12 September 7-13, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | culture | Night+Day | News | letters | coNteNts | Month XX–Month XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | More Than Meets the Pie Far Out Pizza serves superb slices and subs on Calle Ocho. BY DOUGLAS MARKOWITZ S tepping into Far Out Pizza can feel like waking up from a 1990s fever dream. Photos of pizza- centric movie stills hang on the walls. Nineties-era action fig- ures rest on a shelf above the prep area. There’s even a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade cabinet in the back. It’s the type of place that feels like it belongs in the suburbs — the perfect after-school hangout for bored kids. Or where families go for dinner when Mom doesn’t want to cook. But it’s smack-dab in the beating heart of one of the most heavily touristed streets in the city: Calle Ocho. We know what you’re thinking: Tourists don’t go to Calle Ocho for pizza. Thankfully, Far Out Pizza head chef Doug Sorek isn’t really interested in tourists. “We’re here for the neigh- borhood,” he tells New Times. “Peo- ple really wanted a slice shop here.” Far Out Pizza is the work of owners David and Cici Rodri- guez, the team behind the Union Beer Store next door. Like the craft beer bar that opened in 2017, the couple’s new endeavor takes a locals-first mentality. With a menu focused on pizza by the slice, the Rodriguezes hope to cater to residents in Little Havana and Shenandoah, the leafy residential neighborhood of primar- ily single-family homes to the south, between SW Eighth Street and Coral Way. As any Shenandoah resident can attest, finding decent, cheap food is surprisingly hard on Calle Ocho. Most restaurants sur- rounding Far Out cater to tourists — with prices to match and, not surprisingly, a de- cided focus on Latin cuisine. For locals, that makes dining out an exercise in dodging tour- ists, paying above-market prices for often so- so mediocre Mexican and Cuban fare, or settling for a burger at El Rey de las Fritas. Far Out offers an enticing alternative: a ca- sual, top-notch neighborhood restaurant that serves really good pizza at reasonable prices, open till ten p.m. or later depending on the day, and just a short walk from the streets that flank Calle Ocho. Doug Sorek might be the ideal person to lead the Far Out operation. For one thing, he lives in the neighborhood. He started making pizza in his hometown of Pittsburgh, learning the classic Neapolitan style, eventually refin- ing his take on pizza perfection. After moving to Miami in 2019, Sorek made his mark as a pizza specialist. He started at Strange Beast, the West Kendall brewpub opened by John Falco of Lincoln’s Beard Brewing Company, where his “Doug’s White Pie” became an instant hit and remains a favorite. He moved on to Falco’s pizza-fo- cused Maxwell Bros. Clothing Store in Pal- metto Bay, then to Old Greg’s Pizza in the Design District. “I learned to pick a neighborhood that’s underserved,” says Sorek, who heard a for- mer burger shop adjacent to Union Beer had closed. One thing led to another, and he teamed up with the Rodriguezes to open the slice shop, launching this past June after a prolonged permit process. The pizza is very good. A recent visit delivered a pepperoni slice of the sort one would expect from the best clas- sic New York City shops — an ideal balance of soft dough and crunchy crust matched with the ideal sauce-to-cheese ratio. And unlike its fast-food pizza neighbors, Far Out makes ev- erything in-house. On the menu, purists can find traditional cheese pies or a simple pepperoni coexisting alongside more far-out concoctions like “the Ocho,” a Cuban sandwich in pizza form with plenty of mozzarella, ham, onion, and a de- cidedly strong touch of garlic. For the truly hungry, a whole 18-inch pie looks — and feels — enormous. If you’re not there for the pies, go for the sandwiches, a collaborative effort between Sorek and chef Victoriano “Shaggy” Hernan- dez. Their “Radical Hoagies” menu offers an equally appealing lineup of standout subs, all prepared on bread procured from New Jer- sey-based Anthony & Sons. Menu options range from Italian-Ameri- can-inspired favorites like the quintessential combo and eggplant or chicken parm to the special “Brisket Buddies” made with Gorilla City Barbecue brisket, Dijon mustard, Muen- ster cheese, and pickled red onions. But the highlight just might be Far Out’s crafty take on everyone’s grocery-store favor- ite: the “Public Sub,” Hernandez’s ode to the ubiquitous chain’s classic sandwich. It’s a marriage of breaded-and-fried chicken, let- tuce, tomato, and the chef’s “Shaggy” special sauce, which combines Kewpie mayo, ketchup, and Old Bay seasoning with a tangy kick from banana pepper pickling liquid. Sandwiches are served with chips or the option to pair with sides like the Parmesan and pecorino-coated “Ninja” fries, Buffalo- sauced chicken wings, and mozzarella sticks. Despite what Sorek describes as a toxic climate for small businesses, the group has bigger plans for the space, including turning the restaurant’s vacant backyard into a dining patio. Also on tap are lunch specials, seasonal pies, and more menu items. “We’re just getting started,” Sorek promises. Far Out Pizza. 1551 SW Eighth St., Miami; 305-200-5683; farout.pizza. Monday through Thursday noon to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday noon to midnight, and Sunday noon to 10 p.m. [email protected] ▼ Café Photos by Beth Rhodes Pizza by the slice is the name of the game at Far Out Pizza. Far Out Pizza serves some of Miami’s best subs. “WE’RE HERE FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD. PEOPLE REALLY WANTED A SLICE SHOP HERE.”
