Eat & Run: Cargo Pizza comes with view of the ocean and the oven

Visiting the Cargo Pizza Co. food truck on Portland’s Eastern Promenade, you get all kinds of views.

I expected the ocean views, with the Prom being on Casco Bay and all. In fact, that’s partially why I went to Cargo Pizza Co., to have a slice or two on the lawn for lunch while gazing at the ocean.

But I was surprised by the very cool views inside the truck’s kitchen, since one side is totally made of glass and opens to the outside. I could see the makers of my pizza rounding out the dough and sliding my pie right into the oven. I could even see into the oven.

I was also surprised to see how fast my pizza was made – the oven is super hot, I was told. When I ordered, they said it would be ready in about seven minutes, but it came quicker than that.

A Margarita pie from Cargo Pizza Co, with basil, parmesan, tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella. Photo by Ray Routhier

I ordered the Margarita ($14) with basil, Parmesan and fresh mozzarella on a red sauce. The dough was relatively thin and crisp, but airy inside. The large rounds of mozzarella were melted nicely and indeed tasted fresh, while the sauce was tangy and the basil leaves were large and aromatic. The pizza was cut into eight slices and was just the right size for somebody who is pretty hungry (I was) or maybe two people who are snacking or have a side of something else to share.

Other pizzas offered the day I went included the Bianca ($14), a white pizza with spinach, ricotta, Parmesan and garlic-infused olive oil; a Buffalo chicken ($16) with Buffalo sauce, blue cheese crumble, red onions, cherry tomatoes, chicken and a ranch drizzle; a chicken pesto ($16), with pesto sauce, garlic, red onion, cherry tomatoes and chicken; and a cheese pizza for $12.

You could also add your own toppings, for $1.50 each, including bacon, basil, chicken, mozzarella, garlic, jalapeno, pepperoni, pineapples, red onions, ricotta, sausage and spinach.

The offerings change from week to week. Scanning online menus from other weeks this summer, I saw one pizza called the Bee Sting, with Parmesan, basil, pepperoni, jalapeno and hot honey, and one called the Peaks Island, with a ricotta base, pineapple, chicken and bacon.

Cargo Pizza Co. is run by Gregory Mihos, who has experience working in restaurants with his father, Dimitrios Mihos, who owns the Romeos Pizza locations in Scarborough and Topsham. He and his father co-own the food truck. Mihos said that, while Cargo Pizza Co. is a “sister company” to Romeos, the pizza and concept are very different.