Inside: Black Sheep

Black Sheep is introducing coal fired pizza to Minnesota, the way it's done in Italy and NYC. They want you to order your old standby, and if owner Jordan Smith has anything to do with it, he'll make it the best pizza you've ever had (in MN at least.)

If you're feeling worldly, order up a Manila clam and garlic pizza, or salt packed anchovies on your tomato and oregano 'za (both of which are sauce-less pizzas). The secret here is simple: coal fired classic Italian ingredients that are as fresh as they can be.

There are two inspirations for this spot; the first is the coal firing, which is the original pizza baking method in Brooklyn and NYC. This method shaped the American pizza eating experience, and Black Sheep is currently the only pizzeria in Minnesota to use this old-school method. According to the Black Sheep menu, the pizza here is made in a way that honors the craft of the pizza pioneers, and the coal is clean burning and virtually emission free.

The idea for all of this came to Smith and his wife while they sat in Harlem, at the famed Patsy’s.

The second inspiration for Black Sheep goes back even further than the American pizzerias that first popped up in NYC. Take a trip across the Atlantic Ocean to Naples, where Smith said the inspiration for many of the ingredients came from. Many of these toppings might appear off-beat to a Minnesotan, but are the classics of Italy.

All of this history is now housed in the trendy Loop neighborhood, in the garden level of an old warehouse. From this vantage point, passers-by can peer into the cozy spot, which illuminates Washington Ave. with its fiery hearth.

In addition to the crusty, chewy, melty pizzas, you'll find fresh farmers market salads, pulls of local brews, house wine (as well as bottles of more aged vino) and a hefty cookie ice cream sandwich for dessert.

With such doable prices, easy parking and crave-worthy pies, it looks like Black Sheep will soon become a Twin Cities staple.