The pizzeria, which specializes in thin tavern-style pies, sandwiches and salads, opened on March 18.
“We’re going for more airy, lighter, more approachable, more affordable,” says co-owner Matt Fulton.
Teddy’s Preserve closed in December after 10 months in business. The great outdoors-inspired lounge was run by Whining Pig Enterprises, the hospitality group that owns Rough Rider, the restaurant and bar below the sprawling indoor-outdoor space. Fulton is the hospitality group’s majority owner and tapped Steve Coburn, who helped open The Whining Pig bars, for Moon Pie.
The focus of Moon Pie is on the patio experience. Teddy’s was named Phoenix New Times’ 2023 Best Cocktails in a Courtyard, and that award-winning outdoor space has been revamped for the new concept. The food truck that served as Teddy's kitchen has been removed. In its place are yard games. Arcade games, like Pop-A-Shot, are coming soon, Fulton says. The outdoor area also now has turf, for more comfort and greenery.
At Moon Pie Pizza & Patio, the cocktails are playful, but backed with serious mixology know-how from Kyla Hein.
Moon Pie Pizza & Patio
Menu offers pizzas, sandwiches, craft cocktails
The updated food and drinks nod to that more casual environment, too.Pizzas are the central offering at Moon Pie, which serves 12-inch tavern-style or Chicago thin – the kind with a crisp, cracker-like crust that is cut into squares. With some of the best Neapolitan-style pizza “in the world” available here in Phoenix, Fulton says he wanted to offer a style of pizza that’s harder to find.
Moon Pie serves five signature pizzas including the Chicagoland topped with giardiniera, fennel sausage and parmesan and the Veggie, made with pesto, pistachios, ricotta and arugula. Customers also have the option to build their own pie.
Sandwiches are also a feature, with Italian-leaning options including a meatball sub and caprese. Appetizers and salads round out the menu, with garlic breadsticks, ricotta-stuffed jalapenos and a cobb salad among the selections. For those craving a sweet end to the meal there’s the Brownie a la Moon, a brownie topped with vanilla bean gelato.
The signature cocktails have been crafted by Kyla Hein, operating owner and beverage director for Whining Pig Enterprises.
Among the sips is a spritz spiked with Carpano Bitter and peach; a Bourbon smash with blackberry, mint and cinnamon; and a prickly pear Paloma. Moon Pie also offers frozen cocktails, including a slushie take on an espresso martini. Along with cocktails, customers can choose from a selection of beers, seltzers and wine – and can order a bong filled with prosecco or White Claw. Guests can throwback to their college days by shooting these sparkling drinks.
With Moon Pie, the owners say they want to create a casual hangout that invites people to get comfortable through its food, patio and atmosphere.
“We want it to be super playful and fun,” Coburn says.
