By Anthony Ricci, Guest Blogger
As a descendant of Italian heritage I am a huge lover of fresh made pizza. So when I had an opportunity to visit the famous Fire & Ice Pizza Bar in Round Rock, Texas I just had to jump and the chance. I had heard so many wonderful things from family and friends that live in the area, and I was excited to see for myself what this artisanal pizza joint had to offer. With its very simple and clean décor this pizza bar doesn’t believe in flashy decorations. Instead, they have chosen to put their focus into what is really important, the pizzas. And man ‘o’ man has it paid off for them in a big way. I have been all over this country and had pizzas everywhere from New York to Chicago and even in LA, but Fire & Ice has managed to put Round Rock on the map as one of the best places to get a truly amazing pie. Each one of their round masterpieces is handmade with the finest ingredients from local vendors. They pay very close attention to the entire process from start to finish to ensure that your dining experience does not leave you wanting for more.
When I entered, I was surprised to find that they were quite busy considering it was 2:30 in the afternoon. That was a good sign that what I was in store for was nothing short of delicious. I found a seat near the bar and got comfortable. I knew that I was in for a serious culinary workout. I started with one of the many local craft beers that they offer and began to study the menu. My stomach was telling me to order everything, but my head was in control, thankfully.
First up was my appetizer of Firey Fried Pickles with a house made ranch dip. Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm! With just a little kick, these handmade breaded pickle chips were, for lack of a more descriptive term, THE BOMB! I could have easily made my entire meal out of just those pickles. But, I had to continue on and see what the pizzas had in store.
After some very intense internal deliberation I finally settled on the Urban Cowboy. Whoa! Or should I say, YeeHaw? Handmade and tossed garlic crust with freshly made red sauce, homemade Italian meatballs, mild pepperoni, slow marinated tomatoes, sweet red onions and fresh garlic. This pie was going to be the death of me. After two slices my stomach was screaming that it couldn’t handle any more, but my taste buds just wouldn’t let me stop eating. I ended up finishing off 4 slices, and I felt like I was going to explode. The next time I am in there I will definitely make sure that it is my first meal of the day. Fire & Ice is a Round Rock “must do”.