Matthew Rutherford
eSomethin Staff
Perrysburg’s 5th Street Pub is cooking up popularity among Perrysburg residents. 5th Street Pub is a local pizza eatery in downtown Perrysburg that is best known for its Neapolitan pizza, which is made using a traditional Italian method. Beyond the mouth-watering pizza, however, is a deeper story of this local pizza restaurant.
5th Street Pub owners Geoff Kies and Melissa Burge Kies also own a restaurant called Luckies. They, along with their culinary partner, Bruce Rahe, have been working together for many years.
“…after working [at Luckies] for a couple of years, Geoff had started talking about this little place in Columbus that did Neapolitan pizza, but they only sat like four people. …it’s just this little Neapolitan oven in this little deli area. So the more we started talking about that and researching it, we decided we needed to learn how to do that,” Rahe said.
Kies and Rahe traveled to New York to study how to make authentic Neapolitan pizza. While they were there, they had the opportunity to learn from Roberto Caporuscio, a renowned chef who specializes in Neapolitan pizza.
Pizza is not the only item inspired by their traveling experience; other items are, too. Their meatballs were inspired by a restaurant in New York called The Meatball Shop. Rahe created their chicken parmesan dish based on a meal on a Disney Cruise Line with his family.
So why should Perryburg residents go to 5th Street Pub rather than ordering a pizza from any of the other restaurants in Perrysburg?
Rahe believes that 5th Street Pub’s way of making Neapolitan pizza is “historically accurate pizza,” using only fresh and imported ingredients from Italy, including flour, tomatoes and traditional Neapolitan pizza cheeses like buffalo mozzarella.
5th Street offers a wide variety of menu options, not just pizza. Other popular menu items include meatballs and pork chops, along with many other traditional American dishes.
5th Street Pub is a great place for PHS students to dine with friends or family.
“It’s kind of a louder place, you know, a more laid-back environment. So it’s just a nice place to kick back with your friends and enjoy good food and a nice place to hang out,” Rahe said.
5th Street Pub is located at 105 W. Fifth St., Perrysburg, OH 43551.
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