The parking lot is likely to be full when you arrive at Pizzeria Mimosa in Hereford, southeast of Sierra Vista. And inside, the brick and wood accents of the Tuscany-inspired setting welcome a diverse clientele that includes Fort Huachuca personnel and contractors, hospital workers, retirees and young families, all drawn to owner Vicki Gilbert’s vision of sharing her Italian heritage through wood-fired pizza, pasta and more.
It’s a scene that would be at home in Scottsdale, and it feels miraculous to find it in the tiny Southeastern Arizona town. In a way, it is. Before it opened in late 2011, the restaurant was under construction when the Monument Fire burned more than 30,000 acres in the neighboring Huachuca Mountains and destroyed several dozen structures in town. Gilbert, who’d been evacuated, got a phone call informing her that her building was one of them. However, as it turned out, first responders were able to save it by repeatedly spraying it with water.
Today, Pizzeria Mimosa remembers the blaze via the hot and spicy Monumento, a pizza with crushed tomatoes, Calabrian chiles, mozzarella, roasted red peppers and peppered salami. It’s one of a dozen pizza options; another favorite is the Mimosa, featuring prosciutto, red onions, mozzarella and the pleasant crunch of Sicilian pistachios. The pizzas are fired in an 800-degree, oak-fueled oven imported from Naples.
Appetizers include plump Calabrian meatballs, made in-house daily, and a creamy burrata. And Gilbert and her team take cues from what’s in season or locally available when planning dinner specials. An early autumn treat of chanterelle mushrooms, flown in from Washington state and ladled over farfalle in a flavorful sauce, was a knockout. Another treat, wild-caught king salmon, was served over toasted fregula, a Sardinian cousin to couscous.
To pair with these savory meals, Pizzeria Mimosa whips up creative cocktails such as the Mimosa Flower (lemongrass-infused vodka, St-Germain elderflower liqueur and Limonata) and the popular House-Cello, which combines a citrus trio of limoncello, limecello and orangecello. Gilbert also stocks wines from vineyards she’s visited, and after drinks and dinner, you’ll want to save room for the velvety, house-made tiramisu, topped with a mint sprig.
Once you’ve eaten your fill, stop at Pizzeria Mimosa’s gourmet shop on your way out. There, you’ll find imported chocolates, hazelnuts, Italian flour, olive oil, pasta, holiday panettones and wines, among other treats you might not expect to find in this tiny town.
Pizzeria Mimosa
4755 E. Neapolitan Way
Hereford, AZ
United States