The Turning Peel has been on my list for awhile, and yesterday I finally went to check it out for lunch. A newish pizzeria located at 4546 SE Division St in Portland, OR. They opened two years ago and specialize in Neapolitan sourdough pizzas. The space is a converted house with a very cute patio space out back. The pies are 11 inch “personal” size pies. You definitely want to get one per person. The menu is small, really focusing on pizzas with just two salads and two appetizers. They have 11 different pies along with a weekly special. I went partially due to the special. It’s peach season and I love peaches on pizzas!

The Peach Serrano has fresh cultured mozzarella and EVOO base, roasted peaches, red onions, Serrano peppers, Italian sausage and is finished with EVOO, aged parm and arugula. It was a very good pie, well put together and balanced. The Serranos had a nice heat level that balanced well with the sweetness from the roasted peaches. What really stood out was the crust. The best dough and crusts are always sourdough. This was really flavorful, had a nice tang to it, and was cooked perfectly with a nice light char and chewiness to it. Great pizza always starts with the crust.

If you know me, you know that one of my favorite meals is pizza and salad. It’s the perfect combo, the best of both worlds and is so much better as a balanced meal than eating pizza by itself. This salad was very good and ranks up there with my neighborhood favorite, Pocket Pub (another pizza place). The Apple Green Salad has Mesclun lettuce mix, apples, radishes, pumpkin seeds, gorgonzola cheese and an apple cider vinaigrette. Just like the pizza, well balanced and executed, with a focus on quality ingredients. Simple, classy, tasty.

This was an excellent lunch. A bit on the pricey side, though they do have cheaper pizza options and a $13 Margherita. Portland continues to grow as an internationally recognized pizza city and it’s easy to see why with places like Turning Peel. To read more about Portland pizza, check my post recently titled Portland Pizza Roundup. I’m going to try to post more often and regularly on this page, but as a reminder, I post daily on Instagram. Cheers and happy eating!