Café Pizzaria displays Bloomington history

Bloomington history is hidden beneath the sprawling ivy branches and weathered exterior of Café Pizzaria on Kirkwood Avenue.

“When I think of IU I think of my student ID number, Showalter Fountain, Indiana basketball and Café Pizzaria,” said Stephanie Mood, IU alumna from the class of 1990. “I might know a handful of my professors’ names, but Café Pizzaria fits that nostalgia that is IU.”

The “You’re in Hoosier Country” banner, signed 1976 IU men’s basketball schedule and sports jerseys on the brick walls each tell a story, but none are as nostalgic as those that longtime owner Larry Webb can tell on a Friday afternoon.

Original owner Richard “Dick” Barnes, who also owned Nick’s English Hut, first hired Webb as a driver in 1962.

“When I first started, it was when what they used to call ‘pizza pies’ were a brand new thing for everyone,” Webb said.

Café Pizzaria opened in 1953 under the name “The Pizzaria,” and, according to www.cafepizzaria.com, it was Bloomington’s first pizzeria.

Webb managed the store in 1971 and bought the building in 1986. By then, Café Pizzaria had already become a family business. His son, Dave Webb, had begun full-time work there in 1976.

“The business is my family,” Dave Webb said. “It’s everything we know.” 

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Café Pizzaria was recently named by the March edition of the magazine “Popular Plates” as one of the best pizza places in the Midwest. It was the only restaurant from Indiana to be included in the list of 23.

“It’s very exciting to hear that,” Webb said. “We placed fourth behind only Chicago, Milwaukee and Michigan.”  

The rankings were composed by Jane and Michael Stern, award-winning authors who have written several books and have their own food critique website, www.roadfood.com.

Webb said he remembers the couple having a meal at the restaurant, though at the time they did not identify themselves as critics.

“They asked a lot of questions. I thought they were just curious,” Webb said. 

Alumni like Mood continue to pledge their allegiance to Café Pizzaria even decades after they have graduated.

“812-332-2111,” Mood said with a laugh. “I won’t forget that number.”

Some graduates have requested pizzas to be shipped to them across the country. Webb said they have sent pizzas to Alaska, California, Louisiana and Maryland, among other states.   

Webb said one customer in Maryland ordered a pizza instead of flowers for her mother on Mother’s Day because she loved the pizza so much.

“We’ve gotten a lot of compliments and have a good rapport with grads,” Webb said.

The restaurant also has a strong relationship with the local Bloomington community, Webb said.

One customer, Gary Misik, has eaten at Café Pizzaria on and off since he moved to the Monroe County area in 1969.

Despite this, Webb said the restaurant has struggled to maintain that close relationship with current students. 

“We need to make contact again with the students,” Webb said.

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Webb said Café Pizzaria’s efforts to maintain a family-friendly atmosphere and a high level of quality are what make this restaurant unique.

“We’re definitely not a commercial place,” Webb said. 

All toppings are fresh. Webb said they have a commitment to putting on a lot of toppings no matter what. 

“If a box of green peppers goes up to $60 a box, we’ll pay it so those green peppers can go on your pizza,” Webb said.

The cheese is a no-blend pure mozzarella. Fresh tomatoes are ground for the sauce. And both fresh dough and sauce are prepared daily.

The sauce recipe has been the same since the restaurant opened. Webb said it came from an Italian neighbor of Barnes in Anderson.

Larry, his son Dave and grandson Crosby are the only three people who know the entire recipe for the sauce.

The sauce recipe is his family’s most guarded secret, Dave said.

Old-style stone floor ovens are used to cook the pizza. And while they take longer to cook a pizza than a conveyer oven, Webb said the extra time allows the toppings to fully cook and melt into the mozzarella.

“It’s kind of like a meatloaf,” Webb said.

Though Webb used to eat his pizza once a day, he has since cut back to once a week. His ideal pizza is pepperoni and mushroom.

Pizza is the main focus of the restaurant, but Café Pizzaria serves more than pizza. It also has stromboli, hot subs, sandwiches and burgers.

“Ours is sort of different,” Webb said. “People who like it love it.”