Mission Pizza Napoletana — Restaurant in Winston-Salem

My partner and I have made Mission Pizza our place for special occasions - birthdays, our anniversary, celebrating achievements, etc. The reason is that this is a truly special restaurant. Not just the best restaurant in Winston-Salem, but easily competes with any restaurant we've been to anywhere in the world. It only seems fair to finally write a review to share why this place is so special to us.

We've done the prix fixe at least 5 times and each time is truly a delight. Every experience we've had at Mission Pizza has left us with at least one dish that we will never forget. Usually it's the pizza (which is easily the best you will find anywhere on the east coast) but the rest of the food is amazing too. We still find ourselves saying "remember those mussels in the smoky tomato sauce?" or "do you think we could make that garlicy shrimp pasta?" For us, walking in and letting the chefs surprise us with seasonal dishes made with fresh ingredients is way more fun than ordering off the menu.

Last week we finally splurged for the pizzakase, as one of our last experiences before we leave Winston-Salem. We were not disappointed. We came very hungry, which was the right call. This is truly a feast - we left with a whole box full of extra pizza even after eating more than we should have. Each pizza was truly amazing, unlike anything else we've ever eaten.

Details about the night: When we sat we were greeted by the awesome chefs working that night, who chatted with us throughout our meal. We started with two small plates - a cheese puff topped with tomato ceasar and a sardine, then a local heirloom tomato served with feta and delicious focaccia croutons. Then started the pizzas. The first was a cacio e pepe pizza that blew our minds. At that point we were already getting a bit full and couldn't imagine anything being better than our first pizza. We were wrong. The second pizza was a lightly deep fried crust topped with some creamy cheese and a delicious tomato sauce (maybe other things, I honestly can't remember because it was such a masterpiece). That was probably the most amazing thing I have ever tasted. After that we thought - no way there's more pizzas! But there was one more small plate (octopus) and another pizza to come. This pizza was something I never experienced before, sort of like a pizza sandwich and stuffed with the most delicious fillings. Also mind blowing, we kinda wished we hadn't been so full so we could have enjoyed it more. Finally, we finished with delicious, fresh zeppoli.

Sitting at the bar watching the chefs work was a huge part of why we enjoyed the experience so much. They're all clearly artisans and it was very enjoyable to chat with them about the food they served. It really added something to each dish knowing what the inspiration was.

For anyone who loves food - I highly recommend going to Mission Pizza and letting them "do their thing." You will try things you never knew existed and be happy you did. Also, the price for the prix fixe and the pizzakase is way less than what you'd pay for an experience like this in New York or LA (and I guarantee MPN's food is better). These days it's hard to go anywhere and spend less than $60 bucks for two people, so $80 for a dinner at MPN seems like a steal. We'll miss this place...

Became aware of this restaurant while watching an episode of NC Weekend on UNC TV that showcased it. We rarely (see also never) venture to “The Dash” so we planned a one-day road trip to visit. The first indication that we were in for a wonderful dining experience was when I made an on-line reservation and was required to place a $60 deposit (applied to the bill at the end so don’t panic frugal friends). MPK is in the W-S downtown district where we found lots of shops and galleries to wander through-a nice surprise. MPK is very unassuming from the outside. The interior decor was sparse (by design I think) and I would describe it as a great example of modern industrial minimalism. The space was very clean and squared-away. Concrete and wood prevail in a dimly lit galley style dining space with tables along one wall and a high bar on the other that bellies up to the kitchen. This puts the focus on the wide open kitchen space where the chefs use a wood fired oven to spin their magic. The menu was limited to a few (maybe 12-15 dishes) but in my dining experience this usually translates to a truly delicious dining experience as only the freshest ingredients are being used to create the tastiest meals. Side note: restaurants with tri-fold menus should always be avoided as they very rarely (never) provide a memorable dining experience (unless you count indigestion as memorable). These days, going out to eat is a luxury and we as patrons should expect a memorable dining experience and we got exactly that at MPK. We opted to give the chef an unbridled creative license to cook for us by opting for their Prix Fixe option-5 rounds of whatever the chef wanted to make for us. We made the correct choice for the chef embarked on a quest to bombard and lambaste our taste buds. Like a well-experienced prize fighter Chef came out swinging with a selection of delicious and savory creations. Round one: Chef softened us up with a tangy and savory vinaigrette dressed greens with fresh crabmeat that dazzled. Round two: An unexpectedly delicious mushroom farro with layered flavors and perfect texture had us on the ropes. Round three: Chef had us figured out by now and he was clearly setting us up for the knockout as he hit us with a plate of steamed clams and PEI mussels in a rich, slightly spicy garlic red sauce-our knees became weak. Round four: The knock out blow came in the form of a wood fired pepperoni pizza with their “roni butter” crust that had us staggering and we were down for the count. As we waived our white napkin in surrender our server cam to the rescue and presented us with a plate of braised, slightly candied pears on a bed of lemon panna cotta topped with toasted pine nuts. This dessert was truly a delicious way cap off the evening and revived us enough to get us back to the dressing room! Overall our evening at MPK was exceptional. We wish more restaurants would put forth this kind of effort to elevate their product and provide patrons with food that hits both belly and soul. Hey Chef, we want...

Mission pizza is it. Working in a pizza place for almost a decade made me picky. Later being introduced to quality Neapolitan style in Charleston furthered that pickiness and when that place closed down I spent years searching for something to scratch that itch and came up empty and not for a lack of trying. Mission does that and more spoiling my tastes and senses stuffing me like a thanksgiving turkey yet having me pining for my next visit.

Pizzakase combines the best of what draws me to food combining seasonality with the whims of a chef that understands taste, texture, and food itself. But this has gotten ahead a little. Walking in the smells of pizza waft through the air evoking memories for me of comfort, childhood and good people. Olive, cheese, tomato, dough doing the tango strutting their best stuff. The dim red/orange glows through the restaurant and while no one is being cooked alive it’s simply atmospheric enhancing the fire coming from the beautiful wood oven.

The journey doesn’t begin with pizza. We start with wood fired veggies, onions, golden beets, greens(chard?), peppers and the most beautiful combination of cheese and farro. Now, I went in with low expectation because I’ve had more bad farro than good. Chefs like to try too hard to make it Al dente and I don’t want crunchy slightly undercooked farro it’s just not my vibe. These grains were expertly cooked not mushy holding their shape and texture but threading that line between over and under packed with brothy flavor. My expectations for everything else went up exponentially.

We were hit with an array of love from wood fired lobster, to a smoked cheese, oil, and roe pizza each course as good as the last and next. A novice at tearing pizza with my hands I did work while trying to save some for my partner using a fork to stop myself from destroying the prize for my other half. I licked my fingers after each bite doing my best Denethor impression. This was a handsy dinner.

Fried pizza with ricotta plus guanciale hit next with shocking lightness and I mean that in the weight. Lifting the dough off the plate was like carrying a feather through the air and as tasty as it was paled in flavor to the luck I would soon receive. Chef graced us with a light clam and shishito dish with a broth so rich and tangy it could only be one upped by dipping the fried dough I was still munching on in to said broth. Beguiling so was this unexpected combo I closed my eyes and just smiled. Take me now.

Umami ham dusted the top of the next pizza and ended the pizza onslaught with simplicity. I love flavor but the dough and sauce has such a complex taste with so many flavor notes it make simplicity deceiving. Fewer topping leaves you open for the tastes and textures that could otherwise by covered with a couple additions and it’s not necessary. Sauce and dough. Dough and sauce. That’s what it’s about and it doesn’t get better than...