Editor’s Note: Since the publication of this article, Joe Jo’s Pizza and Gelato has permanently closed.
It may be much less well-known then pizza from some other, not as awesome places, but Wisconsin-style pizza is definitely a thing. It starts with a yeasty, but cracker-thin crust and it ends being cut up into squares and it results in a delicious and uniquely Wisconsin food.
The story goes that two Italian immigrants brought pizza to Wisconsin after World War II. They were from different parts of the country and thus had different pizza traditions. They combined the two and thus Wisconsin pizza was born. The idea of pizza caught on quickly and bars realized that a small pizza oven was a small investment but paid dividends to be able to offer their patrons hot food. Those early spots copied what was happening at that first pizza joint, so they cut the pizza into rectangles and the “tavern cut” pizza was born.
At Joe Jo’s Pizza and Gelato in Ephraim, you’ll find the perfect example of our totally awesome and unique pizza style.
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This cute, quaint little spot is as welcoming a location as you’ve ever seen.
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You’ll feel like you’re at home dining here and the pizza will remind you of the stuff you’ve been having for years.
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The key to great cracker-thin pizza is in the crust and sauce. You can’t have too much sauce or the crust gets soggy. And the crust needs the right amount of yeast to get those delicously crisp air pockets that help create that snap when you bite in. That extra yeast also imparts a unique flavor to the crust - all part of the delicious cracker-thin crust experience.
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In order to keep the crust thin and not soggy, there’s a strategy to assembling these pizzas. Joe Jo’s goes with ingredients first, then cheese. That creates a small buffer between the cheese and crust and keeps that crust so darn crispy.
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The attention to detail at Joe Jo’s amazing. There’s no tossing the pizzas in the oven and walking away. Each pizza is lovingly hand-constructed and then watched closely to ensure you get a delicious, crispy, bubbling pizza.
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The result is a pizza that’s both ooey-gooey and crispy-crunchy, which is what makes it so wonderful. The sauce is thinly applied, but still a little tangy and you get this amazing pizza that comes to you cut in rectangles and snaps a bit when you bite into it.
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Wisconsin pizza, like many of our best things, is a mix of some of the best things a group of people who emigrated here put together in a unique and wonderful way to create a new tradition.
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If you’re looking to experience the crunch of the crust, Joe Jo’s is the place to go. In addition to the truly wonderful and delicious pizza, you get to finish your meal with homemade gelato. It’s the perfect melding of different worlds and it’s one of the best meals you’ll ever have.
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Joe Jo’s Pizza is located at 10420 Wisconsin 42, Ephraim, WI 54234.
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What other pizza places around the state do you love to go to for that great, Wisconsin-style pizza? Let us know in the comments!
Looking for more great pizza spots across Wisconsin? Check out our pizza bucket list.
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