Michigan natives to bring their Pittsburgh-based Detroit pizzeria home to Corktown
Michigan & Trumbull is one of two new pizza joints opening in Corktown; Grandma Bob's pizza is holding soft openings this week
They brought Detroit-style pizza to Pittsburgh, and now they're coming home.
Michigan & Trumbull Pizza will make the move this fall from the Steel City to 1441 W. Elizabeth in Corktown, just a few steps from the cross streets for which it is named.
Royal Oak native Kristen Calverley and her husband, Nathan Peck of Southgate, were bummed they couldn't find deep-dish, sauce-on-top, Detroit-style pizza when they moved to Pittsburgh in 2012.
Their original plan was to operate a food truck that served soup (Peck has a culinary background and has worked at Birmingham's Cafe Via), but they soon became "obsessed" with bringing the Motor City's square style to their new home.
As a tribute to the streets where the old Tiger Stadium stood, they named their spot Michigan & Trumbull Pizza and opened inside Pittsburgh's Federal Galley food hall, owned by the same folks behind downtown Detroit's new Fort Street Galley restaurant incubator.
The menu at their Pittsburgh locale is concise with seven styles of square pizza ($8-$16) with locally influenced names like the St. Aubin Sausage, Packard Pepperoni and Farnsworth Funghi. They also have a Big Mac-inspired pie with sesame seeds. iceberg lettuce, white onion, seasoned beef and "awesome sauce."
Also on the menu are two brunch pizzas, two options for salad and waffle fries.
They scored a Motor City Match grant in November and started work on the Corktown building, which will be designed by Ferndale's Five / Eighths Architecture group. Right now the hope is that they'll close up shop in Pittsburgh in August and open Michigan & Trumbull in Corktown this fall.
But even more pizza is coming to the Michigan Avenue strip before then. Grandma Bob's pizza restaurant is holding soft openings this week at 2135 Michigan where Detroit Artfactry was next to Mercury Burger & Bar. They'll be open at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Friday and Sunday this week for limited pizza service.
They're doing a slow-fermented dough process to make their round gourmet pizzas. Grandma Bob's will also have a bar with beer and cocktails. Follow them on Instagram @grandmabobspizza or online at grandmabobs.com.
mbaetens@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @melodybaetens