Barry White Pizza VS. Berry White Doughnut

Over the 10 plus years of writing reviews for this here blog of mine, I've been asked a few times if I review cupcakes that would pair well with a certain concert, band, artist or venue.

The answer is simple, no.

In some cases I've reviewed and/or hightlighted cupcakes that are sold at Music Festivals and in other cases when I've interviewed bands or artists I've asked what cupcake flavor they perfer but for the most part I keep my concert and cupcake reviews separate. 

Breaking free from an unhealthy, unofficial business partner who merely supplied professional concert photos for my reviews and relocating to entertainment industry meca Southern California posed their own obsticles in terms of visability, exposure and coverage opportunities. Not to mention a busy work schdule that keeps me on the road more often than not. 

I've had to get creative with my creative output. Carving out blog content from festivals I work and places I travel to for work, as well as finding other music related things that I draw inspiration from, rather than only reviewing concerts and cupcakes has been the theme of Sweet Sound Bites lately. Being a full-time music festival worker and working music festivals around the country has been the saving grace of this blog. 

Barry White Pizza at Evel Pie Pizza in Las Vegas 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

In this double food review I happened to find two different foods while traveling for work with the same (but different) name of a famous musician. Barry White Pizza from Evel Pie in Las Vegas and the Berry White Doughnut from Good Company Doughnuts & Cafe in Washington D.C. In May I was in Vegas to work Insomniac's Electric Daisy Carnival also known as EDC. Before exhaustion set in, I happily took myself to a pizza joint I'd been eyeing since I started working the festival post pandemic. I was excited to be awake and present enough be able to try Evel Pie Pizza before the big rave this year. 

There was already a line when I arrived about 20 minutes after they opened. Evel Pie is reimminiscent of a dive bar and a mix of what I imagine the infamous Gilman Street punk venue in Berkeley was like. Black walls covered in stickers, posters, old flyers, garfetti and barely illuminated by the low glow of neon bar lights. I enjoyed the punk, thrasher theme as well as the odes to daredevil punk legend himself, Evel Kenevel: from the memorialbilia on the walls to the black and white, checkered, race flag parchment paper that lines the pizza boxes. There's also marquee outside that lights up at night just like music venues do. (Turns out every 2nd and 4th Thursday there's live music at Evel Pie!)

Evel Pie Pizza in Las Vegas 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

As I waited to place my to-go order I checked out the pizza's on display that are sold by the slice. When my eyes fell on the Barry White Pizza there was no looking back. It wasn't the iconic name that got me at first but the fact that this pizza has ricotta cheese on it. Ricotta has become one of those menu deal breakers for me in the same vain as chorizo, chipotle, Manchego cheese and jam.  If it has it, I want it.
The fact that this pizza is called Barry White justified me getting it since it was an opportunity to write and post a review of it because of it's connection to music.
I got it and a second, different, slice to-go in order to eat en route the back to the hotel to get ready for work. Ain't no rest for the wicked, or the evel in this case.

 

Not only is the Barry White pizza called Barry White because of the big dollops of white, velvety ricotta (White like his last name and velvety like that famous bass-baritone voice of his) but there's also no red sauce on this pizza. I couldn't tell if there was a white sauce (usually ranch) on it or not as I gobbled it up. It wasn't anywhere near too greasy, in fact it was perfectly greasy enough and the contrast of the toasted mozzarella paired with the creamy ricotta is chef's kiss worthy. Of course my ricotta loving heart and stomach wanted more ricotta, more of it might have over induldged the simpilcity of this tasty piece of pie. In sin city, at $6.25 a slice you'll hit the jackpot at Evel Pie. What happens in Vegas usually stays in Vegas but I had to share. The only Evel Pie location is in Las Vegas so you'll have to take a gamble and go there to try it for yourself. 

Barry White Pizza at Evel Pie Pizza in Las Vegas 
photo by Nikki DeMartini

In June, work brought me to Washington D.C for the return of Warped Tour! There's no telling if and when there will be free time for any type of exploring or if you'll be lodged in an area that has anything around but I always do a google search of things I might want to check out while in a new place. Those things usually always include food and nature and one of the go to foods I search near me is not cupcakes, it's dounuts. 

Barry White Doughnut from Good Company Doughnuts and Cafe in Washington D.C
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Good Company Doughnuts and Cafe was one of the first places to pop up in my search while in D.C and it was only a five minute drive away from where my team was staying. After perusing their doughnut flavors on their instagram page and being delightfully surprised at seeing that they had a Barry White doughnut, I knew this was the place.

Two of my co-workers agreed to leaving the hotel a few minutes early on the morning of 

load-out/travel day which was my last chance to check this place, and it's doughnuts, out. I assured them it would be a quick trip because already knew what I wanted. As I tend to do, I ended up getting two different ones and ate the Berry White Doughnut before we hit the road. 

Barry White Doughnut from Good Company Doughnuts and Cafe in Washington D.C
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The Berry White doughnut is a play on the singer's name because this raised doughnut is a topped with a tart mixed berry glaze, hence berry not Barry. It's also filled with a white chocolate buttercream and voila! The Berry White Doughnut.

 Goodness!

Eating this doughnut felt like getting serenaded by Barry White himself. The balance of sweet and tart is spot on and there was no skimping on the rich and creamy filling. It's such a delectably fresh frosting filling that I'm pretty sure I blacked out momentarily while eating it before the sugar hit my veins. 

Barry White Doughnut from Good Company Doughnuts and Cafe in Washington D.C
photo by Nikki DeMartini

Barry White Doughnut from Good Company Doughnuts and Cafe in Washington D.C
photo by Nikki DeMartini

The Berry White Doughnut from Good Company Doughnuts is the best filled donut I've had the pleasure of eating. This flavor is one of the speciality flavors in the month of June, presumably because June is the peak of berry season, so get there if you can and get this doughnut.