Sky's

After a recent leisurely drive through South Carolina low country to Florida, I had a chance to sample many slices along the way, and was disappointed in not finding anything praiseworthy. The only truly remarkable slice that I had during that week was from my regular Pensacola neighborhood joint, Sky’s Pizza Pie. Even though I had consistently proclaimed it my favorite in town, perhaps I was taking the quality for granted.

As whole pies emerge from a room sized stone decked bagel oven, the moisture of the toppings always glistens, the cornicione has several irregular mahogany bubbles of char, and the undercarriage also has some nice irregular dark blisters. Once a slice has cooled enough to handle, it is perfectly thin and delivers big dry aged mozzarella flavor. The much larger than average slices are so long that they hang off the plates. My experience with giant slices has usually been about high prices and low quality, but that isn’t the case here where the plain is $2.75.

Watching the pizzaiolo at Sky’s hand stretch a massive 24” pie that slides directly on the deck is the sign that these guys know what they are doing, and are keeping it as old school as possible. No screens or ridiculous modern conventions are used to bake the pies, and none of the pervasive sickly sweet sauce, or cheap ingredients to be found here. The high gluten flour actually gives the appearance and texture give the impression of a much lower protein old school crust. Great char spots exist instead of something gummy and golden.

This pie is a staple in my house when ordering out, and is not rivaled in quality anywhere in the whole Pensacola area. Sky’s is that mind’s eye perfect concept of pizza that is eaten cold; the exact pie that I imagine when watching Tony Soprano share a delivery pie with his kid.

The menu offers a solid selection of Italian meats, homemade meatballs, and some tasty sandwiches on house baked flatbreads. As I scour the south looking for the holy grail of slices, it is a comfort to know that Sky’s is in my own back yard delivering such solid pies.

Quality slices along the Gulf Coast are not exactly prolific, and any shift in the pizza culture here it is strongly felt. I’ve seen my favorite neighborhood guy move, and seen a few of the old guys fade away. Even moving to a new city was frustrating when finding the old "NY" spot I remembered just wasn’t as good. There have been extended periods of decent pie drought, and my obsession has driven me to great expense and faraway places in search of relief.