Shredding solid Wisconsin whole-milk mozzarella blocks and crushing California vine tomatoes daily on Monroe St.
Pre-shredded cheese in commercial bags is coated in cellulose potato powder to stop the shreds from clumping during truck shipping. When baked, that powder prevents dairy fats from melting smoothly. Gino's Pizza shreds solid whole-milk dairy blocks on site every dawn, seasons California vine-ripened tomatoes without added paste or sugar, and dices fresh farm vegetables daily.
Shredding two hundred pounds of whole-milk mozzarella blocks and dicing fresh produce at dawn
The prep station starts at six in the morning with eight forty-pound blocks of whole-milk Wisconsin mozzarella brought to forty-four degrees. Line cooks cut the blocks into two-inch slabs using wire cheese cutters, feed them through our stainless commercial grater, and catch the fresh curd in cold pans. The cheese carries natural butterfat with zero anti-caking starches, allowing it to bubble into golden brown freckles under 550-degree deck stone heat without leaving puddle grease.
Next, three bushels of fresh green bell peppers are cored and hand-sliced into quarter-inch strips. Twenty-five pounds of firm crimini mushrooms are wiped dry and sliced on the mandoline. Two cases of California vine-ripened plum tomatoes are milled into coarse pulp, seasoned with sea salt, dried oregano, and garlic oil, and staged in cold well containers along our make-line. By eight-thirty, forty ingredient bins are chilled to thirty-six degrees for the day's tickets.
“Industrial pizza sauce is diluted tomato paste cooked with high-fructose corn syrup; our sauce is vine-ripened tomatoes crushed fresh with salt, olive oil, and oregano.”Gino’s Pizza prep kitchen • 3981 Monroe St, Toledo
Whole-Milk Wisconsin Mozzarella
We source low-moisture whole-milk cheese crafted by Wisconsin master cheesemakers. Part-skim cheese browns too fast and dries like plastic leather on stone decks. Whole-milk cheese provides the exact thirty-eight percent butterfat needed to insulate dough, lock in herb moisture, and produce tender elastic strands with rich dairy sweetness.
California Vine Tomatoes
Our tomatoes come from California's Central Valley, harvested within three hours of picking during late summer peak sweetness. We use un-concentrated coarse crushed tomatoes. We add no water, no artificial citric acid, and zero granulated sugar. The natural fruit sweetness balances savory deck dough without masking natural pepperoni or sausage seasonings.
Fennel Sausage & Cup Pepperoni
Our Italian sausage is seasoned coarsely with cracked fennel seed, black pepper, and garlic, pinched raw onto pizza dough so its savory juices baste the crust in the oven. Our natural casing pepperoni curls into crisp charred cups under 550-degree deck heat, trapping paprika oils that give Toledo tavern pizzas their distinct snap.
Farm Fresh Market Produce
We reject canned mushrooms and limp bagged pepper strips. Our crimini mushrooms, sweet Spanish white onions, and crisp green bell peppers arrive fresh and are sliced with sharp chef knives on prep cutting boards each morning. When baked, fresh vegetables retain their crunch and moisture rather than turning into soggy water pools.
Frequently asked questions regarding our ingredient sourcing
Pre-shredded cheese is dusted with powdered cellulose and potato starch so the shreds do not stick during long warehouse distribution. When exposed to 550-degree deck heat, that starch creates a chalky barrier that prevents the cheese from melting into a creamy, golden blanket. Shredding fresh blocks each morning gives our pies their signature flavor and texture.
No. Commercial chains add sugar to mask bitter, over-cooked tomato paste. We start with naturally sweet California vine-ripened crushed tomatoes, needing only sea salt, pure olive oil, oregano, and minced garlic to create a bright, savory sauce that complements our scratch dough.
Our pizza prices range between 7.44 and 21.69 USD per pie. A ten-inch single-topping thin crust starts at 7.44 USD, while a sixteen-inch loaded specialty pie with five fresh market meats and vegetables reaches 21.69 USD. Pricing reflects real dairy butterfat, whole cuts of meat, and fresh farm vegetables.
Yes. Every pizza at 3981 Monroe St is dressed by hand to order. You can mix and match meats, fresh vegetables, extra whole-milk mozzarella, ricotta dollops, or roasted garlic bases. Our deck bake turnaround remains 10–30 minutes.
Submit an inquiry with your preferred toppings
Tell us which fresh ingredients, cheese blends, and crust styles you want on your pizza. Our kitchen crew will review your ticket, calculate pricing within our 7.44–21.69 USD schedule, and confirm turnaround timing within our 10–30 minute standards.