Verve Pie serves up pizza for a cause
Verve Pie serves plant-based pizza and ice cream and part of the proceeds will go toward expanding a new animal sanctuary.
A new restaurant in Cibolo promises to fill your belly and fill your soul. Verve Pie serves plant-based pizza and ice cream and part of the proceeds will go toward expanding a new animal sanctuary. The restaurant also serves cocktails, salads and unique dipping sauces.
The restaurant had it soft opening in late July and is planning a bigger celebration on August 27 for its grand opening.
The basics Verve Pie
Owner Adriana Messina said she was inspired to open the restaurant by her love of animals and desire to help.
"We had a passion to help animals, we wanted to help people as well. And we have a background in commercial real estate, me and my partner in this," Messina said. "And we just thought 'What's our favorite food'? Pizza and ice cream. And who doesn't love pizza and ice cream?"
From there, Messina assembled a team including a head chef and marketing agent. They began the process at the end of 2018 and were happy to see it through to the opening in 2021.
"I still kind of feel like it's pretty surreal. I know it's cliche to say that, but it really is because we've been working on it for such a long time," Messina said. "So to finally see what we envision come to life and to start the process of rescuing more animals is really nice to finally feel."
The Pie Feeling the verve
The restaurant serves eight different pizzas. The ingredients are entirely plant-based, meaning no dairy or meat. The varieties of pizzas sound like traditional styles, but with a vegan twist.
- The Margherita (Traditional)
- The Pepperoni (Traditional)
- The Italian Sausage (Traditional)
- The Beef (Traditional)
- The 3 “Like Meat” (Traditional)
- The Buffalo (Spicy)
- The Bianca (Sweet)
- The Everything Bagel
On the day KENS 5 visited, we tried two varieties, the Pepperoni and the Margherita.
The Margherita was well-seasoned and the bread base was chewy and irresistable, but the cheese substitute was different. It has a creamier and softer texture than the traditional mozzarella cheese.
When the pepperoni pizza first arrived, it definitely looked intriguing. The sauce and vegan pepperoni slices were well-seasoned, like the Margherita, but the texture of the pepperoni was unusual. It was still delicious and a very enjoyable cuisine experience for vegetarians and meat-eaters.
We were definitely tempted to try the Everything Bagel pizza next time. It features garlic aioli, cream cheese, shaved red onion, tomatoes and everything seasoning.
The Ice Cream Creamy, plant-based goodness
Every vegan knows that making a plant-based ice cream can have its challenges and it could easily go wrong. Verve Pie uses a coconut base to substitute for dairy in its ice cream. The finished product is enticing and the coconut flavor ends up complimenting the various other flavors for a nice blend.
All of the ice cream flavors were wonderful, but our favorite was the cool and delicious Mint Chocolate Chip.
The other flavors include: Vanilla, Chocolate, Salted Caramel Pecan, Berry Basil, Lemon Thyme, Pistachio, and Cookies & Cream.
The Cocktails Mixing it up
The full bar at the Verve Pie is serving up some delicious cocktails as well to complete the experience.
One of them is a spicy take on the margarita, the Jalapeno Margarita. It features Tequila, Grand Marnier, lime juice, orange juice, sparkling water, and jalapeños.
Another favorite is the Blue Margarita, which is as tasty as it is delicious. It features Tequila, Blue Curacao, lime juice, and sours.
The Animal Sanctuary Making a difference
Messina said the restaurant is only part of the mission. As the restaurant was getting underway, she also is putting together a new animal sanctuary to rescue more animals. She says the profits will go grow that sanctuary with the help of the restaurant.
"We also rescued two pigs so far. It's called Free Spirit Animal Sanctuary. And the way it works is five percent of the proceeds of anything that you buy at our store goes towards expanding it," Messina said.