Elote Pizza at Empire Pizza (Photo credit: Jackie Tran)

#WeeklyDish (No. 4): Elote Pizza at Empire Pizza & Pub is Worth the Hype (VIDEO)


March 9, 2017
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By Jackie Tran
By Jackie Tran

Mexican street corn, or elotes, is one of the most beloved Mexican street foods outside of tacos.

Grilled or boiled corn is topped with a bold combination of ingredients which can include salt, chile powder, butter, cotija cheese, lime, mayonnaise, and crema, a Mexican sour cream.

In a stroke of genius, Empire Pizza & Pub has created the elote pizza.

The tomato-less pizza is topped with mozzarella, goat cheese, grilled corn, chipotle mayo, and Tajín.

Grilling the corn brings out a little more sweetness with some smokiness. Goat cheese provides a suitable creamy, tangy substitution for cotija. Chipotle mayo accentuates the earlier flavors, while Tajín and cilantro cut the richness with bright flavors.

It sounds bizarre in comparison to a slice of pepperoni pizza, but it’s magic. Stare into the eyes of skeptical eaters as they take a first bite and raise their eyebrows in delight.

Additionally, clumsy eaters can also rejoice because the slice is much less messy than traditional elotes. No more chile-mayo-cotija mustaches.

The elote pizza was introduced as the February pizza of the month, but unexpected popularity earned it a permanent spot on the menu.

Empire Pizza & Pub is located at 137 Congress St. For more information, call (520) 882-7499 or visit empire.pizza.

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Article By

Jackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon...

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