I must admit, I was pretty sad to leave Este Pizzaria back in Salt Lake City. They make a mean vegan pizza. Mmmmm. I didn’t know if I’d ever find another pizza place that could match such a magically mouthwatering slice of New York style soy cheese. That is, until I discovered Pizza Lucé.

Pizza Lucé is a small chain with locations in uptown and downtown Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, and the Seaward/University area. I’ve been to the downtown and uptown locations and love them both. The downtown location is a bigger, cooler looking bar/restaurant and the uptown location is smaller with more of the “your local pizza joint” vibe. Since we live in uptown, Emory and I go to that location more often to indulge in savory pizza at an affordable price. And I’ll probably make it around to the other locations eventually to check out their unique atmospheres.

One thing not too many pizza places offer is a menu filled with vegan options like Mock Sausage Parmigiana, Mock Muffeleta, vegan garlic cheese toast, and vegan Foccacia. I must admit, I haven’t tried anything besides the pizza. I’m simply hooked on the pizza. But they have several vegan and vegetarian dishes, and even vegan chocolate peanut butter bars for dessert. Yum! And if soy cheese isn’t your thing, try their rinotta cheese. It’s a nice nut cheese with a grainier texture, but I’m still a sucker for the soy above all else.

This is one chain I would love to see expand. All major cities (and minor ones) should have a pizza place this delicious to show the world that vegan pizza is not such a scary concept. In fact, people might actually enjoy soy cheese on their pizza. A lot!