Elite Event: Be a Pal and Come to Sal’s

I haven’t been to many Elite events lately. But this one knocked it out of the park! Everything about this place was on point. Good beer, good apps, and delicious ‘za! Even though I’m closer to the STP in SP (see what I did there?), I will definitely stop by this location again.
PS — props to the fig/​bacon combo.

I’m a week late to the party, but better late than never!
Man, oh man, this place is delicious. I’ve never been to Sal’s before and I’m kind of wondering why. I love pizza and it’s only a couple minutes from my place. What the heck?!
First off, thanks to the great team at Sal’s for welcoming us! It was a treat to get to eat some amazing food!
Easily what stood out for me were the tomatoes – on everything. I think my husband is sick of me raving about it one week later. But I’m not kidding. First, it was in the burrata. And that burrata was delicious. The second appetizer, which was duck (apparently, because I wasn’t paying attention and just inhaled it), was also pretty tasty.
But the pizzas. Ooooh the pizzas! The tomato sauce and cheese could easily put me into a coma. You can taste the homemade freshness of the tomatoes and the cheese was ooey gooey heaven. Surprisingly, this carnivore enjoyed the vegetarian options more.
It was pretty neat that Sal’s gave three Elites a chance to make their own pizzas as well. My husband loved the pizza with mango and chili aioli. I loved the chicken with all sorts of veggies… and the tomatoes! I think no matter what we ate, it was a winner.
Definitely planning to get some pizza for dinner sometime soon!

I haven’t been to an elite event in some time, and I was ecstatic to get a spot at Sal’s! When we arrived, there were drink tickets and a fun Unilocal glass waiting for us. It was great to finally meet Community Manager Stacey. She was just as friendly and personable as I had imagined!
Our meal began with a few appetizers. I do not eat meat, so I passed on the duck confit, however the burrata was delicious! The housemade cheese was so, so good. I have eaten pizza at Sal’s before, but I’ve always gotten one of their standard meaty pies and just removed the meat. This event gave me the chance to try a few of their standard vegetarian pizzas. My first pizza I tried was their «vegetarian» (aptly named) which included roasted beet pesto, kale, goat cheese, parsley, and a red wine reduction. I think a lot of people are either lovers of beets or haters of beets. Luckily, I fall into the lover category. The pizza was savory, unique, and delicious. It was unlike any vegetarian pizza I have tried before. The second option that I was able to eat was their traditional tomato pie, which was basically just tomatoes and cheese… however, «just» implies that it was simple — which it definitely was not. First, it was maybe the most beautiful pizza I’ve ever seen. The cheese and sauce are arranged in a spiral pattern which was quite visually pleasing to this girl who loves how food looks! ;) The taste was incredible. The cheese was so good, the sauce so fresh, the crust so perfectly cooked. It’s funny how sometimes the most «basic» foods can be the most satisfying!
I love that Sal’s not only opened on a Monday for Unilocal,but they also gave three Elites the opportunity to create their own pizzas. I wasn’t able to try the Elite pies, as they all had meat, however from the reactions of those around me and the «voting» that occurred, it seems like all three were a success! A huge thank you to the staff at Sal’s for hosting this event! I can’t wait to come back and try even more of your fabulous tomato pies!

Another awesome Elite event! Thanks so much to the team at Sal’s for opening their doors to us, what a treat. I enjoyed the restaurant set-​up which allowed us to mix & mingle by sitting with Unilocalers we may not otherwise get to chat with. We were treated to a draft beer in new Unilocal pint glasses we later got to take home (using mine as I type!).
The first app was tasty — Burrata. Crostini with housemade cheese and garlic. Yum! I skipped app #2 given that it was duck and moved on to the pizzas. There were two vegetarian options: a plain tomato sauce and cheese one (which was quite good) and their specialty vegetarian pie (Roasted beet pesto, kale, goat cheese, parsley, red wine reduction). Also quite tasty! There was then a fun activity of three Unilocalers trying their hand at making pizzas. All had meat on them so while I can’t tell you from personal experience, I can tell you all were a hit with our table.
We had a great time at this event. Thanks again to Stacey for organizing and for the Sal’s team for being such fabulous hosts!

