The Art of Pizza

Now, the Westport location is out of business.

I’m not sure if the owner is purposely striving for mediocrity or that’s just how it turned out. Blah… This is like the Carson Daly of pizza, average and boring in every way.

Overall I am glad that Westport has another option for Pizza other than Joe’s. My only big problem with The Art of Pizza in Westport is their hours. I know that the cost of keep a business open can be very high and uncertain of return but please give it a shot.
On a recent evening in Westport I wanted to stop by for a slice but the location was closed at 10pm on Saturday night, come on that’s prime time for the drunk munchies.
The next day I went in and had two slices and some garlic knots. The garlic knots were well prepared but I would have liked to get more garlic than shallot taste but still very good.
The pizza is good here, not jaw dropping but good. The sauce is sweet and the cheese has decent flavor, the crust could use more salt. The food was served hot and the service was good.
I think to go back for a second try I would get a whole pizza, I am sure the quality goes way up here when the pizza is not getting re-​heated.

Westport has needed a great pizza joint lately, and The Art of Pizza is not it.
Having worked at restaurants before, I’m pretty understanding of waitstaff and cooking time, but was pretty disgusted with my whole experience at The Art of Pizza.
This outing begin happily: the waitstaff took our order promptly and courteously answered questions about the menu. Sadly, this was the last time we saw of our waiter/​waitress, until we had to go to the counter to obtain our check. However, it was not the last we heard of our waiter/​waitress, most disturbingly, we heard the waiter/​waitress join two loud patrons in anti-​Semitic banter.
As for the food, my party ordered appetizers (the garlic knots were excellent) and salads, but only received them with our entrees – about forty minutes after we had ordered. I had a calzone that was ok, but unfortunately cold in the middle.
The décor of the restaurant had a good ambiance. At the time I went, the restaurant did not serve alcohol (October 2010).
I hope that if you go to The Art of Pizza, you have a better experience. I will probably be willing to try it again in a year… if it is still there.

It seems the short strip of businesses in the 415 – 419 stretch of Westport Road have been tricky spots for business to operate out of in the last five years. Metro area pizza staple Papa Keno’s, at 417, closed shop after having their assets seized, then the location sat dormant for quite some time. 419 was the entry location of new KC favorite Blanc Burgers + Bottles, only to be vacated just as quick in pursuit of a bigger location on the plaza, in the former Uno Chicago Grill building. In the last few months both locations have now been filled, with 419’s new tenant the Westport Café & Bar, and 415 as the second destination for Crossroads favorite Art of Pizza.
I made a note to try out the new location, I just didn’t know I would be trying it out so soon, until last Friday when I had a bad waiting experience at a restaurant across the street. We walked in the door around 11PM and found that only four other patrons were dining there, paired with a staff of two running the place that night. We took a seat in a booth, and were brought menus almost immediately. The location is still new, having only opened in the middle of September, so they made the point of letting us know that until they get their liquor license secured, soda and water will be the only drink options.
Regardless of my fancy for pizza (and the art of; …pun achieved) I can never pass up the chance for some quality stromboli. If you look at the picture I submitted while dining in, you cannot estimate the size of the meal, but I assure you it was sitting on a full size diner-​style plate. The stromboli was certainly packed to the gills with sausage, enormous chunks were strewn about inside the sauce-​filled dough, and I added pepperoni for an extra charge, though it was largely unnecessary when compared to the bite the sausage delivered. The stromboli was served alone, as pictured, with a side of sauce, and was surprisingly filling for a late-​night meal. The service was neither good nor bad, but acceptable in both timeliness and quality. I must return, and get in on this NY style pizza that people have been raving about from the original location.
Happy National Pizza Month, everybody!