LYNCHBURG, Va. – We were once told that Lynchburg was a foodie town, which means we have plenty of opportunities in the Hill City for Tasty Tuesday. Waterstone Pizza is one of them, known for its pizza (obviously) and its handmade pasta.
At the head of it all is Culinary Director and Executive Chef, Joseph Hubbard, who’s been in the bizz for more than 20 years. He’s in the right town for cooking, because as he says, “There’s a lot of things to do in Lynchburg, but two of the best things to do are eat and go to church.”
He took us to school while whipping up two of the 14 popular pizzas made here. His favorite is the Supremo, which is a classic. He presses the dough for consistency, adds flour and then comes the, “Housemade pizza sauce, sausage, pepperoni, onion, fresh shitake mushrooms.”
It goes into the oven, where we watch the bubbles develop. This kind of oven is ideal for Hubbard, because, “The hearth temperature is what cooks the bottom of the pizza and gives it that nice, crispy crust. The ambient air is what gives it the nice crisp and bubbles on top.”
He checks frequently for a browned crust and cheesy bubbles. After seven minutes, perfection goes onto the plate.
Last week’s specialty pizza was “The Spring/Summer Splender. That’s just kind of embracing the nature and weather.”
With a pesto base, he adds mozzarella, fire-roasted tomatoes and bacon. Once it comes out of the oven, it’s then garnished with avocado, chopped green onions and a balsamic glaze.
When we put both pies under the spotlight, they could really shine thanks to their fresh ingredients. This is part of what keeps folks coming back, but it’s also what Waterstone did at the beginning of the pandemic.
Hubbard tells us that they made their own country store to help sell needed goods to the community.
Waterstone Pizza is just a small part of what makes Lynchburg stand out. Check back throughout the week as we highlight the Hill City in our brand-new In Your Town series.