Says Matt Gardener, owner of Bronx Pizza, ‘It’s something I said we’d never do, but starting next month we’ll be delivering pizzas.’ Then he adds, ‘On scooters.’
That’s right San Diego, perhaps our city’s most influential pie haunt is announcing plans to deliver versus opening a second store. Gardener, justly credited for igniting an ‘authentic’ out-of-state pizza experience here in SD, sat to talk with me about regional techniques, ingredients, and what he admits is the ‘competitive streak’ driving him to pack up his pies and hit the highway. Is that the doorbell?
If you haven’t heard by now, Chicago (Lefty’s) is moving in on Bronx territory with a second store in the old Phil’s BBQ location. The latest development in the thin-crust deep-dish Civil war that’s been raging since the invention of pizza, November is likely to be a pivotal month for both sides when Lefty’s Mission Hills makes its debut and Bronx deploys delivery troops. It is said that hunger strikes, riots, and 10 pound stuffed pie explosives will rattle the usually quiet Mission Hills region of San Diego. Only time will tell.
‘I’m gonna have to walk by that place everyday on my way to work!’ says Gardener, squinting, not out of anger or fear, but in laughter.
So is Gardener worried about business?
‘Lefty’s and us are like apples and oranges. People who like Chicago style will go there, and people who like New York will come to us. That’s all.’ Matt Gardener is all smiles and laughing, but I’m no fool; underneath it all, this man’s a fuckin pizza gangster.
He proceeded to draw a diagram of Bronx’s location and the surrounding competition back in 1997 when he opened. He continued doodling, a checkmark here, a checkmark there, one pie shop after the next, all closing in on his ‘hood.
‘And there’s Pauly with Sicilian Thing on 30th Street. He worked for me for over 10 years, now has his own place.’ Checkmark.
‘And there’s Luigi in Golden Hill. He worked for me when he first got here from Italy, now he’s opening a second store in North Park.’ Checkmark.
(A rumor I later confirmed as fact with the elusive Luigi himself)
By the looks of Gardener’s sketchings, seems the neighborhood is in fact crowding. Says Gardener, ‘I guess delivery is my response to everyone moving closer. And now more people can eat slices without having to worry about finding street parking.’
Since Gardener was so honest with me, I asked if I could do the same. All the while crapping my pants, I confessed that I’d had a couple of stale slices at Bronx.
His response?
‘Slices suffer because of the take out line. There’s a constant tug of war between take out and dine in, it’s like we’re running two businesses in one. Delivery will solve all that.’
Again, only time will tell…
