By Jeanni Ritchie
When I learned an out-of-town pizza food truck would be visiting Cenla, I knew I had to check it out.
Pizza has always been my all-time favorite food, the one food I could eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s always my answer to the question, “If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?”
I’ve shared before that I look up theatre schedules in every city I visit on travel assignments, but I don’t know that I’ve mentioned I look up pizza parlors too. Especially if that city has its own take on pizza—Chicago is on my travel list solely for pizza.
And I’ve been on the hunt for a food truck that serves pizza cones for about five years now.
But last week I had the opportunity to try authentic New York pizza right here in Louisiana!
I picked up a pepperoni pizza with a side of Mike’s Hot Honey. (Don’t knock it til you try it! I reluctantly took the advice of a server in a pizza joint in Louisville and ordered a hot honey pepperoni pizza last year. I was hooked!)
I also got a giant slice of their Aldenators Meat Lovers (made with their own freshly sliced homemade meatballs) and a Mel Booyah Boudin slice.
I brought it all home to share with the family. My dad, my son, and two of my grandsons were there.
The hot honey pepperoni was, by far, my favorite. One grandson just ate the pepperonis, and the other ate a slice of pepperoni minus the honey. They don’t know what they are missing!
I tasted the Meat Lovers before my dad and son split the rest. The meatballs were great.
The boudin pizza had mixed reviews. It had an interesting flavor, for sure, but a little too spicy for me and Dad. My son was thrilled—more for him. He loved it. I did love the idea of pepper jack cheese on the pizza, though, and would love to try it on a pizza that didn’t have jalapeños as well.
Maybe a meatball and pepper jack pizza? That sounds divine!
A Jersey girl with Southern charm, owner Michele Salerno-Smith’s Italian roots—and her father’s original pizza pans—brought her love of NY pizzas across the country with her, before settling in Many, Louisiana and sharing her pizzas with the community she now calls home.
Louie’s Pizza Louisiana posts its schedule weekly on their Facebook page. Mondays are usually in Leesville, but you will find them all over the state throughout the week. While this was their first visit to Pineville, I hope it’s not their last. Follow them on FB to keep up with where you can get this delicious, authentic New York pizza.
The pizza itself is enough for me to become a new fan, but if you read this column regularly, you know there’s one thing that matters more to me than anything else: my faith.
Louie’s Pizza and Prayer, Inc. is a non-profit that operates independently yet in conjunction with Louie’s Pizza. They are firm believers that we are all just one prayer away from a great transformation in each of our lives.
Their mission is to serve those affected by natural disasters, feeding first responders and military personnel, and serving at ministry events. All donations are tax-deductible, and annual reports are available online. To find out more, email louiespizzala@gmail.com.
Great pizza. Great people. Great purpose.
