With how many restaurants have opened in Detroit over the past 10 years, you probably haven't been able to check out all of them. There are places you drive by or walk past all of the time that you wonder about, but haven't had the chance to try yet.
Mootz Pizzeria & Bar was one of those places for us.
During the holidays, we decided to give Mootz a try while we were downtown visiting the markets and the tree. Mootz is sort of tucked away while being in the center of it all, located at 1230 Library Street next to Vincente's Cuban Cuisine. On the date that we visited, it seemed like a lot of other people had the same idea, so we opted to skip the line and sit at the bar. The restaurant is fun and inviting, with sort of a retro feel. The kitchen is located parallel to the bar along the opposite edge of the restaurant rather than at the back of the restaurant like most places in Detroit. That's because the kitchen also leads to a separate carryout entrance, where you can quickly pick up a slice or a whole order that you placed online.
For this visit we weren't quite sure about the portion sizes so we decided to share a 14" pizza and a personal sized salad. The pizzas all come in 10" or 14" and salads are served as personal size or shareable. This was just right for the two of us, but we came pretty hungry! The pizza was thin and round, the opposite of a lot of pizza joints in Detroit. We wanted to try something different, so we went with the Mediterranean, which was topped with Mootzarella, NYC pizza sauce, banana peppers, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, feta, arugula, EVOO. It was very tasty, but The Library Salad that we started out with definitely stole the show. The salad featured romaine, cherry tomatoes, carrots, radishes, grilled chicken, bacon, feta, candied pecans, and Mootz's famous house dressing. The combination wasn't something we would have come up with on our own, but it was delicious.
You may have figured by now that this visit was made by Christie and not Sadie, with the mention of cheeses, chicken, and bacon. However, it is important to mention that Mootz does offer vegan cheese, so you can easily swap out ingredients so your vegan friends can enjoy this restaurant too! The menu includes both traditional and more adventurous pizzas and salads, as well as hoagies, pasta, and some great appetizers. Some of the starters that popped out to us that we'll have to try next time included The Sharing Plank charcuterie board, Burrate, and the Truffled Bumblebee, which was ricotta, bee pollen, honeycomb, fig, truffle honey, and Tony’s walnut focaccia bread. Mootz also offers a full bar with craft cocktails, craft beers, and wine. One important thing to note is that soft drinks are served by the bottle or can, not from a fountain. So, sip slowly because there won't be free refills!
Mootz Pizzeria & Bar is open for diners and drinkers Sunday, Monday, and Thursday from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. - midnight. The carryout window is open until 11 p.m. Thursday - Monday. Give Mootz a follow on Facebook and Instagram to learn more about this restaurant.
~C
