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Tacogirl Belize blog Est. in 2007

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Story of a Pizza Taste Tester

by tacogirl 18/12/2016
written by tacogirl 18/12/2016
North Ambergris caye

North Ambergris Caye residents and visitors have been waiting with bated breath to enjoy the official opening of the new pizza container at popular local hangout – The Truck Stop (TTS). Of course, a few lucky ones, myself included have already sampled the goods as they perfect their process.

I am sure tropical takeout will be quite popular. I have already been a food runner and brought some great eats from Rasa to my friends Denise and Jean before. That was a win-win; they did not have to miss any football and I got to enjoy a picture perfect Sunday drive to The Truck Stop and back to town.

Story of a Pizza Taste Tester

Jackie, one of the business owners at TTS, Facebook messaged me and asked if I would like to join in on the “press” tasting afternoon. I was all in for that adventure.

The night before the event I had Facebooked the San Pedro Sun crew to find out which one was going and hopefully score a ride. I got a fast answer; it was Mary. We left off the communication with thoughts that hopefully Friday would present a good 4 wheeled solution – I was prepared to walk or hitch a ride if need be.

It ended up that we had a couple of options thanks to Mary arranging to start with a cab to bridge and then Truck Stop staff Mike was willing to meet us at the bridge and delivers us to the all important taste testing.

I know waiters are supposed to be friendly but ours was extra smiley, could be that he had 3 or 4 cameras pointing at him every time he set foot close to our table 😉

Of course, we were all smiles too as we got to enjoy the following pizzas and new food items.

  • White Pizza with conch and garlic. A delicious adaptation from the popular New Haven Style with clams.
  • Pepperoni – this old standby always delivers on taste.
  • Bacon and mashed potato – we all agreed this would make great breakfast pizza especially with a friend egg on top.
  • Anchovy habanero – surprisingly I did not find this one too spicy but anchovies.  
  • Margherita – this one gets fresh mozzarella cheese made on site. 
  • Traditional and spicy buffalo wings with homemade blue cheese dressing. 

And the winner for me was….. the garlic conch. I will say it was very close, the bacon mashed and margarita were both close seconds. Nothing against the old standard of pepperoni or the anchovy; they were both good too.

As to how we made it back to town, I decided since Mary scored us ride there, I would do what I could to help get us home. That turned out to be very easy thanks to my ride hitching skills and our friends Bob and Rose.

About Slice of Haven 

In the world of pizza making persistence, passion and patience definitely pays off and the staff is definitely working hard on the art of making proper New England style thin crust pizza. Their role model, the famous Pepe’s pizza ranked #1 in the country.

It all starts with the oven a handmade Forno Bravo Pizza oven from California, a great culinary teacher and well-known chef Hasni Ghazali and great cooking staff who are willing to learn new tricks. Alongside Hasni are Ernesto aka Chip, Israel and Roshani.

Cooking in the tropics for various reasons always takes a bit of a learning curve and adaptation. In Connecticut, they use coal in their ovens. Since we there is no easy access to loads of coal in Belize, they opted for the propane conversion to their oven. Hasni told me they started at 700 degrees and moved down 10-degree fluctuations to hit the perfect cook temp of 625. Once the technique and temperature are solid, a good cook can work 6 pizzas at once.

They let the dough rise for 24-48 hours. Timing is everything with a 15-second window between perfectly cooked and overdone. The pizza gets turned every 10 seconds and has a cook time of 2.5-3 min per pizza. The goal is to get a nice char on the crust and bottom but not burn it. Hasni also pointed out it important when cooking pizza, to consider how will it fare as leftovers.

You can read more about the pizza on Bob’s bound for Belize blog post –  Truck Stop’s Taste of Haven makes pizza taste like heaven.

More About The Truck Stop

Located on North Ambergris Caye and worth crossing the bridge for a tropical suburban drive to a funky, fun neighborhood bar and eatery. Constructed from shipping containers and features some delicious food. Each container houses it’s own name and specialty. Arpea Latin American Fusion Rasa South East Asian Kitchen; Cool Cone has yummy ice cream, a great bar with an iconic Belize sign and now the new addition, Slice of Haven pizza. It’s a very friendly atmosphere, you are highly likely to see people you know and meet a few new ones.

The Truck Stop is not only a great place to eat but they host some pretty cool entertainment:

  • Wednesday night movie night
  • Thursday night Trivia
  • Sunday live music, pig roast and corn-hole tournament
  • Monthly “north of the bridge” Poker Run stop (usually on a Saturday)

For more info on their events and pictures like The Truck Stop Facebook page. 

 â€œGreat food and a really cool place” click through to see more traveler reviews. 

