Discovered in 1953, pizza is the only food to have been eaten on the moon, blessed by a pope, and endorsed by Olympic marathoner Gezahegne Abera—the "triple crown" of food honors. With today's Groupon, $10 gets you $20 worth of dine-in or carryout pies at one of zpizza's four Phoenix-area locations (see sidebar for a complete list). The eco-friendly eatery satisfies culinary cravings conscientiously, with MSG-free meats and green-minded practices.
Inspired by their physically and socially active California origins, the pies at zpizza start out with an entirely organic, whole-wheat-flour base, hand-thrown and fire-baked until crisp. Zpizza creations include the Napoli (basted with homemade roasted-garlic sauce, mozzarella, tomato slices, parmesan, and fresh basil), Greek (feta, red onions, firm kalamata olives, tomatoes, oregano, and mozzarella), and Thai (splashed with peanut sauce and dressed with mozzarella, spicy chicken, red onions, cilantro, carrots, crisp bean sprouts, and Serrano chilies). Depending on the location, prices and menu options vary. Not including tax, specialty pizza creations can start at around $10 for 10", $17 for 14", and $20 for 18". Classic consumers can opt for the standard cheese ($17.50 for 18") or pepperoni ($19.50 for 18"), or create their own pie. Zpizza's menu includes salads ($5.95–$8.50 for regular salads), calzones ($6.95), and pasta dishes ($7.50). An assortment of cookies rounds out the sweet side.
With organic sauce and flour, as well as gluten-free and vegan options, zpizza's pies contain about half the calories and fat of normal pizza. Eight pizzas and four featured salads can be altered to accommodate vegan diners. From fresh-baked crusts to crisp, exotic produce (cremini and shiitake mushrooms, roasted eggplant, truffle oil, pine nuts), the good-for-you grub is a fit alternative to traditional recipes. Choose to redeem your Groupon at any of the four Phoenix-area locations for dine-in or carryout only. Call ahead and mention your Groupon before going.
Reviews
The Arizona Republic likes zpizza's innovative pies:
- Inventive California-themed spot offers such creations as the Moroccan with pesto, mozzarella, eggplant, feta and pine nuts, and the Thai with peanut sauce, cilantro, carrots, bean sprouts and chiles. Salads, sandwiches and calzones also are available, along with a pizza topped with cinnamon-roasted apples, powdered sugar, Mascarpone cheese, toasted almonds and caramel to end the meal on a sweet note. – Arizona Republic
More than 90% of Urbanspooners like zpizza, and Yelpers give it 3.5 stars:
- I really think ZPizza is great! I love the hundreds of choices they give you in creating your pizza! They have the best variety of pizza toppings, sauces, and crusts to choose from! My favorite pizza creation is on whole wheat crust with organic tomato sauce, soy cheese, jalapenos and veggie sausage on top. It is so good! I also do not feel as guilty eating ZPizza as I do at other pizza joints around town! – Stephanie Baker, Urbanspoon
Groupon Says
Extra Credit (and Extra Cheese)
CONTENT: Zpizza derives its name from the National Standard of Pizza Grading, which uses a reverse-alphabetical scale on which Z (short for “zenith of pizza quality”) is the highest grade, Y is the second highest, and so on. Confusing? You bet. That’s why we’ve transcribed the scale in its entirety to help inform all future pizza-purchasing decisions:
A: Awful pizza
B: Bad Pizza
C: Crummy Pizza
D: Dad, I don’t eat pizza, I’m vegan now
E: Eat it, Stephanie, your mother worked hard on that pizza
F: Forgivably bad pizza, made by enthusiastic children
G: Gosh, this pizza is bad
H: Hey, everybody! I found an almost-untouched pizza on the bus!
I: Insufficient portions of pizza
J: Just kidding, I’m not dying. I just wanted you to come over because I can’t finish this pizza
K: King Ralph wouldn’t even eat this pizza, and Wikipedia defines him as an “easy-going slob”!
L: Lackluster pizza
M: Mediocre pizza
N: Not very good pizza
O: Okay pizza
P: Pizza (Italian, pronounced pit.tsa) is a world-popular dish of Italian origin, made with an oven-baked, flat, generally round bread that is often covered with tomatoes or a tomato-based sauce and cheese. Other toppings are added according to region, culture, or personal preference. Originating from Italian cuisine, the dish has become popular in many different parts of the world. A shop or restaurant that primarily makes and sells pizzas is called a pizzeria. The phrases pizza parlor, pizza place, and pizza shop are used in the United States. The term pizza pie is dialectal, and pie is used for simplicity in some contexts, such as among pizzeria staff.
Q: Quietly hand me the pizza, and no harm will come to your beloved tarantula.
R: Respectable pizza
S: Satisfactory pizza
T: Tony! Why come’a you don’t talk’a with’a fake Italian accent for the nice’a customers?
U: Unexpectedly good pizza
V: Very good pizza
W: Whoa, who made this pizza, an angel?
X: X-rays are a government conspiracy to increase your xenophobia and make you purchase xylophones.
Y: Yikes! This pizza is so good, it’s scary!
Z: (see above)
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