PHOTO BY MEGHAN ERKKINEN

Louie and Andrea Galarza, co-owners of Louie G’s Pizzeria and Pasta in Fife, pride themselves on their authentic New York-style pizza.

Louie G’s cooks up authentic NY pizza

By Meghan Erkkinen

Louie and Andrea Galarza know just how hard it is to start their own business. Last September, the couple bought out The Pizza Experience, a long-standing pizzeria on Pacific Highway, and turned it into Louie G’s Pizzeria and Pasta.

And they have not had a break ever since. The couple spent a busy two months renovating the restaurant and updating everything, from the plumbing and electricity to the floors, lights and kitchen.

“It was like flipping a house,” Louie Galarza said.

Even after five months, the Galarzas are working overtime to deliver authentic New York-style, wood-fired pizza. Louie Galarza arrives at his restaurant at 7:30 in the morning and does not leave until 10 p.m. – every day except Sunday.

“Profit will come later. Louie will get rest later,” Louie  Galarza joked. “I’m not here to make a quick buck. I’m here to make people happy and to make them healthier, even if they don’t know it.”

That is right; Galarza claims his food is making people healthier.

“I use all the best ingredients,” he said. “When I don’t have to add the crap, I don’t.”

Galarza said he uses fresh vegetables and only the best ingredients, and when he finds a way to lighten his food, he does. He replaced cream with water in his alfredo sauce, took the lard out of his dough, and offers healthy options, such as his low-

cholesterol Mediterranean pizza. His salad bar is stocked fresh every day, and he switches up his salad toppings daily.

And sometimes that means making sacrifices. Galarza tried 16 different cheeses before picking his favorite two, and sometimes his promise of fresh ingredients means he ends up throwing away pounds and pounds of food. But for Galarza, it is worth it.

“We’re building a reputa-tion here,” he said. “It’s just a matter of time” before the business takes off.

He has been doing his part to get the word out to the community. Galarza has been talking with the school district and local businesses, offering discounts for large orders or exchanges for services others can provide.

“Sometimes you have to help someone and you’ll get it in return,” he said.

But even after five months, Galarza said he still does not feel like his business has become part of Fife.

“If you’re not feeding your cops, your firemen, your longshoremen, you’re not part of the community,” he said. “Where are the baseball teams? Where are they going? Whatever happened to growing up and going to pizzerias?”

In an effort to cater to larger groups and families, Galarza is offering the Little Italy – a 28-inch pizza that can feed 12 or more people. And to liven things up he is challenging his customers to couple up and see whether they can finish off the pizza in an hour. So far, no one has conquered the Little Italy.

As for making the great pizza – well, for Galarza, it is more of a mission than an accomplishment. He still tweaks his recipe in hopes of getting it just right.

Louie G’s Pizzeria and Pasta is located at 4802 Paci-fic Highway E. in Fife. For more information, call the restaurant at (253) 926-9700.

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