Oct 13, 2017
There's brick-oven pizza in Batavia now, handmade by Ken Mistler.
You might know Mistler's restaurant as City Slickers but that's changed, too. The entire restaurant, not just the front, fast-food counter, is now Ken's Charcoal Pits (new signs have been ordered for the building, but haven't yet been installed).
Mistler added the brick oven to the enclosed (during winter) patio on the west side of the restaurant and started serving pizza two weeks ago.
He makes it himself. He described the pizza as artisanal, Neapolitan-style and wood-fired. The oven cooks the pizza at 750 to 800 degrees, so each pizza cooks in about 90 seconds. It comes out hot, with a crisp crust and a bit of that wood-fired flavor.
There are seven pizza options on the menu and he also offers a vegetarian pizza and all pizzas can be made with gluten-free dough.
The pizza oven is fired up from 5 p.m. 'til closing time on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Ken's Charcoal Pits is located at 59 W. Main St., Batavia.
By Howard B. Owens, The Batavian
