{"id":6106,"date":"2020-01-01T12:17:08","date_gmt":"2020-01-01T12:17:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ruralmo.previewmy.site\/?p=6106"},"modified":"2020-07-14T19:51:52","modified_gmt":"2020-07-14T19:51:52","slug":"pizza-by-the-chef","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/pizza-by-the-chef\/","title":{"rendered":"Pizza By The Chef"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;section&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.22&#8243;][et_pb_row admin_label=&#8221;row&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Text&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.4.1&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||9px|||&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p>The little pizza shop was a Morris family tradition. Gary Morris\u2019 job as a car dealership business manager brought him to the Branson area where he would eat lunch at the Pizza Chef location just down the road from Silver Dollar City. Pizza was popular with his family back home \u2014 especially on Friday nights.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI thought it was good, really good,\u201d Gary recalls. \u201cSo then I would bring it back home at night for Sally and our two daughters and have pizza again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That pizza shop \u2014 now Pizza By The Chef \u2014 continues to be a Morris family tradition in Branson West. Gary and Sally purchased the restaurant in 2005 and are now joined by their daughter Meredith Watson and her husband, Kevin. Together, they dish up Pizza Chef classics as well as new interpretations on fresh salads, pasta, hot sandwiches and mouthwatering pizzas. With a focus on fresh ingredients and preparing food from scratch, the family has developed a following among the area\u2019s tourists and locals alike.<\/p>\n<p>Gary and Sally were eying a full-time move to Lake Taneycomo 14 years ago. \u201cWe weren\u2019t old or wealthy enough to retire, so we needed to buy a job,\u201d Gary says with a laugh.<\/p>\n<p>The pizzeria the family had come to know was on the market and a deal was struck. While many new items have found their way onto the Pizza By The Chef menu, they still honor the original recipes from when the restaurant first opened in 1992.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no good reason to fix something that isn\u2019t broken,\u201d Gary says. \u201cOur core products \u2014 like our pizza and bread dough \u2014 we make from scratch.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Pizza By The Chef\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dRBsz9kv3wQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not uncommon for younger patrons to stretch their necks to see in the back as Kevin or the other kitchen staff hand spins the pizza dough to order.<\/p>\n<p>While there are plenty of options from which to choose, most come for one of the 25 different pizza offerings. If you\u2019ve brought your appetite or a small cavalry of friends, the signature Chef\u2019s Supreme pizza is for you.<\/p>\n<p>Pizza By The Chef\u2019s homemade dough is spun and stretched to the right size and a layer of red sauce \u2014 complete with their proprietary spice blend \u2014 is applied. Next down is a layer of mozzarella cheese followed by Canadian bacon, beef, sausage, pepperoni, salami, mushrooms, black olives, green peppers, tomatoes and red and white onions. The behemoth pie is finished with another layer of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses along with a spice blend of basil, oregano and marjoram.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s the way the original recipe was done so we haven\u2019t changed it,\u201d Gary says. \u201cA properly prepared large will weigh about 3 pounds.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery _builder_version=&#8221;4.4.1&#8243; gallery_ids=&#8221;7113,7111,7112,7115,7114,7117,7116,7110&#8243; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221;][\/et_pb_gallery][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Text&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.4.1&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||9px|||&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p>The restaurant features other pizza classics using their homemade sauce such as The Hawaiian, Garden and Hercules \u2014 their take on a meat lovers pie. The menu also includes plenty of options using other pizza bases. The Ciao is an original Pizza Chef item and has an olive oil glaze, garlic, tomatoes and mozzarella. It\u2019s finished with fresh basil just before serving. The Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza features Sally\u2019s homemade ranch dressing as the base.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re searching for something a little lighter, check out one of the eight salad options. Pizza By The Chef uses only fresh romaine lettuce and makes five dressings and their croutons in house.