Pizza Foundation

Their simple, albeit overly orange website simply states, “Open Friday through Sunday 1pm until we run out of dough in the evening.” So, it was with the best intentions I arrived promptly at 1pm, ate an entire pepperoni pizza myself, drank half-a-bottle of rosé, and stayed for dinner to enjoy two more pies and a salad with Jesse Lenz and Chris Mantz.

Owners Saarin Keck and her husband Ronnie O’Donnell opened Pizza Foundation in an old filling station smack dab in the center of downtown Marfa to serve fresh, made-to-order pizzas from scratch, local ingredients. RISD graduates, they brought their knowledge of East Coast pizza to West Texas, and it became an overnight smash.

If their website is simple, it’s only meant to offset the complexity of their pizzas. Though they also offer white pies, we opted for red and were incredibly pleased. The mozzarella had a fluffy freshness that played well against the slight sweetness of the tomato sauce. Finished with olive oil, it is suggestive of the techniques made famous by joints all over Brooklyn, although Chef O’Donnell calls his “Rhode Island Style.” I most appreciated the flirty play between crust and cheese and the crust’s black-charred bottom, so perfect, it could be their brand, if you’ll pardon the cattleman’s pun.

With an outdoor patio for taking in the big, beautiful Texas sky, you’re wise to arrive early, stay for the sunset, and enjoy fresh bubbling crust pizzas late into the evening. Offering red and white pies, as well as a unique selection of beer and wine -- and a fresh limeade so well-balanced, you’ll only pucker up at the price -- it’s ideal for date night and families alike.

Originally published in The Collective Quarterly, Issue Ø (Marfa, Texas), 2014.