Written by Mike Montano, photo by Matt Porubsky

Every city should have that one pizza joint where you can go in for a single slice or with a group of friends for a pizza and a beer. Topeka has waited long enough and Via’s Pizzeria is the perfect stop to enjoy some gourmet-style pizza since their opening in February 2008. The selection of pizza crusts and toppings are enough to make Via’s stand out, because the owners, Jessica and Jeff Schell, use only fresh ingredients and prepare their pizza dough from scratch daily.

Jessica’s inspiration for her secret sauce recipe came from all over the country, so it comes as no surprise that the ingredients are top-grade and something you’ll notice from your very first bite. Along with over 20 toppings, there are different dough and crust options from white, wheat, gluten-free and thin, original, hand-tossed or Chicago-style.

“The pizza that is everyone’s favorite is L’Opera. It means everything and this pizza sure has everything you’d want,” Jeff says.

If you’re not getting enough vegetables in your diet, go for this pizza. There’s so much flavor that you won’t realize you’re eating something healthy. The sauce has just the right amount of spice, which provides for a good foundation for this masterpiece. It’s an original recipe and one that only Jessica knows how to make.  I guess I’ll let her have this one, as long as they continue to make great pizza.

At my last visit to Via’s, I chose my favorite wheat, hand-tossed crust and indulged in a slice of L’Opera pizza.  Every inch of the pizza had a new flavorful bite with different combinations of veggies and meat per taste. It’s no wonder that L’Opera has become an instant signature pizza of Via’s, containing mushrooms, black olives, red and green peppers, red onions, tomatoes, beef, Italian sausage and pepperoni baked into their sizzling, gourmet cheese.  L’Opera is the perfect solution for lunch or dinner along with one of three Blind Tiger beers, a Boulevard Maibock or any other beer or wine offered.  It may be hard to decide what to order from all the perfectly palatable selections, but it is pretty safe to say that pizza will never be the same again in Topeka.