Scottsdale neighborhood restaurant Humble Pie Pizzeria has a fresh look, a menu makeover and a new chef-owner, Jorge Gomez. Gomez has been a fixture in the Valley for years, helping to open restaurants for LGO Hospitality and Genuine Concepts. Trained at the Culinary Institute of Mexico, Gomez has also competed in Food Network shows – Guy’s Grocery Games and Summer Cook Off. Humble Pie’s second location is in Happy Valley. We recently checked in with Gomez to see how it’s going.
How long was the restaurant closed due to the pandemic?
We closed for four to five months. It gave us a chance to revamp the restaurants. So I grabbed my kitchen crew and we sanded the tables and changed electrical outlets and painted. I was able to give them a little work while we were closed. That was really important to me because some of my chefs have been with me for the past 10 years. They follow me and I have the responsibility to make sure that they are OK. They’ve become family.
What changes have you made in the menu?
We changed everything. We left one or two pizzas that people love, the chopped salad and french fries. For me, the dough was the most important. It took me approximately three months to develop the recipe. I used a thousand pounds of flour trying different combinations. I had to figure it out. We use two flours, one is a local flour from Avondale and then an East Coast flour, OO, and both have the highest gluten content on the market. I use a sourdough starter. The dough has to age three days before I serve it to you. I need the flavor to develop and the structure to be light and crisp when you eat it because I want to create a pizza that’s not too heavy. You can eat it and not have to take a nap.
Do you make breads in house?
Right now we do English muffins, pita bread, sandwich bread and pizzas. Everything is made in house except ice cream.
Planning on other locations?
Yes, we’re looking for another location either in North Scottsdale or Gilbert. To be honest, I would love to see the westside. Westgate and Avondale are getting big. Litchfield Park is getting big. There aren’t a lot of places to go out there. We want to be the place that’s right next to the neighborhood with amazing food. You can [come] for a date night, brunch or lunch and I’m not going to break your bank because I want you to come back three times during the week. I want you to bring your friends.
Do you have a signature dish?
Caesar salad. I don’t like croutons, so instead I do panko breadcrumbs with garlic confit and parmesan cheese and then we put crispy Brussels sprouts on top with a seven-minute egg on the side. I want to touch you with great food, but I want you to feel emotion in my food. If I can get all these notes in your head, you’ll want to come back. It’s about the ingredients and the preparation and our care. We have something for everybody and at the same time, we want to give you the best. At Humble Pie, we’re committed to the food, the wine and a great experience.
