Staunton is a small town blessed with an
abundance of artistic and cultural attractions,
visual beauty, and extraordinary cuisine for a small
town. One place I especially like is
Shenandoah Pizza. I can already hear folks
groaning when I mention a pizza joint among great
cuisine. Well, Shenandoah Pizza is not just any
pizza joint. They use fresh ingredients, unique
topping combinations, several types of sauces, and
intriguing dough mixes. Most of their meats are
organic or grass-fed from local sources. The
restaurant owner, John Huggins, is an absolutely
great guy. He will always take the time to visit
with his customers and develop relationships with
them. He will explain things on the menu in great
detail and will suggest beers to best match your
taste cravings from their extensive beer list (I've
never seen such a selection of beer, I think they
have 200 plus). He's a big supporter of the arts and
the local Valley music scene, hosting musical acts
at the restaurant and featuring works by local
artists available for purchase on the walls. Johnnie
and his wife Cheryl opened Shenandoah Pizza about
five years ago, and they have developed a very loyal
customer base.
I've had several different types of pizza at the
restaurant: white pizzas, traditional cheese,
pepperoni, on wheat, on white, on sunflower wheat,
and several of the gourmet selections. They have all
been excellent. Everything tastes absolutely fresh.
Sometimes when I eat pizza I notice an almost stale
taste to the dough. That's never the case at
Shenandoah Pizza, as a matter of fact their dough is
far and away superior to any other I have tried.
Another nice touch is the bottle of olive oil on the
table- it goes especially well with the white
pizzas. Of the gourmet selections I've had the
Sherwood Avenue (meatballs, ricotta, red onions,
mozzarella); The Valley (spinach, red onion,
mozzarella, tomato); The Augusta Margherita (extra
virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, basil, fresh
mozzarella); and the Chicken Florentine (spinach,
garlic, chicken, ). In all, the restaurant features
25 gourmet pies and a few special ones from time to
time.
Johnnie can take pride in the fact that his restaurant is ranked number one in Staunton on Trip Advisor. That's nothing to scoff at considering the stiff competition in this cultural and culinary gem of a town. If you are in the mood for some gourmet pizza, a tremendous selection of beer, or some live, local music or artwork while visiting the Shenandoah Valley, make sure to stop in and visit Johnnie at Shenandoah Pizza.
