Tipsy Tomato offers personal, quality pizzas in a trio of restaurants

A hot slice of taco pizza from Tipsy Tomato Tuesday, February 14, 2023, at Tipsy Tomato in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (Geoff Stellfox/Newspaper)
Kaidyn Hamilton of Tipsy Tomato places a Five Seasons pizza in the oven on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, at the Tipsy Tomato in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (Geoff Stellfox/Newspaper)
A taco pizza is sprinkled with cilantro on an out-of-the-oven taco pizza Tuesday, February 14, 2023, at Tipsy Tomato in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (Geoff Stellfox/Newspaper)
This hot Five Seasons pizza just came out of the oven Tuesday, February 14, 2023, at the Tipsy Tomato in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Ingredients include Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, mushrooms, green peppers, tomato and cheese mix. (Geoff Stellfox/Newspaper)
Kaidyn Hamilton of Tipsy Tomato prepares Five Seasons pizza at Tipsy Tomato in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Tuesday, February 14, 2023. Ingredients include Italian sausage, Canadian bacon, mushrooms, green peppers, tomato and cheese mix. (Geoff Stellfox/Newspaper)

CEDAR RAPIDS – A new pizzeria in Cedar Rapids brings high-quality personal pizza to the city.

Tipsy Tomato, one of the newest products in Epic Catering’s ever-evolving restaurant portfolio, opened on February 9 as the second restaurant of a planned triplex. It joins its luxury sibling, Midtown Reserve, which opened next door in October.

Separated by only a wall, Midtown’s high-end wine list bleeds into Epic Catering’s other conglomerate in a few ways – by name and by recipes.

The concept started with the idea of ​​incorporating alcohol flavor profiles into smaller pizza recipes. While servings of alcoholic beverages remain limited due to the new concept coming to life and the drinks in the recipes being burned during the cooking process, Tipsy Tomato’s menu is not a buzz.

“We try to give a lot more than you think in a pizzeria,” said executive chef Sam Kron. “It’s a super fresh, super healthy goal.”

With a focus on fresh and healthy ingredients, Tipsy Tomato brings a new niche to the MedQuarter District, the Oakhill Jackson neighborhood, and the adjacent Cedar Rapids downtown.

There, the classically French-trained chef cooks Italian and American fusions in a Greek-style circular oven, where diners can see pizzas swirling in the open concept kitchen.

Order American classics like pepperoni, which range from $12 to $16; upcycled Midwestern classics like the arugula, cilantro, and cotija cheese taco pizza; or Italian classics like margherita with fresh mozzarella, basil and garlic butter.

For something new, try intoxication-themed creations like the Drunken Neapolitan, made with fresh mozzarella, basil, and pepperoni; or the Wobbly Gardener with bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots and caramelized onions.

Customizable options include cauliflower rind and less common topping options like broccoli and sauerkraut.

The sweet homemade sauce with San Marzano tomatoes contains very little sugar, which complements the nature of the thin yet flexible home crust of their pizza. Standard menu pizzas include a blend of provolone, Muenster, and mozzarella cheeses, with softer cheese and a softer mouthfeel.

“The cheese goes into everything instead of sitting down,” Kron said.

Margherita and taco pizzas have become the most popular pizzas ever. With its indefinite 12-inch size, you can share it with a friend or keep it entirely to yourself.

A focused appetizer menu, such as meatball-stuffed mushrooms and pepper-crusted cheese-stuffed bread sticks, brings a fresh twist to local pizza restaurants.

Salads and strong bowls like chicken fajitas, barbecue beef, and roasted vegetables with pesto add a healthy yin to the fire of two hoagie options.

With the weather starting to warm up, Tipsy Tomato plans to expand its cocktail offerings for patio season with multiple tables that nearly double the small restaurant’s indoor seating.

With eat-in and take-out, the restaurant is toying with the idea of ​​free, in-house delivery downtown, hoping to introduce delivery soon.

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