded with spicy chorizo and a pico de gallo. The other two were regulars on the menu, a prosciutto and pistachio pie, and the sweet sausage, covered with thin slices of made-in-house sausage. Each one was unique, and each one packed a punch of flavor. As for a favorite? Maybe a slight edge to the apple-bacon-cheddar, because it had a touch of sweetness, and bacon.
And oh-by-the-way, the desserts are traditional Italian, homemade, and really big. In spite of our tight belts, we “sampled” a lemon-zucchini cake and a rich tiramisu. Yum.
The verdict: Biga earns 5 1/2 stars out of 7. Food’s really good, especially if you’re into wood-fired pizzas, prices are fine (pizzas range from $12-17, and will feed a few), and service was pleasant. One of my new favorite pizza places – check it out if you’re ever in or near Kirtland!
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