The Charlottesville 29

It may be stretching the truth to claim this article is an introduction of A² Pizza to Charlottesville. After all, Andy Argaud has been slinging pies from his Pantops home for  a year now. But, reservations for his pies can be so hard to come by that it was not until this week that we finally scored ours. So, it was an introduction to us.

A life-long food lover, Argaud got hooked on Detroit-style pizza in 2020, when he was living in L.A. and encountered a pop-up chef offering it. “It immediately became my favorite style,” said Argaud.

And so, he set out to make it himself. He began with an online pizza making class, and then pursued his passion with anything he could find: articles, YouTube videos, and other research. There was a lot to it, but the key, Arguad says, is achieving both a crispy crust while also a light and airy crumb. “My style incorporates techniques used in making foccacia bread to achieve this,” said Argaud.

Yeah, it’s delicious.

Argaud regularly posts dates and times on Instagram, and then customers can send him a message with their order, to pick up at a designated time. There’s a menu of toppings, or you could just ask for it Argaud’s way: pepperoni, pineapple and pickled jalapeños. “The combination of salty, sweet and a little spice is amazing,” said Argaud.