This weekend I stopped by Assembly Brewing to try their Detroit style pizza and beer. It has been on my list for awhile, but FoPo is so far away and I rarely get down there, and when I do I usually head straight to Portland Mercado. There are some great eats down in that part of Portland, just not great enough to convince me to drive all the way there. I made an exception yesterday though, because if anything, I am a pizza lover. An equal opportunity pizza lover, I enjoy the regional specialties of Chicago, New York, New Haven, even Detroit! Detroit style pizza, where everything is flipped upside down. Sauce on the top! Pepperoni under the cheese! Square slices! It’s madness. I do enjoy the Focaccia style crust with the cheesy crispy edge.

Assembly has long been touted as the best Detroit style pizza in town, though I’m not sure if they have much competition. I went on a Sunday mid-afternoon and had the place mostly to myself. It’s a large warehouse style place. I tried 2 of their beers: the first was a stout that had just won an award called the Doublin’ in Dublin. Their take on an Irish Stout (Guinness anyone?), it was clean and simple. The second was a session IPA called Four on the Floor. It was solid, drinkable. Their beers are good paired with the pizza, though I wouldn’t come here for just the beer. For the pizza I got the small Supreme. Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, peppers, onions, mushrooms and black olives. Figured I’d go with a classic. Served in 4 large slices, this small pizza could feed 2 normal size people (with maybe a side). I ate 3 pieces and was quite full and had one to take home. The pizza was tasty. Like I said, I like all styles, though I wouldn’t want Detroit pizza to be my default style, it is nice to throw it in the mix. The crust was tasty and supported all the toppings well, extra salty and cheesy on that outer crunch. The toppings were well balanced. I recommend this spot, especially if you live in deep SE, though I wouldn’t travel out of my way for it (again at least). Happy eating!