Mission Valley Food Fling: Pizza

Over the month of June, the Lake County Leader introduces a food series highlighting local eateries each week with a different theme. Our aim is to let the reader know a bit about these restaurants, cafes or food carts, what makes them unique and what they recommend visitors order from their menu.

Our first installment features a universal favorite: pizza. The first-ever pizza was made generations before the state of Montana even existed and thousands of miles away in Italy. Nonetheless, Mission Valley is home to a unique group of pizza eateries.

Pigasus Pub and Pizzeria in Arlee: Pigasus Pizza is the new kid on the block, located in the building formerly separately known as The Pig and Stageline Pizza.

The new owners, Courtney Moran and her parents Danna and Darell Clairmont, combined the businesses to create Pigasus Pub and Pizzeria.

The family members, who are natives of Ronan, emphasize the importance of their Mission Valley roots in how they approach serving the Arlee community.

“It's a sense of pride because we are serving people. You have that sense of pride no matter what,” said Moran. “The fact we’re serving people that we know really appreciate us taking over and serving the community, it is a good feeling for sure.”

Pigasus prides itself on dough made in house, along with their own pizza sauce and fresh toppings.

While one might wonder what exactly a pigasus is, the logo tells it all: it's simply a pig with wings, which pays homage to the name of the pub before they took it over.

As far as menu recommendations, Moran says her personal favorite is their veggie, while the most popular is the Jocko featuring an Alfredo base with chicken, mushroom, vegetables and bacon.

Pizza Cafe in Ronan: Sandwiched between the high school and the highway is a staple of Ronan. Pizza Cafe has been a tasty part of the Ronan community since 2001, when Burt Cannon opened the business.

The restaurant is owned by Jasen Rodda and according to his son, manager Jayden Rodda, is a family business.

“My dad owns the place, I’m the manager and my brother back there (in the kitchen), he’s also a manager and our sister also works here,” Jayden said.

What stands out about the cafe’s pizza is the pan style, in which they use an oil base with a little bit of cornmeal which creates a fried bottom and crispy crust.

In addition, Jayden described the sheer size of the pizza saying one of their most popular pizzas, called The Garbage, can weigh close to nine pounds.

Pizza Cafe is a business that prides itself on relationships with Jayden emphasizing his family’s ties to the community, as well as his delight in learning a regular’s order or seeing a familiar face.

For a recommendation, Jayden says try the popular pizza named after his brother, Eric, which has a barbecue sauce base, topped with pepperoni, chicken, sausage and bacon.

Cove Deli and Pizza in Polson: If someone walks into the building across the street from Riverside Park, it would be hard to miss the theme. The Cove is all about pirates, which creates an irreplicable relationship between Polson and the youth of the community.

“We have arcade games and ice cream and pizza – everything that a kid would want in a restaurant,” said Alexis Vaska, the general manager of The Cove.

The Cove has been a fixture of the community since it was opened in 2003 by the Avison family.

Since its inception, the local restaurant has prided itself on its connection to Polson, hosting various local sports teams and many birthday parties.

The pirate theme gives The Cove its personality, but the local eatery also prides itself on their fresh ingredients, dough and sauce made in-house, as well as their hand-mixed cheese blend.

As far as recommendations are concerned, Vaska suggests trying The Captains Table, which has a variety of meat toppings and veggies.

    Courtney Moran is a hands-on owner at Arlee's Pigasus Pizza who is actively involved in the pizza making process. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)

    Pizza Cafe has been a staple for Ronan since it opened in 2001. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)
  

    Pigasus Pizza makes their own dough in house with each pizza made with care. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)

    Pizza Cafe has been a staple for Ronan since it opened in 2001. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)