Salsa Dancing/Pizzeria in STX

I like Lost Dog pizza--the crust is pretty thin...and they make their own sauce, make their own dough and have a range of toppings. Last night I got a chicken caesar salad on a white pizza.

I'll have to try Lost Dog - where are they located? 🙂

Good question. FWIW, wehave lived all over including Italy and never thought much of their pizza. Sometimes, the pizza in Germany was much better than that in Italy. I'll bet we could never get a better schwienhaxen in Italy compared to Germany!

Still think that the Lost Dog has it over everyone else on STX...thin crust, almost cracker like with some fresh oregano.

I had talked to the guy behind the bar at the Lost Dog some time ago and he menitoned that they were planning on opening a place in Christiansted....guess that didn't happen but sure wish it would as we would be there frequently.

The Lost Dog Pub is on King Street in Frederiksted. Going north, it's on the right side.

And Lost Dog just won Best Pizza of the VI, Best Kareoke and Best Sports Bar!!

No plans to open out East, but there may be plans to reopen the back courtyard restaurant and bar behind the front bar. Which was always a very popular spot several years ago when it was open. LDP = one of the best reasons to live West!

Drat. Looks like we'll be taking a drive! 🙂

Yea. I not a fan of Neapolitan pizza. I always say that may have been wear it was born, but not perfected. Sicilian-style, now is another thing! Pizza is hand-tossed. So not too thick, but not cracker thin either. And a great variety of toppings, more than the American standards. Yum-a-licious!

JulieKay- Do you like Pepe's or Salie's pizza.

Sallie's, all the way. 🙂

I lived in NYC for several years - tried all different crusts, and fell in love with Neapolitan and Brooklyn styles. Also grew up in Germany and had pizza there and I agree with gonetropo - sometimes the pizza was better there!

BUT, Mrsyogadoc, if your husband opens a shop here, I guess I'd have to go try it...maybe several times, just to be sure. *grins* 😉

Man...I want a pizza now!

LOL! Thanks for the encouragement guys! Of course this is just the first part of the research stage. We'll check out the scene in August. Then if we move to STX, we'll have to do some taste testing. I'll keep you guys in mind!;)

Pizza quality is definitely lacking on St Croix. Also, heard that Sale e Miele will be closing this spring for good so the italian food options will be reduced.

Hmm "Salt and Honey". Interesting name. I think my hubby is only interested in the pizza part of a restaurant. Because its just easier the manage. The food part will be a part of the private chef option. But he does do small parties and large ones up to 30 folks. But I hear there is also Tutto Bene on the island. Does an Italian still run that place? Is their head chef truly Italiano/a?

I'm not on island anymore, but I wanted to chime in.

Wood burning pizza oven will be tough - the fire department and inspectors will make your life a living hell if/when you try to install the proper hood system for a wood burning oven. You'll have to use a deck oven which will call for recipe tweaking

The chef at Tutto Bene is Cruzan, but is great at what he does. The folks from Sale y Miele were smart and very passionate. I thought they had a good thing going, but owning a restaurant on StX is next to impossible. Wapa/utilities, gross receipts taxes, and seasonal doldrums can really bite into profits. Bring a ton of capital and don't expect to make money for a while.

There's plenty of avenues for specialty foods on StX. I sold food for Quality Food (Merchant's Market competition) and we were able to get lots of special order items. But, Italian VI Trading Co can also hook you up on the Italian goodies. But, built into the end user's cost is custom's, excise, and foreign tax. A $10 case of pepperoni suddenly costs the purveyor about $12 after all of that. Just a bit of info...

Noah

Thanks Noah. Appreciate the input on the "how to's". But I don't know if you understand on a wood burning oven is made. There isn't a "hood". The out pipe is located near the front of the round oven. No "hoods" involved. This is exactly why I proposed the question. We are trying to decide which would be best: pizzaria vs a private chef operation.

I think you will find that VI Code mandates a venting hood for any commercial stove.

Yet one more intersssion where there is a lack of knowledge. They way wood burning pizza OVENS are made, it is IMPOSSIBLE to have a hood. Hoods are for stoves/ranges. This is neither. I'm certain others in a restaurant based position of safety monitoring understand how pizza ovens work/function. Just google wood burning oven to obtain a basic understanding then chime in.

Unless it's been removed, Caravelle installed a wood-burning oven, for pizza etc., out on the water-side. Sid had it sent down from the states as a kit. No idea whether it is still there or if rumrunners uses it.

