It had been a hectic week and my husband and I were looking for
a good meal without a lot of fuss. Pizza, salad and a glass of wine
fit the bill, and we headed to Gilroy to try Happy Dog Pizza.
It had been a hectic week and my husband and I were looking for a good meal without a lot of fuss. Pizza, salad and a glass of wine fit the bill, and we headed to Gilroy to try Happy Dog Pizza. For a long time this historic building housed the Station 55 Restaurant and, for even longer, it was the actual “Station 55” Gilroy Fire Station. Much of the building has been preserved from the days when it housed fire trucks.
Upon entry, you will see a spiral ladder (OK, that’s a replica) that takes you upstairs to a large bar that hosts live music on the weekends. The dining room is on the ground floor. When we walked in on this Friday evening, we were warmly greeted and the smell of freshly baked pizza dough made our mouths water. The room was about half filled, both with families and couples. We were shown to a comfortable booth and given our menus. We saw right away that this wasn’t just a pizza restaurant. The menu included a nice selection of pastas such as Penne Putanesca ($12.99) with the traditional sauce of anchovies, Kalamata olives, capers and olive oil. Also listed were a handful of “House Specialties” which included “The Best Ribs Period!” ($16.29), which were served with cole slaw and french fries.
Their wine list was limited but nicely put together. I ordered a glass of Estancia Chardonnay, priced well at $5 per glass. Our waiter recommended their new house wine: Dog Tail Vineyards. They offer a Central Valley Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon – all for $4 per glass. My husband decided to try the Chardonnay and it was very nice; crisp but with just a little oak. Very drinkable and what a great bargain!
Normally I’m not an oyster fan but, for some reason, they grabbed my attention. Happy Dog fixes them two ways, Wood-fired BBQ Oysters ($1.99 each) and their new Oysters Bill Gates ($2.99 each). The latter crusts the oyster with a spinach, jalapeño, cilantro, butter and garlic bread crust, then wood fires them. We had a couple of each and they were delicious. The only downside is that they arrived after our salads, a faux pas in meal timing.
The above mentioned salads were a nice departure from the regular tossed green. I had a yummy concoction called “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” ($3.99 for a half-portion; $7.99 for a full size). Romaine and radicchio were tossed with toasted walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, then dressed with a gorgonzola-balsamic dressing. My husband ordered the “Happy Dog Tossed Salad” ($3.49 for a half and $7.99 for a full). Fresh greens were mixed with pistachios and apples and topped with a balsamic vinaigrette. Both were fresh and the ingredients blended nicely.
However, what we really came for were the pizzas! There are 22 different varieties, and all come in one size – Individual. This is a relative term, since one pie could have easily fed both of us, especially after the oysters and salad. Prices range from $7.99 for a Cheese Pizza to $14.99 for a White Prawn and Garlic creation. The “Mushroom Fest” caught my eye right away. Wild mushrooms, fresh spinach with a light garlic sauce sounded great. My husband likes a more basic pizza so he ordered the Cheese Pizza with some standard toppings ($.99 each). When they arrived, his was piled high with pepperoni, sausage, bell peppers and mushrooms. I didn’t sense the promised wild mushrooms on my pie, but the domestic variety tasted pretty good. The crusts were thin and crisp but still a little bit chewy – perfect! We ate until we were full, but still took quite a bit home (it reheated very nicely the next day).
Solely for the sake of being a good restaurant reviewer, we decided to have dessert. Our waiter recommended the Apple Pizza a la Mode ($6.49). This sounded good on the menu but was a bit of a disappointment upon arrival. The apples were sparse and the crust was on the doughy side. We should have gone with our first instinct and had the Chocolate Mousse with Caramelized Bananas ($5.99) – maybe on the next visit.
If you’re hungry for pizza but want more of a dining experience than a pizza parlor, check out Happy Dog. Bone appetite!
Sara Leigh has lived in Morgan Hill for 26 years with her husband and two sons, who are now away at college. She loves food and wine, and keeps all the delicious calories in check by avid race-walking. Reach her at ca*******@*****il.com. All reviews for The Dish are anonymous, and all reviewers’ meals are paid for by South Valley Newspapers.
