From Beloved Pop-Up to Brick-and-Mortar: Everything to Know About Tribute Pizza's Cozy New Home

Opening a brick - and - trench mortar pizzeria has been a lifelong dream for Matt Lyons . After an eight - calendar month stretch in Nairobi where he helped developa Neapolitan - style pizzeria(hisentire travelogueis worth a read ) , Lyons returned to San Diego to launchTribute Pizzaas a bolt down - up conception on Pi Day ( March 14 ) in 2013 . With his little portable oven and meticulously craft dough , Lyons regularly coif up shop at Coffee & Tea Collective in North Park to sell " neo - Neapolitan " PIE , quickly earning him a religious cult conform to among vicinity locals and pizza nerds likewise .

Now , Lyons is putting his pizza - making skills to work as the chef and founder of a real - deal pizzeria in the warmness of North Park . The restaurant ’s name neatly sums up the destination of the enterprise : to pay protection to the world ’s best pizzas and pizzerias , including Apizza Scholls in Portland , Paulie Gee ’s in Brooklyn , Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix , and many more .

" We ’re not looking to create precise replicas or take something and make it our own , " explains Lyons . " We want to make something incredible as well as we can . "

Tribute Pizza San Diego

Erin Jackson/Thrillist

With that delegation in thinker , here ’s everything you demand to know about the latest ( and arguably greatest ) Modern pizza spot in township .

People once mailed packages here

The 3,500sqft building that houses Tribute most latterly served as the community post office . Lyon state the current layout is fairly similar to the building ’s former life ( the heel counter separating the receptive kitchen did n’t move , and the floors are original ) , but some elements , like a charred Natalie Wood wall made from the flooring from his grandfather ’s home , are raw . Soon , a custom - designed pizza pie masthead will pother ( proudly , we simulate ) atop the flagpole conveniently already climb on on the cap .

Yes, there’s beer, but there are other delicious drinks, too

testimonial has 16 tasty cunning brewage on tap , but if you ’re more concerned in wine , it ’s draw you covered with a thoughtful selection uncommitted by the bottle or chalk . Lyons is in particular fond of the Gragnano , a jammy red with a touch of frothiness that cuts through fatty cheese and Olea europaea rock oil , making it a natural sexual union for pizza . There are also two taps dedicated to house - made tonic ( flavor rotate , but have included basil lemonade , peach creamsicle , and jamaica with grapefruit ) .

The artwork is on point

Local artist , Denisse Wolf , create two giant paintings for the space that pay court to pizza makers and their craft , including an Andy Warhol - inspired piece draw a can of Bianco DiNapoli tomatoes , and this portrait of Chris Bianco , Lyon ’s wise man , of Pizzeria Bianco .

The pizza is, obviously, outstanding

For many pizza lovers , the margherita pie is the arrant benchmark to judge the quality of any given pizza shop . Here , it ’s made with constitutional Bianco DiNapoli tomato , creamy tonic mozz , St. Basil the Great , and primo olive oil – and serves as a meet court to its aspiration , Pizzeria Brandi in Naples .

The easygoing yet live crust reveals a master at workplace . Lyons aver his recipe takings dough that ’s closer to bread shekels than most pizza pie dough . Two key divisor that make it savor so delicious are the flour , sourced from Central Milling , and the water , which is vastly improved by a rearward osmosis system that he put in just to make Tribute ’s unequaled pelf . The pizza dough is also stored in a completely separate cooler from the beer to stop any crossing - taint , so the dough remain as pristine as potential , and the beer can be served as the brewers intended .

The oven is the heart of the operation

That sleek blue green number you ’re expect at is a 1,500 pound Ellen Price Wood - fired Renato oven . It ’s right at home in Tribute ’s overt kitchen , but go it in was n’t precisely a cakewalk . Lyons and the bunch had to remove three windows , a door , and a piece of the exterior to get the beast inside .

“ It take a work party of eight professional equipment movers , two forklift , two 18 - wheelers , eight hours , and a pretty centime , ” say Lyons . “ But it ’s the pith , it ’s the engine . ”

The oven burns fallen ashen oak and is connected to a pollution controller system that turns the skunk into sporting water vapor , reducing the emissions and smell by 96 % . Lyons says instal a scheme like this is something he ’s always wanted to do . “ burn Natalie Wood is sturdy to rationalize , except for it ’s the good style to misrepresent a pizza , ” he say . “ We want a Grant Wood - fired oven , so we put a lot of effort into mitigate the effect on the neighbourhood and the environs . "

Tribute Pizza San Diego

Erin Jackson/Thrillist

Lots of things besides pizza come out of the oven

Loaves of focaccia , shishito white pepper , brocollini , and filbert of corn also do clock time in the pizza oven ( and reach their vertex flavor potential , thanks to the hothothot flames ) .

There’s a taco-inspired pizza

Most of the pizzas pay tribute to other pizzas , except for the Al Pastor : a blank pie inspired by Tacos El Gordo with house - made al pastor blimp , panela cheese , Mrs. Henry Wood - roasted corn whiskey , and poblano white pepper and a touching of Mexican crema . It is , again , obviously delicious .

Vegetarians are well-served

When the proprietor of a restaurant is vegetarian , chances are practiced there will be plenty of considerate non - meat particular to select from . At Tribute , options for vegetarian let in several pizzas and the Brutus salad , a fish - free take on the Caesar made with grilled romaine , focaccia croutons , and creamy , zesty dressing that swaps anchovy for Calabrian chilies , which introduce a similar brackish tone . The genius looker is the work of chef Brian LaBonte , who Lyons enunciate is behind some of the more inventive plate .

While most of the pizza pie offerings are static , salads will evolve with the season to showcase the freshest produce available . Get this melon vine panzanella salad while you’re able to . It ’s made with sweet cubes of local melon vine , sherry acetum - marinated crouton , roast heirloom cherry tree tomatoes , basil , and mint . “ It ’s just a kickshaw , ” Lyons says .

Get ready for house-made charcuterie

In the near future , Lyons is stoke to tramp out a house - made charcuterie program at Tribute that will see a variety of meats made on the premiss . For now , the meat is sourced from elsewhere and is available as part of five- , seven- , or nine - item platters ( with tall mallow and veggies ) . The largest size ( seen above ) comes with a full loaf of bracing - baked focaccia with premium European olive tree vegetable oil and 18 - year aged balsamic vinegar for dipping .

As of printing press time , Tribute is in " tops soft opening " mode ( closed on Monday , open 5 - 10pm Sunday and Tuesday - Thursday , and until 11 pm on Friday and Saturday ) , but you ’ll want to head over there soon – at least before the residuum of San Diego is discover into the fact that their preferred pizza spotlight is n’t just a pop - up novelty any longer – it ’s a bonafide business with a lasting home .

Tribute Pizza San Diego