There are many commercial wood fired pizza ovens which come with venting hoods. I was merely pointing out that it's something to think about where VI Code is concerned. I can tell you from years of experience as a restaurant owner and operator here (16 if that's of interest) that the VI Code requirements here often differ quite drastically from what may be commonly accepted either on the mainland or anywhere else. I'm sorry that you feel either Noah's or my advice is based on lack of knowledge and that I was "chiming in" from an ignorant basepoint. Never mind, you'll soon discover the pitfalls once you get going. All the best.

I actually would like to be a fly on that kitchen wall when the VI FD inspector is asked to 'google' wood burning pizza ovens for more info.

Have you though that there might be a tiny little possibility that maybe the 'interceders' might have more knowledge than you about the VI codes - which all of us that have ever lived here know bear absolutely NO relation to anything elsewhere or common sense!!!!!
A little bit of humility and politeness will probably help the old "coming to a new place" thing go more smoothly - especially here in "Through the Looking Glass World".

I googled wood fired pizza oven venting hoods...and look what I found...

http://eurorestaurantsolutions.com/resources/cirigliano-forni-1.1MW8.5x11.pdf

the flue is located on the top of the opening for venting.
Oven can be vented directly to the roof or vented through a
powered type 1 exhaust hood with approved grease rated duct
in accordance with nfPa 96 and all local and national codes.
Oven must be vented as a solid fuel burning appliance and must
be installed following a manner that obeys all local and national
codes and is acceptable to authority having jurisdiction. a round
flue adapter comes standard on all ovens. if using wood for fuel,
oven Must be vented as solid fuel.

Maybe they could practice a little yoga breathing....when they get here. The inspector will love when she/he tells them ..."you don't know what your talking about".Your first aid training may come in handy...............on your spouse.*-)

Funny, I actually do appreciates Noah's input. Yet, some like to read too much into a comment and others just plain don't read well at all. I will suffice to say, if and when this venture does occur, it will be left to the inspector's understanding of the way true Italian pizza ovens are made (not bought) and how he/she sees the actual product in front of him/her.

Ahh true wood burning oven. I got it, I was picturing the hearth ovens with the flames pumped up on the sides. If a wood burning oven only requires a simple flu, then you may get away with it. But, I'm sure they'll have to google it 🙂 Ignorance is a pre-requisite for any government job on StX.

I guess the main thing you should take away from these suggestions is that nothing happens the way it "should" or "as expected". Bureaucracy that normally flows with ease will take much longer than you'd think. Imagine water pouring down a pool slide. Now, imagine raw sewage pumping out of a large tube onto Long Reef. That's how getting official business done looks and smells. Can't imagine that second part? Just take a stroll on a Princesse beach when you move there.

I was a chef on StX and we fought the fire inspector for over a month about the gauge of our hoods. He insisted that we purchased a new hood system from his brother in-law (or some close relative) who was the only hood guy on island. As soon as my boss resisted them, we had health inspections much more frequently than often and had fire department upper management in to "sniff around".

I like your gusto and I'm sure the pizza is amazing, but a lot of people have lost a lot of money with the best laid plans. The red tape is ridiculous and I think they enjoy delaying anything they possible can. Ask Rowdy Joe's about how long the inspectors kept them waiting for licenses. Time is money!

Noah

OP: Most have reading comprehension down perfectly well. Seriously, why would you even think that making comments such as, "Yet one more intersssion (sic) where there is a lack of knowledge" (a wrong assumption) and, "They way wood burning pizza OVENS are made, it is IMPOSSIBLE to have a hood. Hoods are for stoves/ranges" (which is simply not true), followed up with, "Yet, some like to read too much into a comment and others just plain don't read well at all", to be anything other than condescendingly arrogant.

You're asking questions which just a few people are answering in all good knowledgeable faith. Working within your apparent parameters of asserting your knowledge as superior to others is rather a daunting task when you're so dismissive of any real advice given to you. You may not like the advice, information or pointers given but to dismiss it all so blithely as though the person who delivers it has either some sort of hidden agenda or is simply ignorant is, in my opinion, very shortsighted. Should you decide to relocate here after your PMV, that sort of attitude will go down like a zinc cupcake. You're right about, "others just plain don't read well at all" ...

Good luck with leaving the question of the pizza oven, "to the inspector's understanding of the way true Italian pizza ovens are made (not bought) and how he/she sees the actual product in front of him/her". ExitZero's comment was right en pointe. As before, all the best.

Mrsyogadoc......Here's a recipe I will share with you.Take a heaping amount of sugar and put in your mouth for a life time.Get rid of all the salt from your diet and replace it with a heaping amount humility.Add a dash of compliments every time you meet someone on island.Mix two cups... one for you and one for hubby.....of mellow and relaxation,mix thoroughly and bake on 85 degrees and a let it cool in a trade wind breeze.Just when you think you this mixture is below you or not to your satisfaction rip up this recipe and ....order carryout (move)8-)