Over the holidays, I took a little break from blogging. I had a plan to count down to Christmas with daily posts, which turned out to be a little too ambitious. I had some fun giveaways planned, but the elves at Etsy and ebay were not exactly busting their asses to get stuff shipped, so those giveaways didn’t happen. The Post Office was in on the conspiracy too. I had to go to mail a package and buy some stamps for our Christmas cards. You know why they are called “forever” stamps, don’t you? It’s because that’s how long you will have to wait in line to buy them. It is also, coincidentally, how long it will be before I go back there. I saw a little sign posted at one of the employees’ stations that said “Remember, we have competition.” That sign must have been written when the Pony Express was still in operation. With a quill.
But it’s a new year, full of promise and hope. And for my first post of 2015, I say out with the new and in with the old — time for a Retro Dining post.
Star Pizza was founded in 1976 by two Chicagoans who relocated to Houston. There are two locations — one near the Upper Kirby District at 2111 Norfolk, and another, which is the one I frequent, in the Heights at 77 Harvard.
The dining room is homey and bright:
The menu offers a variety of salads, sandwiches, and pasta, but it’s the pizza that keeps ’em coming. Although it might not seem earth-shaking now, when Star Pizza opened and began offering hand-tossed pizza with a whole wheat crust option and vegetarian toppings, this was gourmet pizza. Joe’s Pizza, for example, with sautéed spinach and fresh garlic, was and still is one of my favorites. I think of the crust as Goldilocks crust — not too thick, not too thin, just right.
The lunchtime pizza and salad buffet is one of the best deals around, and a great way to sample Star Pizza. For $9.25 you get iced tea and all the salad and pizza you can eat. If you are one of those folks who likes to eat for sport, this is the buffet for you. The salad bar is small, but has a nice assortment of fixings (including chopped hard-boiled eggs and real bacon). Although it often looks like a bunch of 10-year olds just finished rooting through it (like the salad bars at every boy scout camp I’ve ever been to), the ingredients are always fresh and regularly replenished. But the best reason to stop first at the salad bar is the thick, tangy, herby house-made Italian dressing.
There are lots of pizzas (almost too many) to choose from on the buffet, including Joe’s Pizza. During the height of the lunch hour (at which you can expect a short wait to be seated), the pizzas come out fast and hot:
Be sure to leave room for a bite or two of the dessert pizza, which is like a deconstructed apple strudel, with apples and pecans, a dusting of powdered sugar, and will make you happy you wore your stretchy pants to lunch.
The secret to Star Pizza’s longevity is clear — fresh and ample toppings, a great crust, and a solid value. Despite a proliferation of pizza restaurants, Star Pizza continues to have a loyal customer base. Including me.
