Crossroads’ brewery City Barrel, known for its bright and hoppy brews, announced in 2022 that it was taking over Waldo’s Bier Station to open a taproom and family-friendly pizza joint. Over a year later, City Barrel Pizza + Patio (120 E. Gregory Blvd. KCMO) is finally on track to open its doors in early spring, hopefully March.
“The whole plan of City Barrel Pizza and Patio is to be New York-inspired pizza and deli with a focus on the neighborhood and creating a family-focused full-service restaurant experience,” says Executive Chef Benjamin Wood.
Wood, who was named Feast magazine’s 2020 Rising Star Chef, is spearheading the new venture. He spent the past two years perfecting his New York-style pizzas, complete with a hand-tossed sourdough crust, which incorporates a City Barrel seasonal lager in the sourdough starter. Wood is also excited to offer the lesser-known Grandma pizza.
“Think sheet pan pies,” Wood says. “You make a focaccia-style, or Sicilian-style, dough which is airy and bubbly, a thicker crust than what you would find in a New York-style dough. It’s not hand tossed. You press it into the pan with your hands. It’s topped Detroit-style. You put your cheese down first, then toppings. The sauce goes over the top and then you bake it.”
The two-story space will be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner service, and is intended to be “super laid back, super chill.” A large dog-friendly patio will have outdoor games and a full-service bar will have more than 30 beers on tap, half of them devoted to City Barrel brews, the other half made up of local yard beers. Craft cocktails, created by bar manager Jackie Gonzalez, will also be available.
Pizzas will largely be topped with traditional ingredients including high-quality cup and char pepperoni and sausage, which, according to Wood, is a “hot item” within the pizza world. The phrase “cup and char” refers to the way the pepperoni cooks as a topping.
Chef Wood says future plans for collaboration pizzas with other local chefs are in the works, and will give the pizza joint the opportunity to sell “funkier” flavors.
