Thin Crust Rules
Last Drop Tavern to toss Neapolitan-style pizza in Denton
It doesn't sound like a pizzeria, but Last Drop Tavern — a new restaurant-bar opening next week in Denton — soon will be serving Neapolitan-style pizza. The restaurant will be among the first to do so in this college town.
Neapolitan pizza follows the standards of Naples, Italy, with a thin, soft crust that you more often eat with a fork and knife. It's become all the rage around Dallas; two pizza makers in town are certified by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana: Cane Rosso and Cavalli.
Last Drop will also pay special attention to beer. "All our bartenders will understand what the beer is and how to serve it," says owner Rick Reid.
Last Drop won't go through the certification, but owner Rick Reid has brought in a Mugnaini, a wood-fired oven imported from Italy. He feels confident he understands what the pizza is about.
"It's a thin crust, and you don't put a lot of sauce," he says. "It's on the lighter side, and with all fresh ingredients. I'm self-taught. But it doesn't take much to make a pizza sauce, and the pizza only takes 90 seconds to cook in the oven."
Reid's been in the bar and restaurant business for a while. He owned Big Johnson's Beer Garden and also worked for LaBare for seven years. For Last Drop, he took over a space that has gone through a number of hands in the past few years. It has no kitchen, so he'll do all the prep in another location and bring over the food to cook on the premises. He'll also offer salads and gelato.
Last Drop will also pay special attention to beer. "All our bartenders will understand what the beer is and how to serve it," Reid says.
However, the name is not so much about the drinks as it is the location. "Elm Street is the road that exits out of downtown Denton," Reid says. "We are the last place you can stop for a beer before you leave town."