Truck Stop North Ambergris Caye

Chatting with Jacqueline Rose and Mary and the first two pizzas

Truck Stop North Ambergris Caye

Ernesto serving us bacon mashed potato and Bob doing a polite photo bomb

Ambergris Caye Restaurants

Buffalo

Related

tacogirl

Laure Norton grew up dyslexic and was very challenged by the school. She never dreamed she would move to Belize and become a writer. A year after her move to Ambergris Caye, Laurie became an entrepreneur and professional writer starting tacogirl blog in 2007. Since then she has helped many people plan their vacations or move. She also has been published in Great Destinations Belize Guidebook, Moon Guide to Living in Belize, Insight Guides, Island Magazine several times and USA Today. Currently Laurie resides in downtown San Pedro and enjoys being a "city girl" on a tropical island.

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Corey Holm
Corey Holm
04:38 25 Feb 20
I take the seniors from our academy to Belize every year for their senior trip. One of the first people I contact when... I start planning the trip is Laurie with TacoGirl Belize. She knows the island of San Pedro better than anyone else out there. Trust me, I have looked. If you are looking for the best restaurants, hang outs and shops then Laurie help plan your vacation.read more
Carol Taylor
Carol Taylor
15:53 24 Feb 20
Love Taco Girl Blog @LaurieNorton! I've been reading this blog since I started visiting Ambergris Caye in Belize almost... 10 years ago. It is filled with helpful up-to-date information and recommendations that I wouldn't necessarily find on my own. Laurie Norton's knowledge and extensive network on the island provides her with the ability to share perks/discounts/coupons with her readers, which come in handy year after year. Things on the island change daily - new businesses pop up constantly and LaurieNortonstays on top of these developments. Whenever I plan my return trip to the island, I always check her blog first - and I recommend you do the same. Trip Advisor ain't got nuttin' on Taco Girl!read more
Heidi
Heidi
20:01 20 Feb 20
Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s... always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. There is so much information it's amazing! Thank you Laurie!!!read more
Nick Goodman
Nick Goodman
21:23 30 Nov 19
I am considering a move to Belize and I have serendipitously found tacogirl.....what a treasure! She is full of great... advice, helpful hints.....knows everybody on Ambergris Caye and has a thousand useful recommendations and suggestions. Whether you are planning a vacation or relocating, you should make use of the many services she has to offer…..read more
KellyDivePhotography
KellyDivePhotography
20:58 30 Nov 19
I’m so pleased to see tacogirl's blog on Google. Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and... local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. I especially enjoy her guest articles, providing a different perspective of all things San Pedro. Her tipping quide is a classic, and don’t forget her Tropic Air flight code and on-island discounts. You’re not up-to-date with what’s going on in San Pedro if you’re not regularly reading tacogirl's blog.read more
Sandra Godfrey
Sandra Godfrey
15:58 23 Nov 19
I have known Laurie (Taco Girl) for several years. She has been a wealth of good information for me in all of my... pursuits in Belize. I highly recommend her for any services you may require.read more
William Jones
William Jones
13:39 06 May 19
Do yourself a favor. Read this BEFORE any trip to San Pedro - Ambergris Caye or Belize in general. Not saying “do... what everyone else says”, but Laurie has frank and honest info which will make your stay in country a little more fun, a little more informative, and often at a great cost savings. Best thing: it’s unbiased, honest, and factual. Personal note: thank you for your personal tailored help in answering mine (and my wife’s) questions.read more
Kimberly Robinson
Kimberly Robinson
18:28 03 May 19
Taco Girl (Laurie) is amazing. She has so much knowledge about Belize and has great connections with many of the... businesses in Belize. Because of her connections she is able to offer many perks and discounts that you wouldn't have been able to find otherwise. She is super responsive and I always go to her for all my travel needs. From golf cart rentals, to spas, to places to eat. She's got the inside scoop on all!read more
Michael Rieck
Michael Rieck
20:22 21 Apr 19
Since 2003, my wife and I have been to Ambergris at least once a year to experience the fantastic diving. About twelve... years ago we me Tacogirl on a blog giving us discounts on golf carts, local airfares, and restaurants. Over the years we have grown a friendship and I look forward to her weekly blogs about he changes on my favorite home away from home. The island changes every year, and she always shows you what to see, do, and eat.read more
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ABOUT ME

I took the plunge and moved to San Pedro Town on the Island of Ambergris Caye, off the coast of Belize, Central America. Originally from Canada, I made the life-changing move to escape winter for good (in 2006) after one three week vacation.

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3 childhood memories that shaped my desire to move to Belize from a young age.Sailing in the Virgin Islands, seeing a rainbow out the window of an island hopper as we flew from Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico, Christmas in Hawaii and many trips to Florida.

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