<\/p>\n<p>The Ozark Bleu is Sally\u2019s creation and their signature salad. The memorable meal starts with a bed of romaine that is topped with mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, red onions, house-candied pecans, blue cheese crumbles and is served with raspberry vinaigrette.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEven the homemade raspberry dressing is unique,\u201d Sally says. \u201cThe raspberry vinegar comes from a certain vineyard in the Sonoma Valley.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The salad\u2019s ingredients \u2014 minus the romaine \u2014 are also available as a specialty pizza.<\/p>\n<p>An assortment of baked pasta dishes and toasted sandwiches round out the menu. Ranging from the classic Italian to the hot Reuben, all are served on sandwich buns made in the kitchen daily.<\/p>\n<p>Staying true to the original recipes and putting the extra work into making the homemade dough, hand chopping the vegetables, candying their own pecans, making salad dressings and more is a worthwhile investment in the food leaving the kitchen.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnyone can order food off a truck, heat it up and send it out to somebody,\u201d says Kevin. \u201cWe don\u2019t want that. We want to make and cook your food for you, so you have an enjoyable meal experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Adds Meredith: \u201cIt just tastes better. When you make it yourself it just tastes better, and the customers know that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s discerning customers like that who have helped Pizza By The Chef stand out in a saturated and competitive pizza marketplace. \u201cThe philosophy Sally and I have always had is that we can\u2019t sell a $7 or $8 pizza and compete with the chains,\u201d Gary says. \u201cBut the chains can\u2019t sell our $22 large Chef\u2019s Supreme. We prefer to look at it from the angle of we\u2019re buying very high-quality, fresh ingredients and preparing them right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The family\u2019s shared enthusiasm and commitment to the restaurant should serve Branson West visitors well for the foreseeable future. \u201cWe\u2019re proud of it; We\u2019re passionate about it,\u201d Gary says. \u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019d be comfortable if we thought we weren\u2019t putting out the very best we could.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><b>Pizza By The Chef<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><b>Specialties:<\/b> Fresh, homemade pizzas including the Chef\u2019s Supreme, Ciao, Hercules, Chicken Bacon Ranch and Hawaiian. Toasted sandwiches include the Italian, Chef\u2019s Club and Meatball Sub. Salads include the Ozark Bleu and Deluxe Antipasto.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><b>Price:<\/b> Appetizers from $4 to $12. Salads, sandwiches and pasta from $5.50 to $14. Pizzas from $6.50 to $22.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><b>Details:<\/b> Open Monday through Wednesday, 3 to 8 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Closed Sunday. No smoking. Located at 18050 Business 13 in Branson West. Contact at 417-272-8287 and www.mypizzabythechef.com.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\">\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Handcrafted pizza, pasta and sandwiches in Branson West<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":130,"featured_media":7113,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"Handcrafted pizza, pasta and sandwiches in Branson West\r\nby Paul Newton\u00a0 |\u00a0 pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop\r\n\r\nThe little pizza shop was a Morris family tradition. Gary Morris\u2019 job as a car dealership business manager brought him to the Branson area where he would eat lunch at the Pizza Chef location just down the road from Silver Dollar City. Pizza was popular with his family back home \u2014 especially on Friday nights.\r\n\r\n\u201cI thought it was good, really good,\u201d Gary recalls. \u201cSo then I would bring it back home at night for Sally and our two daughters and have pizza again.\u201d\r\n\r\nThat pizza shop \u2014 now Pizza By The Chef \u2014 continues to be a Morris family tradition in Branson West. Gary and Sally purchased the restaurant in 2005 and are now joined by their daughter Meredith Watson and her husband, Kevin. Together, they dish up Pizza Chef classics as well as new interpretations on fresh salads, pasta, hot sandwiches and mouthwatering pizzas. With a focus on fresh ingredients and preparing food from scratch, the family has developed a following among the area\u2019s tourists and locals alike.\r\n\r\nGary and Sally were eying a full-time move to Lake Taneycomo 14 years ago. \u201cWe weren\u2019t old or wealthy enough to retire, so we needed to buy a job,\u201d Gary says with a laugh.\r\n\r\nThe pizzeria the family had come to know was on the market and a deal was struck. While many new items have found their way onto the Pizza By The Chef menu, they still honor the original recipes from when the restaurant first opened in 1992.