Uptown Pizzeria + Wine Bar a slice of culinary heaven
Uptown Pizzeria + Wine Bar
M-Sat 4-9 pm, Sun 4-8pm
422 Conant St, Maumee, OH 43537
(567) 402-0160
The brick building at 422 Conant Street in Maumee has had a number of faces over the past years, including a bank and a fondue restaurant. And its latest incarnation, Uptown Pizzeria + Wine Bar is a tasty addition to the tenant list.
Uptown Pizzeria’s owners Shawn and Megan McClellan also own Levis and Lilac’s Whiskey Room, and previously operated the Conant St. location as a fondue restaurant. The
couple announced last October that they were switching their format to a different state of melted cheese, from fondue to pizza.
Walking into Uptown Pizzeria’s chic interior, the cool art on the walls is engaging along with the chill of the robust air conditioning. The dining room features large, comfortable chairs and sturdy tables of various sizes, from a cozy table for two, to a large table for five or six diners.
Shaken, not stirred
Our party of five visited Uptown Pizzeria where we were greeted by a friendly server, Sydney, who was a total expert on the selections available, from the craft cocktail menu to the wine list to the various artisan pizzas, salads and starters.
The cocktail menu featured old classics such as the martini (available with stuffed olives), the Sazerac, and an Old-Fashioned, but I was drawn to the specialty drinks, particularly
the Lost In Oaxaca, a smoky potion containing mezcal, aperol, lime juice, simple syrup, pineapple juice, egg white, and my all-time favorite spirit, absinthe. The drink both wets your whistle and whets your appetite for the awesome selections on the eclectic food menu.
Ample appetizers
Before ordering from the pizza menu, our party indulged in some of the appetizers, which are not your usual pizzeria fare. Sure, they have such classics as mozzarella sticks and smoked chicken wings, but we were drawn to the duck bacon wontons, savory duck bacon and cream cheese filled pockets of goodness, served with a spicy and sweet dipping sauce.
The stuffed mushrooms were also engaging, featuring large caps of fungi, packed with Italian sausage, cheese, diced tomatoes and chilies. We also tried Uptown’s fresh salads, including the Caesar and the beet salad, a delightful mix of sweet, pickled beets tossed with mixed greens, apple slices, red onion and goat cheese, all drizzled with a delicious vinaigrette.
Pizza paradise
Finally, ready for the main event, we settled on our pizza order. And like the Italian flavor from the recent Winter Olympics, these pies did not disappoint.
We sought out the most unusual pizzas on the menu to see how far Uptown Pizzeria could take their culinary art. We ordered the Fiesta Verde, which attracted us with a pesto sauce base and toppings of chorizo, goat cheese, red onion, jalapeño, tomato and fresh arugula. The pie was delightfully spicy and featured a mixture of flavors that make your taste buds dance. No red pepper flakes required. We also tried the ‘Shroom With A View (despite one member of our groups claimed aversion to cutesy names for food items), another pesto-based pie with large cr- emini mushrooms, red onion, lots of mozzarella, also topped with arugula.
We ordered both these pizzas with thin crust, which was cracker-crispy, and not the least bit soggy (always a potential hazard when going ‘thin’).
We also ordered the Spicy Swine- Apple on Uptown’s traditional Pinsa crust (inspired by flatbread made in ancient Rome), crisp on the outside with a soft center. This take on the classic Hawaiian pizza comes with ham, pineapple, bacon, jalapeños, and feta cheese, all set upon Uptown’s red sauce.
Our party was too full to sample any dessert offerings, which include peanut butter chocolate cake, chocolate torte and Italian lemon cream cake, but there will be a next time for us at Uptown because they offer pizza the way it’s meant to be served.
