Pipe Dream Pizza — Restaurant in Mason City

My wife and I had the Margarita Pizza.

To Start, let's talk about the crust/dough. It was thin, but not crunchy. It was chewy, but not doughy. It had some little burned spots, because it was baked with actual fire, and those toasty little blackened crispy bits actually added to the flavor in a very good way. After speaking with one of the owners, I was told the didn't use yeast when making the dough, which I'm sure contributed to the lighter flavor.

The locally sourced cheese was mild, and it didn't overpower any of the other flavors. It wasn't greasy, but it also wasn't dry. It paired perfectly with the crust, which together created a solid base layer upon which the rest of the flavor palace was built.

The Sauce... I'm not sure where to start. It was tomato-based, as is the regular practice. Otherwise, it had nothing in common with other sauces. If I had to guess, I'd bet they used Roma tomatoes. There was hints of garlic, without being too overwhelming, and a firm onion presence. But that basil. There was more basil than I'm used to, and it was fantastic. It compensated for the onion and tomato acidity, which allowed a lot of amazing flavors to come through.

Bottom line: the pizza was fantastic.

Then we had this apple carmel pudding dessert, which was shockingly, alarmingly delicious. I was left speechless. It was thick, but not like gelatin. It was a little grainy, in a way that reminded me of creme brulee, or flan. There were these little chunks of apple cooked in it, which were fully cooked, but not to the point of being mushy, just a little bit of crisp-ness left. It was very sweet, and every time I bit into an apple piece there was this burst of juice, which somehow made it sweeter for a second. It tasted like Carmel, and apple, but also kind of like vanilla ice cream. It was amazing. Do not eat this alone.

The entire experience left me emotionally exhausted. It was a great time, and I highly recommend it. 6 out of 5 stars

There was a bit of a wait, but it...

I'm going to preface this with a couple qualifiers. The one time I went was shortly after they opened so I didn't expect them to have the kinks worked out on their service and assumed it would take awhile to receive food (which it did).

The place itself is nice, and they use high quality ingredients such as Stanislaus brand tomatoes (well-known to pizza hobbyists) but here comes the bad part of the review. I haven't really been able to make it back again to give them another shot because they are always closed and always have a new excuse for why they are not open (COVID, Staffing Problems, Sourdough starter problems). The owners clearly don't take running a business seriously and aren't doing anything to address the constant closings, If you attempt to voice your displeasure on their Facebook page, they will block you. So overall, pizza and atmosphere are good; however, much like their name, getting a chance to sample their pizza is a bit of...

A friend and I went here last Thursday and had a great time! Staff was attentive and offered great suggestions and answered our questions. We started with some beers from Tellurian brewery & a caprese salad, with mozzarella pulled fresh in house that morning. Then we ordered the Quattro Formagio pizza, that includes Maytag Blue & Milton Creamy's Harvest Cheddar. Wow! Kevin McAllister wishes he could get a cheese pizza like this one. The flavors blended together so wonderfully and that pie went quickly. We decided to get another pizza and ordered the Carbonara. Oh gosh, the richness of it! Overall a really great experience dining here. The quality and consideration that goes into their food is unmatched. Locally sourced ingredients, artistry in their craft, and great ambiance ensure we'll be coming back with more friends to try the rest...