\r\n\r\n\u201cThere\u2019s no good reason to fix something that isn\u2019t broken,\u201d Gary says. \u201cOur core products \u2014 like our pizza and bread dough \u2014 we make from scratch.\u201d\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s not uncommon for younger patrons to stretch their necks to see in the back as Kevin or the other kitchen staff hand spins the pizza dough to order.\r\n\r\nWhile there are plenty of options from which to choose, most come for one of the 25 different pizza offerings. If you\u2019ve brought your appetite or a small cavalry of friends, the signature Chef\u2019s Supreme pizza is for you.\r\n\r\nPizza By The Chef\u2019s homemade dough is spun and stretched to the right size and a layer of red sauce \u2014 complete with their proprietary spice blend \u2014 is applied. Next down is a layer of mozzarella cheese followed by Canadian bacon, beef, sausage, pepperoni, salami, mushrooms, black olives, green peppers, tomatoes and red and white onions. The behemoth pie is finished with another layer of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses along with a spice blend of basil, oregano and marjoram.\r\n\r\n\u201cThat\u2019s the way the original recipe was done so we haven\u2019t changed it,\u201d Gary says. \u201cA properly prepared large will weigh about 3 pounds.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe restaurant features other pizza classics using their homemade sauce such as The Hawaiian, Garden and Hercules \u2014 their take on a meat lovers pie. The menu also includes plenty of options using other pizza bases. The Ciao is an original Pizza Chef item and has an olive oil glaze, garlic, tomatoes and mozzarella. It\u2019s finished with fresh basil just before serving. The Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza features Sally\u2019s homemade ranch dressing as the base.\r\n\r\nIf you\u2019re searching for something a little lighter, check out one of the eight salad options. Pizza By The Chef uses only fresh romaine lettuce and makes five dressings and their croutons in house.\r\n\r\nThe Ozark Bleu is Sally\u2019s creation and their signature salad. The memorable meal starts with a bed of romaine that is topped with mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, red onions, house-candied pecans, blue cheese crumbles and is served with raspberry vinaigrette.\r\n\r\n\u201cEven the homemade raspberry dressing is unique,\u201d Sally says. \u201cThe raspberry vinegar comes from a certain vineyard in the Sonoma Valley.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe salad\u2019s ingredients \u2014 minus the romaine \u2014 are also available as a specialty pizza.\r\n\r\nAn assortment of baked pasta dishes and toasted sandwiches round out the menu. Ranging from the classic Italian to the hot Reuben, all are served on sandwich buns made in the kitchen daily.\r\n\r\nStaying true to the original recipes and putting the extra work into making the homemade dough, hand chopping the vegetables, candying their own pecans, making salad dressings and more is a worthwhile investment in the food leaving the kitchen.\r\n\r\n\u201cAnyone can order food off a truck, heat it up and send it out to somebody,\u201d says Kevin. \u201cWe don\u2019t want that. We want to make and cook your food for you, so you have an enjoyable meal experience.\u201d\r\n\r\nAdds Meredith: \u201cIt just tastes better. When you make it yourself it just tastes better, and the customers know that.\u201d\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s discerning customers like that who have helped Pizza By The Chef stand out in a saturated and competitive pizza marketplace. \u201cThe philosophy Sally and I have always had is that we can\u2019t sell a $7 or $8 pizza and compete with the chains,\u201d Gary says. \u201cBut the chains can\u2019t sell our $22 large Chef\u2019s Supreme. We prefer to look at it from the angle of we\u2019re buying very high-quality, fresh ingredients and preparing them right.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe family\u2019s shared enthusiasm and commitment to the restaurant should serve Branson West visitors well for the foreseeable future. \u201cWe\u2019re proud of it; We\u2019re passionate about it,\u201d Gary says. \u201cI don\u2019t think we\u2019d be comfortable if we thought we weren\u2019t putting out the very best we could.\u201d","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[109,10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6106"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/130"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6106"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6106\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7343,"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6106\/revisions\/7343"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ruralmissouri.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}