Mount Vernon restaurant named to New York Times pizza list

A Mount Vernon staple has made a shortlist of the best pizza places, according to the New York Times.

Lincoln Winebar, known locally for its wood-fired artisan pizza, was named to the list of just 22 establishments across the country. Mount Vernon was the third-smallest town to make the list — after Bristol, Vt., (population 3,782) and Ava, Ill., (population 553). Heavy hitter pizzerias on the list include James Beard winner Young Joni in Minneapolis and Roberta’s in Brooklyn, N.Y.

“The scene is so familiar inside the Lincoln — the chalkboard menu, the natural wine, the 30-somethings comparing notes about their favorite podcasts — a visitor could easily forget they’re in a small town on the outskirts of Cedar Rapids,” New York Times restaurant critic Brett Anderson said. “But you won’t forget for long.”

Anderson praised the restaurant for its use of local ingredients, including morels, seasonal asparagus, Iowa pepperoni and hot honey.

Owner Jesse Sauerbrie also is responsible for the fare at Fancy’s Pizza in Cedar Rapids. Fancy’s Pizza, which opened early last year in the former space of Rustic Hearth, still remains elusive to the average consumer due to its ordering system.

To snag a pie at Fancy’s, you have to keep an eye on its Instagram page, where it announces acceptance of orders about once a week. With a finite amount of dough, the establishment hits its limit quickly.

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.