Vegan Pizza Obsession: Classic Slice Pizza, Milwaukee

By JD for VeggieTerrain.com

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.  Cheese-less pizza is SO MUCH better than pizza with cheese!  No really, I’m being serious…

Don’t roll your eyes – it is so true, but with one little caveat: the ingredients must be top-notch.  This means no wilted spinach, old sprouty onions, tasteless tomatoes, or scraps from the bottom of your fridge.  It also means that your sauce must be flavorful and – preferably – home-made.

When it comes to the perfect pizza, I’ve done several posts on making your own (I’m apparently a bit of an addict), but for some reason I’ve completely neglected to talk about one of my favorite take-away pizza places.

Fortunately, that mistake is about to be remedied, as I lovingly dedicate the remainder of this post to the hipsters at Classic Slice in Milwaukee.

Somehow their pizza always convinces me that driving 2 hours, out-of-state, just for lunch, makes perfect sense, despite the fact that there are 10 pizza places within a stone’s throw of my apartment.  Yep, I’m really that pathetic!

Pictured, below, is one of the main reasons that CH and I keep keep going back to Classic Slice: the bread sticks.  Not only are they made from the same flawless dough that’s used for the pizza, but they’re also covered with fresh garlic and herbs, and accompanied by a pot of tasty tomato sauce.

One of CH’s favorite vegan picks, the Mediterranean, is in the photo below.  The pizza is covered with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, olive tapanade, and vegan sausage.  Notice that (1) it has no cheese, and (2) it is, nevertheless, delicious, even to my cheese-loving boyfriend!Even though Classic Slice offers 3 vegan options, the control freak side of me leads me to the “create your own” option time and time again.  I’m a sucker for black and green olives, garlic, tomatoes, and lots and lots of nutritional yeast (see the pic below).  Extra sauce is great, too….

Classic Slice Represents Bay View in Pizza Contest

By Molly Snyder for OnMilwaukee.com

It’s no surprise that Classic Slice agreed to be a part of OnMilwaukee.com’s “Slice of Milwaukee” pizza contest. After all, we’re talking about a staff that’s not afraid to get creative with their ‘za recipes, like the carnivorous Meat-tallica or the Bangkok Chicken Sriracha.

“The options can get pretty crazy, but they’re always good,” says Denise Gerou, Classic Slice manager and pizza thrower.

The Slice of Milwaukee pizza contest requires the four participating restaurants to create a pie that’s a tribute to Brew City, something Classic Slice has done before. Well, sort of.

“We made the Baconizer in honor of the Cedar Block / Francis Bacon exhibit at the art museum and the Free Ride honoring Harley-Davidson’s 105th, but never anything just for Milwaukee,” says Classic Slice owner, Marisa Lang.

Classic Slice opened two years ago, pioneering the way for additional quality pizza joints like Marchese’s Olive Pit, 1100 S. 1st St., and Transfer Pizzeria Café, 101 W. Mitchell St.

Classic Slice features a mix of traditional and gourmet pizzas, including vegan options and pesto or Alfredo sauces for customers who prefer white to red sauce.

Classic Slice pizza is available by the pie or the slice, but their slices aren’t skinny floppies or for those with a sparrow’s appetite. Instead, a Classic Slice slice is a hearty wedge piled with ingredients.

“We get as many fresh ingredients as we can,” says Gerou.

The slices cost between $3.75 and $5.50, and the 16-inch, 20-inch and 26-inch pies range from $13.75 to $26.

Lang says the most popular pizzas on the menu are the The Dolce (fresh garlic, tomatoes, mozzarella and basil), the sausage / mushroom / onion and the Anne Curry (curry sauce, spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes and homemade tofu.)

Classic Slice feature a “Slice of the Week,” a recipe invented by an employee. Previous concoctions include the “Olive Oyl.”

Classic Slice offers salads and desserts, along with beer and wine.

Interestingly, the Bay View pizzeria is almost pizza slice-shaped, and features an open, clean, comfy atmosphere. Lang describes it as a “nice community hang out (and) very Milwaukee — comfortable, easy, but also a little New York style, a little kitschy.”

Dude Foods Reviews Classic Slice

By Nick Chipman for DUDEFOODS.COM

I’ve been a loyal Classic Slice customer ever since they opened the doors of their first location almost five and a half years ago. In that span I’ve tried every single type of pizza that they offer, but my go-to slice when I eat there continues to be their Popeye pizza, which consists of bacon, spinach, white sauce and ricotta cheese. Honestly though, every other slice I’ve ever had there has been great as well.

I’m not really sure why I’ve never written about Classic Slice until now, but the main reason probably has something to do with the fact that anytime I’m there I devour my gigantic slice of pizza in about two minutes, and until now I’ve never even paused long enough to snap a few pictures of my food.

A couple of my other Classic Slice favorites include the Meatalliza pizza (meatballs, sausage, pepperoni and bacon) and I’m Feta Up!!! (spinach, black olives, artichokes and feta cheese.) Not a meat eater? Classic Slice has you covered with one of their three vegan pizzas like their Anne Curry pizza (curry sauce, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, tofu and tomatoes.)

If you like pizza and live in Milwaukee I’m sure you’ve already eaten at Classic Slice, but on the off chance that you haven’t you owe it to yourself to stop in to either their original Bay View location or their new location on the east side that opened in January of 2011.