Brad Cesmat’s Baseball AZ: Eklectic Pie

 “If you’re in town for spring training, come by and try a fresh, handcrafted pizza that is unique to you,” said Jay Johnson, one of the owners of Eklectic Pie.
 
The pizza joint makes all of its dough and sauces from scratch in Mesa, Arizona.
 
“We have nine sauces and 62 toppings,” Johnson said.
 
Not only can customers make their own pizza, but they can choose one of the many pies from the “Wall of Fame” like the Cowboy BBQ Pizza or Sgt. Pepper’s Pizza.
 
“We have a Sgt. Pepper’s Pizza [that] has a jalapeno cilantro lime cream sauce,” Johnson said. “So it [has] an Arizona flavor [with] all natural grilled chicken, red peppers, snow peas, carrots and bean sprouts,” Johnson said. “One of the things about our pizza is you don’t want to wait for 30 minutes, especially if you’re in a hurry.
 
“So from the time you make the pizza to the time you sit down, it’s about three minutes to cook it,” Johnson continued.
 
Eklectic Pie doesn’t just have pizza to fill you up. There are salads and desserts on the menu too.
 
“So we do a s’mores pizza, which eats like a s’more at a campfire except you get to sleep in your own bed and no ants,” Johnson said. “We also have a Fruity PieTutti that eats like a Dutch apple pie and there is also a chocolate chip cookie with real whip cream.”
 
The pizza and desserts aren’t the only thing drawing spring training visitors to Eklectic Pie. The atmosphere is also a big hit.
 
“Our tabletops are all reclaimed wood,” Johnson said. “It’s actually a manufacturing floor from a plant in the 1800s back East.
 
“We have a hand-painted mural of one of [the other Eklectic Pie owners’ dogs playing poker] and we used some Edison lights and stamped tin ceilings,” Johnson continued.
 
The staff is also a win-win for people who stop by Eklectic Pie.
 
“I think they will find people who want to serve them food, but [it’s] also about the quality of the food,” Johnson said.
 
For more information, visit www.eklecticpie.com.