New T.O. pizzeria a virtual trifecta -- tasty, healthy and eco-friendly

Pizza Salad
1655 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., #104
Thousand Oaks
371-7878
info@pizzasalad.com
$6.95-$29.25

PizzaSalad’s name doesn’t do justice to the nuances that make it unique. Yes, it does serve pizza and salad but in a highly specialized way.

This is the type of restaurant that the movie L.A. Story was written about. Imagine Steve Martin nervously pacing the festive yellow and sprout-green restaurant with his cell phone waiting for his vegan tofu and soy cheese pizza while Sara Jessica Parker’s character stomps up to the counter demanding her gluten-free organic pepperoni and artichoke pie.

Almost everything on the menu is organic, and the rest is called “all-natural.” If you get one of their pre-designed pizzas or salads, ordering is a pretty simple affair.  However, if you choose to design your own, tie a knot and hang on — the options are almost limitless.

There are two kinds of pizza crust — organic wheat and gluten-free (made with amaranth). You have three kinds of sauces to choose from and four sizes that come in two shapes before you even glance at the list of 35 toppings!

Gluten-free pizzas come in a 12-inch round and run on average $10 more than the 8-inch wheat pizzas.

Gluten-free isn’t cheap but (according to the literature in PizzaSalad) celiac disease (those who cannot tolerate gluten) affects one out of every 133 people, so pizza in a restaurant is usually just not an option for celiacs.

While I was there with my gluten-intolerant companion, I watched a young boy become elated as he and his mother shared warm, gooey, cheese-dripping slices of pizza that would normally be off-limits.

We jumped off the crazy cliff and created our own salads and pizza. I found myself holding up fingers at the counter to try to remember all the ingredients we’d chosen. I recommended to the staff that lists similar to the ones in sushi houses would be very helpful so customers could just check off their options and turn them in. “It gets easier after the first time,” he said.

Our small salads were generous servings in plant-based disposable containers. The greens were fresh and the toppings abundant, though both of our salads were slightly over-dressed. I tried the grava (tahini) dressing and my friend the balsamic vinaigrette. My dressing was tart and had a creamy texture. She found that hers was not as acidic as she preferred, lacking zing.

Just as containers are plant-based, so are the utensils. The tables are bamboo, the delivery cars are hybrids, and there are energy-conserving ovens and lighting. PizzaSalad is being as conscious as it can about how it affects both our bodies and the environment.

Our pizza arrived hot on a round bamboo block with a spatula. As my friend pulled the first slice, the mozzarella and cheddar cheese dripped from its edges. We both loved our first bites.

We’d chosen the garlic olive oil sauce, arugula, shiitake mushrooms, ham and natural pineapple. The amaranth crust was lightly chewy with little crunches in each bite. It was very thin but substantial, sort of like a chewy cracker. “This is the best gluten-free pizza I’ve had!” said my friend enthusiastically.

The toppings were an amazing combination of savory cheese, lightly crunchy shiitake mushrooms, organic ham with crisp edges, the nutty flavor of baked arugula and the sweet flavor of pineapple. The natural pineapple was pale golden, not the bright yellow that comes from a can.

We found ourselves filling up more than usual because the heartiness of the gluten-free grain sticks with you more than a normal bleached-flour pizza — we were eating something quite delicious while being kind to our bodies.

I also sampled a slice of the whole-wheat pizza with the house organic tomato sauce, sweet yellow bell peppers and fresh tomatoes. It was really yummy. It, too, had a thin crust and was a touch heartier than a regular pizza but nothing that felt like health food. Both of these pizzas lost nothing in flavor by being healthier — if anything, they gained.

The interior is upbeat and simple. The drink choices are bottled teas and juices and yes, they do have a soda fountain. PizzaSalad has a couple of lunch specials: for $3.99 you can get an organic whole-wheat slice and beverage, or $7.25 will give you an organic slice and salad. (Gluten-free is always a special order.)

The average person can certainly enjoy what PizzaSalad delivers — we did. But there is some obscure joy in knowing where to entertain a celiac, vegan, egg-free environmentalist if I need to.   

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