High Rise Pizza Kitchen — Restaurant in Colorado Springs

I don't typically write reviews. In fact, this will the first positive restaurant review I have ever written. Today, while I was out running errands, I noticed a new restaurant called "High Rise" where an old one used to be. There wasn't much to see from the outside and it was hard to tell what they even served. The door was open, the lights were on, and I could see people in the kitchen. I walked in with no expectations in finding anything at all that sparked any excitement. The first thing I noticed was a stack of empty pizza boxes ready to fill and a kitchen that was ready to make something. I asked the gentleman behind the counter for a menu. He introduced himself as "Ben", (whom I later found out was Ben Hoffer, a Chef for 23 years and counting), and he handed me a menu.

I take pride in my own cooking where I strive to find the best ingredients available for things that I prepare. As a result, it is very hard to find anything in a restaurant that still excites and surprises me. I usually end up thinking to myself, "ah... they used this and I would have upgraded to that", after a meal.

I continued my conversation with Ben, asking about ingredients of items on the menu, their origins, and even a bit about the business. Ben told me, "Today is our opening day" and he was happy to explain, with pride, how almost everything is handmade in-house (right down to the ranch and marinara), and done so with not just top-shelf ingredients, but the absolute BEST that Ben could find. Indeed, a man of my own heart!

We're off to a great start. The owner is on-site, he's a Chef with 23 years experience, he's happy to converse with me on pleasant terms to answer all my questions, the ingredients have definitely peaked my curiosity, and the cook staff looks trained and competent. But what about the food?

It is NOT going to be easy to describe the food in any way that relays the sheer amount of joy and satisfaction that I am feeling right now after indulging. I am crying as I write this. Quite literally. This food has invoked such feelings in me that rarely stir. It was religious. It was spiritual. It's the feeling you get in that rare opportunity when you know, you just know, you have experienced perfection in its truest sense.

I ordered a BYO pizza selecting Pistachio Pesto, Shredded Mozzarella, Fresh Mozzarella, House Fennel Sausage, Grilled Artichoke Hearts, Roasted Garlic, Marinated Tomato, and Calabrian Chili Peppers. Ben doesn't know it yet but I am officially dubbing this pizza as "The Huntsman" (or Cacciatore in Italian)!

The pizza: ingredients are not sprinkled, they are placed like a well planned million dollar neighborhood, allowing for maximum enjoyment of each of the gourmet ingredients. It was like visiting a different mansion in this figurative neighborhood in every bite!

The House Fennel Sausage is an amazing marriage between damn good sausage and comfort food that left me longing to make it part of every meal. It was meaty, seasoned well, not dry, and not greasy. If I could buy it in bulk, this sausage would quickly find its way into numerous dishes in my own kitchen.

The Calabrian Chili Peppers: biting into one of these delicate peppers from the Calabrian region of Italy, can only be expressed as a burst of joy in my mouth. They have a unique taste with a mild heat that doesn't linger and a literal explosion of flavor to savor before moving on to the next mansion.

The marinated tomato is also very satisfying. There is a respectful firmness, neither chewy nor overly soft, and pleasant flavor from both the tomato and the marinade that is not too strong or over-powering. Definitely, another worthy mansion to visit on its own.

If you ever thought you knew what good pizza taste like, you owe yourself a treat well beyond your expectations. Visit Ben's new restaurant and ask for "The Huntsman" as described above (it's not an official menu item). I never knew Ben before today and he did nothing to encourage me to write this review, outside of making me...

I usually eat at this place 1-2 times a month. Every time I come in these people seem very unorganized I’m always waiting at least 10 minutes to get my food (seems to me like they have a bad system of doing things). I came in on Friday with my kid and it was packed but the food was very solid. However I’m disappointed in how rude the white lady with the locs always is. She constantly is yelling at her employees and I feel bad for them. The tall male cashier and the girl with red hair were visibly upset with her yelling at them and they always do a good job every time I come in. Me and my family will not be going here anymore until she is either removed or has a talking to about treating her staff members because yelling at people in front of my kid is not ok when I’m just trying to enjoy dinner in a comfortable environment. The whole staff was trying there best and I wish them good...

What I love about this place is the variety of toppings and the quality of their ingredients. Now, their pies and/or slices are not too big, but they're packed with flavor. A bit on the pricey side, but not too bad and definitely well worth it. I ordered to go, but the place looked clean and cozy. The staff was very pleasant and I did not have to wait very long. I ordered the "My Cousin Vinny" pie for my sons, and two separate slices for me. One "Margherita," and the other, I don't remember the name, but it had a garlic based sauce with some mushrooms, sausage and onions, and it was really tasty. The crust, however, takes the prize. It is crispy yet soft, chewy and hard all at the same time. I don't know how they do it, but it really stands alone. Best crust I've ever tasted... And I'm from...