Apparently, the Twin Cities are about more than just Jucy Lucys. And while some may question that, Black Sheep in St. Paul gives reason to believe in life beyond cheese-stuffed burgers. A coal-fired pizza place, Black Sheep still relies on cheese, but in quite a different manner. Walking in to the below-ground-level spot, I was immediately inundated with the scent of garlic, a smell that signaled good things ahead, as well as a scent that would remain with me for the rest of the day.
As a large group, we opted for a couple of giant pizzas. With no pepperoni to be found, our first choice was Hot Salami and Dried Chili Pepper. This was like a pepperoni pizza upgrade, with big slices of salami and just enough of a kick to make me happy without scaring off those with a low spice tolerance. The crust had a nice crisp to it and the cheese and sauce left little to complain about.
The other pizza was Meatball, Ricotta and Garlic, a killer combination that tasted just as good as it sounds. Unlike some pizza places, Black Sheep was quite generous with toppings, leaving this pizza covered in dollops of ricotta and a plethora of meatballs, which were juicy and delicious. As for the garlic, Black Sheep managed to put just enough on to leave my breath garlicky for an extended period of time without going over the top.
As with many pizzas of this size, both pizzas at Black Sheep struggled to maintain a consistent crisp through the middle of the pizzas, but this was a minor issue compared to how tasty everything was. They may not serve Jucy Lucy’s but they sure make good use of the cheese they have.
