Saturday, March 11, 2017

#61: Roppolo's Pizza

The Bar


Roppolo's Pizza. 316 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78701

Visited 3/11/17 @ 7pm.

The Drink



Austin Beerworks Pearl Snap. $6.

Pearl Snap is still a nice crisp pilsner, just like the last time I had it. Roppolo's has no liquor, just beer and wine, but even though SXSW was just beginning to rev into high gear, our bartender thoughtfully asked what kinds of beer we liked before suggesting it. It's a great choice - light and drinkable, perfect for accompanying the slices we ordered, with just enough flavor to balance out each bite of pizza crust. Or, as the exchange went:

"What goes with pizza?"
"I think beer goes with pizza".

True enough. They also had $7 mimosa specials, but mimosas are a daylight drink, and we were patrons of the night. Wine and cheese, vodka and caviar, beer and pizza: that's how it works.

The Crew


Aaron, Brent, Anthony.


Notes


Roppolo's pizza has been a staple of late-night dining on Sixth since forever, continuing even into this era of food trucks and upscale restaurants. I can't count the number of times I've walked up to their counter and tried to gauge which of the slices in the display window spoke most strongly to my heart, but I had never been inside until this visit. I'm glad I made the journey across the threshold, and certainly the rotating cast of other drunk people who needed something to wash down their slices agreed, as the crowd gradually grew and grew until suddenly the bar area looked like a Chuck E. Cheese with all grownups and no children. Late-night pizza and beer joints are true democracies of the stomach and liver, knowing no distinctions of age, race, religion, sexuality, or origin. Pizza in particular is one of the world's great international foods, with a strong claim to being Italy's greatest gift to the world, although that's an extremely tough battle. I wouldn't claim that Roppolo's makes the greatest pizza in the city, or even on the block, but for a cheap price it's damn good, especially with a beer.

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