A health-conscious, pop-up pizza shop has opened in the heart of the West Village, steps away from the storefronts of more than a dozen pizzerias serving up classic New York City slices.
The Caulipower House pizzeria brands itself as bringing "a slice of something different" to "the nation’s capital of the slice." All of its pizzas are cooked with cauliflower-based crust, making them a gluten-free option and a savory temptation for those watching their waistlines.
Can a healthier slice really live up to a New Yorker’s high expectations of what a pizza should be? Well, we’ll leave that up to you.
But, the pop-up has one major win in its corner: all of its slices are completely free for hungry New Yorkers who drop in between noon and 8 p.m.
Pies range from the traditional cheese, to veggie and Margherita. Paleo options are also available. The Caulipower brand primarily sells ready-made pizza crusts, frozen pies and boxed mixes for the home cook, but pies are being made fresh at the pop-up through the month.
The Caulipower pizza line was put on the market in Whole Foods locations in 2017 and has since grown to 22,000 food stores nationwide, according to a release. Founder, Gail Becker, of Los Angeles, launched the brand two years ago after struggling to find healthy and easy pizza options for her two sons, who both have celiac disease.
The West Village location, at 257 Bleecker St., is Becker’s first physical location, albeit temporary. The shop will remain open through May 31, with free slices offered daily.
The Caulipower House isn’t the only shop in lower Manhattan offering experimental pies.
Emily’s Violet, which opened in January in the East Village, serves a variety of grilled pizzas which are cooked over a hybrid gas-wood grill and topped with fresh ingredients like broccoli, pistachio pesto, clams and roasted garlic. In 2018, Staten Island pizzeria Joe and Pat’s opened an outpost on First Avenue serving slimmed-down crusts.
Several pizzerias and restaurants throughout the city have long offered cauliflower-crust pies, including Adoro Lei on Hudson Street, and Senza Gluten, at 206 Sullivan St.
