For this post, we are going to talk about something near and dear to Ian’s heart. And no, I don’t mean me. I mean pizza! One of his top two favorite foods! Few things make that man happier than a good pizza. Spoiler alert, we found one. We decided to finally try a joint we have driven by many times and talked about even more. Tribute Pizza is located in North Park. This unique spot used to be a post office! It’s located right by Ian’s gym, so it tempts him almost daily.

The space is very open and inviting. Instantly you smell the cheese, baking crust, and garlic. I walked in not even hungry (strange for me), but quickly turned into a very hangry beast. We decided to split a few different things in order to get more of an appreciation for the place. We started with the “Et Tu Brute” salad. A fun take on the ordinary Caesar salad. The romaine lettuce is grilled and then topped with calabrian chiles, parmigiano reggiano, focaccia croutons, and their “brutus” dressing. A spicy, smoky take on the Caesar dressing we know and love. It was delicious. We all but licked the plate. Then, we decided to split the meatballs. Oh man, do I love meatballs (please feel free to insert your clever jokes here). These did not disappoint. They were simmered in a rich, salty marinara, mixed with peppers and onions, and served with warm, crusty bread. They basically melted in our mouths. Again, we licked the bowl.

Now, the main attraction! The ‘za! We decided to try the weekly pizza. Luckily for us, that week it was the “Cadillac Margherita Coup DeVille.” A souped up margherita pizza topped with heirloom cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, pecorino romano, melted burrata, and then drizzled with basil infused olive oil. I can’t even begin to say how good it was. The crust was perfectly done. Good crunch on the outside with the perfect chew on the inside. Sturdy enough to hold those delicious toppings. The kicker though? The basil olive oil. Perfect topping on a perfect pizza. Man, I’m a little forlorn reminiscing on this pizza as I sit on my couch eating a cheese stick while watching reruns of Pretty Little Liars (don’t judge, we all have our guilty pleasures). On a side note, I’m going to let you in on a fun secret about our pizza lover, Ian. One that, I’ll be honest, I find a little strange. Whenever Ian tries a new pizza place, he prefers to order either a cheese pizza or a margherita pizza. In his words, “if they can get those right, they can get everything else right.” Personally, I like toppings. The more the merrier in my opinion. After eating that pizza at Tribute though, I can say he honestly may be changing my mind on the matter. I also quickly bumped Tribute to my favorite pizza I have had in San Diego. We will see if it continues to hold that title as Ian drags me to more pizza places across town (and no, it will not take much convincing to get me there).

We will be back to Tribute. Probably more than once. I recommend you go as well. Great atmosphere, and even better pizza! Ian’s only remorse? That we no longer have a post office close to our house!