It has been a pleasure watching Tosca Stone Oven Pizzeria (4017 N. Mesa) evolve over the past couple of years. It was build on a solid foundation laid by the Sunset Pizzeria which had the best crust in town. The magic has been watching Tosca expand its menu beyond its Sunset roots in pizzas and salads to include calzone, pasta, soups and outstanding desserts.
Tosca’s Italian roots include an excellent marinara sauce for both their pizzas and pastas and some very exciting white pizza options. Many restaurants in El Paso, put a few pickled jalapeño slices or a little chopped green chile on something and call it special. What excites this Gringo Gourmet and supports my chile addiction is the way the Tosca chef’s have crafted the use of chiles into recipes that make you want to work your way through the entire menu.
I love white pizzas. My favorite at Tosca is the Green Devil – that wonderful Tosca crust topped with roasted poblanos, long green chiles, zucchini, pine nuts and a seranno sauce. Fantastic flavors melt in your mouth and make your eyes roll back in your head. Right up there with the Green Devil is the green chile chicken pizza.
In a more traditional style, my favorite red pizza is the Rustica – prosciutto, artichokes and a three olive medley on that amazing marinara sauce.
While I rave about Tosca’s pizzas, I have to share the spotlight with some of their other great creations.
I dearly love mussels and frequently order mussel appetizers and side salad as a meal in Italian restaurants. Tosca has taken mussels to a higher plane with their Mussel Beach pasta. Spinach pappardelle pasta cooked perfectly al dente, mussels, scallops, and shrimp in a spicy marinara sauce liberally sprinkled with parmesan cheese made my Sunday night dinner one to remember! There aren’t enough superlatives to describe this dish!
Not to be outdone in menu experimentation, my friend, Jack, had to try the green chile chicken pannini – chicken, long green chiles and Swiss cheese with a lemon parsley mojo had him raving.
One must save room for dessert at Tosca. The créme brûlée is so good that I had to dive in before shooting the picture.
Tosca also has a craft beer and wine bar that we will explore in another post. Until then, visit and savor Tosca.