The Brick Oven, Austin

Scrumptious-looking calzone!  It's the cheese which makes this dish and the rest of the food at the Brick Oven great.  Their brick oven helps as well.  If you're traveling through Austin on I-35 or are in the Downtown Austin area, this is a great stop for lunch.

Pizza pie is the main reason to come to the Brick Oven.  Here its made the old-country way.  The brick oven makes the difference here producing a pizza with perfect crust allowing the cheese to melt into the pie without burning.  And they don't hold back on the mozzarella here.

Located in Downtown Austin:

There are three locations in Austin, but my favorite is the downtown one.  It's located just off of I-35.  Take the 12th Street Exit.  The place is on the northeast corner of Red River and 12th.  If you're passing through Austin, the Brick Oven is a must stop for lunch or dinner.  Please note that the downtown location does not open until 5 p.m. on Sunday.


A Cup of House Red:

The house wine is a great way to start a meal.  Sip it, roll it on the back of your tongue, savor the flavor, and two glasses will take you through the meal.


Baked Mushroom Appetizer: 

Like I said, it's the cheese which makes the dish.  The Brick Oven imports fresh mozzarella cheese from somewhere up north.  Whatever brand they use, I would love to know.

The Stromboli: 

I'm not sure what the difference between a Stromboli and a Calzone is, but my wife Vilma and I pick one or the other based on the ingredients.  Since she's not much on bell peppers, Vilma picked the Stromboli with mushrooms, pepperoni, and mozzarella (of course).


The Calzone:

I call the Calzone a rolled pizza.  Each ingredient mingles its flavor with the others for a great flavor.  But it's the mozzarella which makes the difference here.  This calzone has everything in the world in it, including the bell pepper.  For the insides, see the photo at the top of this posting.


Mediterranean Pizza:

They have a mess of pizza choices and you can even design your own.  But we chose the Mediterranean topped with a layer of feta cheese smothered with mozzarella.  What a flavor combo!  Then they add both green and black olives along with red onions.  The pizza is finished with herbed meatballs with roasted garlic pesto.  Of course there's oregano and olive oil.  This has got to be one of the best pizzas that I have ever eaten.