Henry Martinez's love for pizza was sparked by his visit to Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles, which changed his perspective on what pizza could be. Growing up, he was only exposed to chain pizzas, but his experience at Pizzeria Mozza opened his eyes to the possibilities of gourmet, artisanal pizzas.
Martinez's pizzas at Living Haus in Southeast Portland are distinct from the traditional Italian toppings at Pizzeria Mozza. Instead, he incorporates flavors inspired by his personal history and heritage, such as elote, chorizo and potato, or Spam and pineapple. Despite the unique flavors, both pizzerias use rye in their pizza dough, which adds a nutty flavor and enhances the dough's structure during the fermentation process.
Martinez and his partner, Makeila Magno, moved from California to Oregon on a whim and discovered that Portland was a vibrant pizza city. After eating their way through various pizza shops, Martinez began his pizza pop-up at Living Haus, eventually scaling up to serving pizzas on a daily basis. Their innovative approach, using their personal experiences as culinary inspiration, adds to the growing cohort of inventive Portland pizzerias that incorporate specific cuisines' culinary traditions into their pies. [ more ]