Church St. Pizza (Part 4)

(Original Review -- May 2011 (previous management))
(Second Review -- January 2012 -- Demitri now owner)
(Third Review -- February 2012)


Buns, buns, and more buns! Panda sees yummy spicy buns on Saturdays!

March 17 may have been St. Patrick's Day, but it was also yet another chile consumption day. My spicochistic side lured me back to Church St. Pizza after Demitri and Amy got a hold of some ghost peppers.

Each bun was $5, which could be a bit steep unless you got a type that evokes delicious, filling qualities. The breakfast bun that day epitomized both. Corned beef, potatoes, egg, and white cheddar inside a bun. Spinach and garlic are also incorporated into this bun, giving this little meatpie a slight greenish hue.

Oh man, that was incredible. Using fresh corned beef elevated this one. The potatoes and eggs were all seasoned and cooked well. Cheese perfectly melted. Nice buns FTW! Cue dancing panda!

The corned beef breakfast buns after a fresh brushing of melted butter!
(Church St. Pizza)

Spinach was incorporated into the dough
It created a slight greenish hue to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!

Cross-section!
Corned beef, potatoes, eggs, onions, cheese, etc.!

Cue the food porn music

Demitri said bacon-wrapped jalapeno buns are done every Saturday. Two meat-crack-wrapped jalapenos lying in wait, yearning to be destroyed, alongside mozzarella cheese and sundried tomatoes. I could help take out the entire tray of buns, but my wallet wouldn't like me very much.

Bacon-Jalapeno buns, also filled with mozzarella cheese and sundried tomatoes

Sorry, no cross-section, but here's a closer shot of the great browned exterior!

In a goodwill gesture before eating the "bun of doom," Demitri and I split a bun containing either a habanero pepper or a manzano pepper (a relative of the habanero). Manzanos have black seeds and are generally milder, "only" clocking in around 100,000 Scoville units. We nuked that bun with ease.

Manzano peppers, a much milder cousin of the habanero
Note the black seed by the middle pepper

Manzanos and bacon-wrapped jalapenos in this bun!

So it's on to the main event. Mega spicy bun. Demitri made a ghost pepper one especially for me. And aw, he wrapped the reddish bomb in cooked, crispy bacon! One of the ultimate presents I can receive! It looked so innocent. Any significant pepper gas fumes already left the area a while back.

But let's not just stop with one bacon-wrapped ghost pepper. How about a bacon-wrapped habanero in the same bun? Perhaps a jalapeno -- just to add flavor, of course. This lovely couple wants to kill this adorable panda with kindness!

So, for the record, three chiles and a bunch of bacon. Hope my stomach forgives me.

Ghost pepper bun on the left (w/red ghost pepper decoration)
Manzano pepper bun on the right (w/manzano pepper decoration)

Such a lovely little bun....

Demitri cut the bun in half, but this time, the entire ghost pepper remained inside just one of the halves. So now I'm really just eating that half because the other side is tame as a kitten. Makes me wonder if Demitri planned that all along...maybe? Conspiracy! :-)

Amy held the camera, I dug in. Sure enough, red ghost pepper remnants peeked through the bacon. Habaneros also came out to jab my mouth. The heat built up a little, but I continued until the portion was gone. Didn't sweat. The cooking process probably significantly tamed the ghost pepper, not to mention it was among other tasty ingredients.

Did the bacon really save me? It is quite the savior, but I think cooking the ghost pepper lowered the spice intensity. Or maybe it was just a mild batch of peppers.

Here's the video. It's a bit longer than my other videos, but still enjoyable to film and edit!

Again, each bun was fantastic. The dough was firm enough to hold the filling and soft enough to easily bite through. Browning the exterior and finishing it with a brushing of melted butter is simple, yet so vital.

Demitri and Amy want a spicy food rematch. I wholeheartedly accept. How about making a spicy pizza sauce as well? It can go on pizza or inside the bun. See if you can get some Trinidad Scorpion peppers, such as the Butch T or the Moruga. I also hear the Trinidad 7 Pot peppers are very spicy (dang, what is it with Trinidad?). Powdered form also works. Or, as Demitri mentioned near the end of the video, just be evil and get some extract. However, they'll have to somehow make it palatable. Amazing flavor and extreme heat...can it be done?

Oh, if you're wondering, Demitri also makes bacon-wrapped habanero pizzas on occasion! Check the video for more on that!

Church St. Pizza even offers a gluten-free pizza option. Bob's Red Mill GF flour is used. Obviously, the place is still filled with gluten products, so this is NOT for people with severe gluten intolerance issues.

My gluten-intolerant friends will probably like this!

Friendly people, countless innovative creations, and spicy options. That's a big hell yeah for me! Church St. Pizza earns its elite status. Huzzah! 9/10