I enjoyed this event quite a bit. The staff described the dishes and the intent to satisfy my curiousity, even helped me pick a beer. The music was on point. This location is more of a hangout than the family style parlor in sun prairie. I enjoyed it and its fits well in the downtown landscape.
The carbonara pizza is a winner.
Bruschetta delicious as well. Just try the tomato pie and enjoy its brightness!
Thanks for inviting me and the providing such wonderful service.

I love Sal’s. And when I heard there was an elite event that was going to at Sal’s. I swapped nights shifts at work to make sure I could go. This is how much I did not want to miss this event.
I’ve already tried a fair number of pizzas at Sal’s but I was very happy to eat them again and try some new ones that I hand’t tried before. Two of my favorites are the Jalapeño Assesino and Fig and Bacon… mmmm that fig and bacon. Sal’s always uses top ingredients so when that’s your game plan you can hardly ever make a bad pizza! Every single pizza they brought out that night was stellar. I got to try their basic tomato pie, I’m not usually one to get a plain pizza since I love toppings, but I was amazed by how great their tomato sauce was and how that alone made an amazing pizza.
Sal’s also always has interesting taps available. That night they just tapped a beer called the Rumkin, possibly one of the best beers I have had.
I was lucky enough to get a chance to make my own pizza and it was so nice of them to allow us newbs into the kitchen and let us go wild with the ingredients. I’m sure it was the slowest they have ever seen anyone make a pizza. But they were patient and even were nice enough to give us some suggestions and steer us away from bad topping combos.
Patrick and the rest of his crew were so welcoming and threw an awesome event. I will of course be back for more delcious pizza and good times.

I was really excited to see a Unilocal Elite event at Salvatore’s Pizza, and I was not disappointed. Sal’s has really taken the pizza experience to the next level. The unique toppings combinations, the fresh and local ingredients, and the hand-​tossed crust all make this the best pizza in Madison.
We got to try a couple of appetizers: the burrata (house-​made soft cheese with bread, arugula, and sungold tomatoes) and a duck confit crostini with a spicy cranberry sauce and sheep’s milk cheese. I loved the duck crostini! They do a solid duck confit here. They made all of their specialty pies for us, in addition to the plain ol’ tomato pie (just tomato sauce and cheese) as well as the old stand-​bys: pepperoni and sausage pizzas.
My favorite specialty pies have got to be the Jalapeño Assesino (Jalapeño pesto, carnitas, Farmer John’s Colby Caliente, chorizo, sliced jalapeño, red onion) and the El Mapache Loco (harissa, adobo chicken, roasted onions and poblano peppers, potatoes, red pepper, and queso fresco). There was also a fun contest where three Unilocalers got to build their own pizzas and everyone voted for their favorite, which would be featured as a special for a limited time only!
Owner Patrick DePaula and staff put a lot of work and passion into their craft, and it really shows. Thanks for a great night out with Unilocalers, Stacy!

Very fun event that everyone enjoyed. I really liked the whole event, atmosphere, and the food was fantastic! I ended up being a lucky winner of the pizza raffle and had a blast making pizza! Thanks for hosting us! We’ll definitely be back!

I looooove pizza so this night was a dream!
It was so fun sampling all of the pies since I struggle to choose which to order when I go to Sal’s. I always want them all… and this time that was possible!
The duck confit and BURRATA (my phone autocapitalizes this so I am just going to leave it since it’s kind of appropriate) appetizers were also fantastic.
Loved Sal’s before but now I love it even more!

