If there is one thing I love, it's pizza. If it is two things, it's pizza and beer. Luckily I know just the place to get both.
800 Degrees is no news to the Summit City. With it's two locations in Fort Wayne, the first on Lima and Dupont and the second out southwest on Illinois Road, they have made quite the success in the local dining scene. The north location was the first to open, offering a casual pizza parlor atmosphere and a small bar with a handful of craft beers on tap. A few years, later 800 Degrees Three Fires opened southwest offering a more upscale setting, but still casual. The location boasts 14 craft beer taps, two of which are nitro, and an impressive wine selection. While the location offers much the same delicious pizzas and starters as the north location, their added occasional chef menu offers creative wood-fired entrees.
The executive chef, Matt Rogers, brings the experience of his time as a Sous Chef at Joseph Decuis to the wood-fired pizza scene here in Fort Wayne. His gourmet expertise is obvious in the detail and creativity given to not only the pizzas but the entrees served out of those roaring fires. One of my personal favorites is the self-named pizza, the 800. Think spicy sausage, mozzarella, ricotta, and roasted red peppers all topped off with a delicious chili oil for added heat. One of my other personal favorites is the Mista salad. It is a light and refreshing salad made unique by the addition of the fennel and pine nuts in a very light, house-made, oil-based dressing that ties it altogether.
I am a very big fan of 800 Degrees, some that know me well enough would call me a 'regular.' I am also gluten intolerant. When I made the change to gluten-free I thought I would forever sign off two of my favorite things, but I didn't have to. 800 Degrees offers gluten free pizza crust for any of their full-sized pizza selections. Not only that, they carry an impressive amount of gluten-free beers and wine for me to fall back on. It is that accommodation and their commitment to making the customer feel cared for that brought me back to discover their wonderful gluten-free selections. Finally, it's a combination of the food, the service, and the great relationships I've built while bellied up to their rail that keeps me going back.
I hope to see you there!
