Whoa! Cruising through the small town of Fruita, CO, today, after changing drivers, on our way from Ouray to Moab, Utah, we began to see bikes everywhere--actual bikes, bike signage, bike sculpture, and finally, a funky-looking bike w/tomato sign for an eatery that simply drew us in. Hot Tomato Cafe.
Then the friendly staffers, the vibrant feel, and the Granny's Pesto Pizza sealed the deal. We bought, we ate, we swooned, we reckoned that the locals, who began to stream in about 5:30, felt the same way.
What a find, especially when not looking for anything at all. ( To eat, that is. We were in search of fruit production stories from the area. More on that to come.)
Turns out Fruita, a town settled as a center for fruit-growing---who knew?---is today a major mountain bike center, and the cafe itself was the inspiration of a biker and a biker/bike photographer.
Did they know that the tomato is a fruit?
Likely they did. They live in Fruita, so yes.
Here is the inestimable Granny Pesto, a pie with feta as well as mozzarella, thin-crusted and generously loaded with basil-rich sauce and multitudes of tomato.
We intended to take the pizza--2 giant slices-- with us on down the road to Moab, for eating later. Having taken it "out," we sniffed the box, opened it, and sat in our parked vehicle, scarfing it down right then and there, offering bits of crust to our eager terrier whose vocabulary includes the words "pizza night."
Love our local hang out...best pie ever!
Posted by: Sharon | June 18, 2011 at 07:47 PM
Hot Tomato- best pizza west of the Delaware River!
--Mark
Posted by: Laidlaw | June 18, 2011 at 02:45 PM