This event has been one of the only Elite events thus far to leave me with a full stomach. I’ve always been a little bit hungry because events tend to be more of a way to sample small bites here and there. I was impressed by both the free Unilocal pint glass and the free beers provided by Sal’s. Both Sal’s and Unilocal out did themselves on this one.
One of my favorite things about events is getting to talk to so many new and interesting people. It was unfortunate that the space was not setup well to allow the familiar mingling, regardless, I had a great time.
The appetizers, beer selection, and pizza were all top notch. Great job guys! I’ll be coming back to the Madison Sal’s in the near future. Thanks for hosting us!

I’m with Sara. Sal’s is a dream for all pizza lovers! (aka everyone) And last night was a great way to get to know the restaurant and menu.
The Fig and Bacon pizza and the Forza were my two favorites. BOLD flavors for the win! Both pizzas were nice and salty. The figs blended surprisingly well with the rest of the ingredients on the Fig and Bacon pizza – a pleasant surprise. You definitely can’t go wrong with the classic cheese, pepperoni, or sausage pizzas. Sal’s uses the best ingredients, so no matter how simple you go, it’ll be delicious. And the crust is amazing!
The pizza creation activity was a fun way to engage people! I’d love more activities like this at future Unilocal events. Sadly, I had to leave just before trying the Unilocaler creations, but I’m sure they were delicious.
It would have been fun to hear a little more about the Sal’s backstory. This event was really fun! Looking forward to visiting Sal’s again in the [very] near future.

Bravo, Unilocal and Sal’s! What an amazing event! The staff was as equally outstanding as the food and beer selection. I hadn’t yet been to the new Madison location, so it was really exciting to get a chance to check it out!
I’ll get to the only negative — it was a little too small for the amount of people at the event. Seating was sparse and it was difficult to mingle. But, we didn’t let that stop us from enjoying the evening!
First — the beer selection is super impressive! The Rumpkin beer is amazing, I will be back just to indulge in a glass. I was also impressed with how knowledgeable the staff was about the beers they had on tap. It’s always comforting when you ask them to explain the beer and they actually can (and well)!
Second — the food. Oh, the food. I’ll admit, the first plate of Burrata we had was a little under seasoned. However the second plate was perfect. My favorite appetizer was the duck confit, though. It was perfectly balanced. The pizza here is some of the best in Madison. My favorite was the Carbonara, followed by the Fig and Bacon as a close second. I’ve never had egg on a pizza and now I don’t know if I can eat it without it.
Great food, beer, service and people. Loved it!

As a brand new member for Elite ’15, Be a Pal and Come to Sal’s was my first event. I was so happy to finally have a chance to try the food at this greatly buzzed about restaurant. Patrick and his über friendly staff started us off with two appetizers: 1) Burrata is a delicious house-​made cheese served with toasted bread, tomato, garlic (Definitely getting that at my next visit). 2) I didn’t get a name for the second app but it was a crostini topped with duck confit, a slightly spicy sauce, little flowers. It was beautiful and very tasty.
I forgot to tell you that we were treated to a free beer in a Unilocal pint glass. I chose the O’so Brewing Company’s Night Train. A rich stout with good flavor. The beer menu at Salvatore’s is really impressive. It was a hard time picking but I made a good choice.
Now, back to the food! The pizzas come out. Sal’s brought out all the house pizzas. I skipped over the the tomato pie to try the Carbonara and the Vegetarian slices. I have never had a Veggie pizza so good. I think it was an inventive and delicious choice to avoid the «tried and true» veggies like olives and peppers. I can not stop talking about the Beet Pesto. So So So good. Kale and parsley… mom would be proud that I’m eating my greens. And the red wine reduction added a sweetness. The Carbonara was the pizza I have heard the most about. Egg on a pizza? Who knew that it would work. I would definitely share this pizza with anyone.
For my second round, I got the Tomato Pie and Forestiere. That red sauce is a marvel. So much flavor in one sauce. The Forestiere is a very good pizza too. Really there was not anything I tried that I would not eat again.
The event had three Elite Unilocalers trying their hand at making pizza. All three were very good. The Winner will be featured this month. That was so fun… filling my belly fun! Thank you Sal’s staff for giving us a great night!

