by Chrysa Smith

Pizza is just one of those foods where there’s a lot of personal preference. Thin vs. thick crust. Plain. Pepperoni. Hawaiian. New York vs. the rest of the country. But one of the most interesting I’ve found lies within an organic franchise that is all about chic.

Jules Pizza can be found in Southeastern PA and Danville, CA. From the trendy Italian chairs to the funky lighting and minimalist decor, the scene is set for trendy pizza as well. The pizza is thin crust—very thin crust. According to Jules, it’s thanks to a high gluten flour (and there is also a gluten-free variety) that makes it so deliciously thin and crisp. Like many pizzerias, the various varieties (and there are 28) are displayed behind a glass counter (though not all at once). And everything, I mean everything, comes from regional suppliers. The fresh cheese, veggies, and even the meat toppings are local. That means fresh. But that’s just for starters.

There are no ‘uber’ pizza ovens or the heat that arises from them. When they cut you a slice, it gets put through a machine and can best be described as a horizontal toaster. On a conveyer type belt, it runs through, warms up and comes out the other side. Your meal is put on a sheet of wax paper and onto a wooden board. Beautiful glass canisters offer you free, cold water. But for those who want something with more flavor, there are a variety of healthy ice teas and designer sodas.

What fascinates me most are the chef brainiacs that come up with the flavor combinations, because they are truly different. Of course there are the basics for the purists among us. My favorite is carmelized chicken with onions, the four cheese and the variety with chunks of fresh mozzarella with chopped tomatoes and basil. But last week I tried kale with chopped apples and a lemon vinagrette dressing. There are varieties with feta cheese, pulled pork, bacon, fig jam, gorgonzola, arugula, black beans, shaved zucchini, cucumbers, cranberries and pecans. Truly too many to name, or possibly remember. If you’re in the area, I’d give it a go—and speaking of ‘go’, you can do so quickly on line or through one of their ‘fly by’ windows–ala burger joint—without the belly hurting, bulging, fat-laden, high-cholesterol results.

For those who live within their area, check them out at www.julesthincrust.com.
For those who don’t, take a tip and experiment with your own pizza toppings.
Pizza isn’t just for tomatoes anymore.