Charleston Eats: EVO Pizza

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Life's taken me to the Holy City quite often in the past year, so I decided to start taking the opportunity to talk about some of my favorite eats that I've encountered there, particularly those outside of historic downtown Charleston which has been well-covered by locals and visitors alike. 

EVO Pizza, located in Park Circle on the outskirts of North Charleston, may be one of the best bites outside of downtown, and for great prices as well. I've been many times, not only for their great pizza, but consistently rotating menu of seasonal soups and sandwiches, something that would be quite ordinary sounding elsewhere, but at EVO a real pleasure and something I look forward to every visit. This last stop may have been the best, with their local strawberry gazpacho, featuring pureed strawberries (which have been amazing this season), cucumbers and herbs along with a drizzle of balsamic reduction and a pile of blue cheese on top.

 

I would not have thought of the blue cheese in something like this, but the aromatic crumble was pretty dynamite with the super smooth gazpacho. A little tart, and entirely as refreshing as it sounds, this was well-worth the trip alone.

For the entree, I decided to go with one of their signature pizzas, the pistachio pesto. Topped with three cheeses and a smooth, nutty pesto, this was a pizza to die for. The crust at EVO is just spot on. Crusty, crispy, and chewy, but just the right amount of chewiness so it's not a workout. Great. The pesto had a really great nutty quality that didn't make me miss meat at all. I added crushed red pepper and parm, but really this didn't need a thing. Just delicious.

If you're not in the mood for pizza, their panini's are pretty outstanding. Their foccacia tastes housemade and is a beautiful buttery bomb perfect for their cheesy creations. The use of super fresh ingredients at EVO helps them stand a notch above the competition. It's a limited menu, but you'll likely always find something you are in the mood for here. Completely worth a visit, and if you a local, a perfect venue to hideaway from incoming tourists invading downtown this summer.