I feel like hosting a Unilocal elite event is a very challenging endeavor for a small restaurant like Salvatore’s Tomato Pies, which makes the amazing evening they provided us even more special. We expected a tasting menu, but what we got was nothing less than a feast of one magnificent pie after another. Generosity is one thing, but excellence in service and presentation and quality set this event above the bar.
Sal’s is a small venue, made smaller by the dark interior, and it’s loud when the place is full of very excited Unilocalers. No matter. We were provided with excellent tap beer pints to go along with the fantastic food, and even a ticket for another upon our next visit. Loved the Unilocal!swag pint glasses as well, thanks for that, Stacey! I may or may not be a semi-​hoarder of those, and they are an excellent addition to my collection.
The thoughtfully curated tap beer selection includes something for everyone, from dark stouts to bright IPAs to Belgians. The pizzas feature top quality and creative local toppings, including delicious pepperoni from Underground Butcher and even marigold petals on one pizza. Duck confit appetizers with a spicy coulée drizzle on toasted baguettes were off the hook.
There were so many standout pizzas that this review is difficult to write, because I want to rave about all of them. The one that sticks in my memory especially is the one with figs and bacon. It was simply amazing, like a sweet salty savory dream.
We voted on our favorite of three new creations that Unilocal elites came up with, and they were all good. Our favorite was the #2, though, and I’m glad I took pictures of the ingredients in each because we will definitely create our own next time we visit, with those same ingredients. Kudos to you, chef #2! It was the combination of different iterations of peppers and mangos that really wowed us. Great company, great food, great fun.

Great event with tremendous pizza! I didn’t think it was possible for me to like Sal’s even more, but I do. I’d never tried the vegetarian pizza and was happily surprised by the tasty beet pesto. I’d also never tried the carbonara pizza and was blown away. Love those runny yolks… The only downside is that I ate so much I’m down for the count with a major pizza hangover.

This was my first elite event and it set a pretty high bar. Patrick and his staff did an incredible job. I already knew that the Forza is a fantastic pizza, but the one with jalapeño pesto, carnitas, and chorizo really blew me away. I’m not a huge fan of Sal’s standard tomato pies, (not because they’re lacking in any way but just because I’m not that into saucy pizza) but their specialty pies are out of this world.
Prediction: I will be going back to Sal’s soon for one of those jalapeño pizzas.
Thanks everyone– I had a blast at my first event.

Amazing time. Somehow Sal’s managed to pack us all in. Free beer and free pint glasses? Great way to start things. Follow that up with some phenomenal appetizers, followed by their signatures. The pizzas were a trip. I’ve never been to Sal’s before, but both the fig pizza and jalepeno pizza blew my mind. Truly well balanced, delicious fare. The crust especially was great.
Awesome twist with the added chance to have our own pizzas added to the specials list!

Sal’s capitalizes on a classic pairing: pizza and beer, and boy, do they get it right.
We tried so many amazing and delicious varieties of pizza. There was one topped with avocados, onions, and cilantro. There was a mushroom and bacon one, one with purple potatoes and squash. But my favorite that I tried tonight was the fig one. I’m really excited to come back to Sal’s to order that one again. And that barely scratches the surface. There were so many other interesting combinations and sadly only so much room in my belly.
We also had started with two appetizers. The burrata was served with sungold tomatoes, arugula and french bread. The burrata reminded me of a really good egg salad, but creamier and without the taste of eggs. The next appetizer of crostini with duck confit was amazing. I loved it because it had a great balance of salty and sweet. I could eat a whole tray of that for a meal.
The beers on tap were awesome. Craft brews and the server was knowledgeable about the drafts. You don’t need 100 some taps to impress. Sometimes just a handful of well curated and fresh taps does the job.