Detroit-style pizza comes to Taos Ski Valley
Tim’s Stray Dog Cantina was known as a premier hangout for many Taos Ski Valley locals and tourists alike. Folks could enjoy a green chile
cheeseburger or an awardworthy Bloody Mary either after a ski run or as a way to take in a
summer day. To the dismay of its faithful patrons, the popular restaurant closed its doors on June 30, 2020, ending a more than 30-year run in the shadow of the ski slopes.
The space remained vacant until last month, when restaurateur Robert Krause and chef Rick Martin opened Door 38 Pizza at Taos Ale House, 105 Sutton Place. There they serve up wings, salads,
burgers, beer and cocktails. But, most notably, They’re hoping to fill the void left by their beloved predecessor with something you
can’t find anywhere else nearby: authentic Detroit-style pizza.
“It is a very unique type of pizza, and it’s very satisfying. It’s
a pan pizza. People like that. It’s very light. It’s very affordable. And
people when they try it for the first time, discover that. ‘Where’s this been my whole life? I mean, this pizza is phenomenal,’ ” said Martin.
Detroit-style has been a nationwide craze for the past five years,
he explains. Many mistake it for Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, but this is a different kind of pie. The
square pizza comes in six slices and keeps a somewhat rigid shape with a crispy bottom and edges. It’s
light and pillowy. Unlike its Chicago counterpart, it doesn’t fall prey to becoming soupy or soggy. It’s also quicker to cook. Martin said a Detroit-style pie can take just around eight to 10 minutes to bake.
“You take a bite, and it just kind of melts in your mouth,” he said.
They pair this thick, cheesy pizza with their other main dining option: quick, diner-style smashed-patty hamburgers.
These burgers differ from the flavorfully-inventive gourmet burgers at Krause’s other restaurant, the Burger Stand at Taos Ale House (located at 401 Paseo del Pueblo Norte). There Krause offers ingredients like habanero cream
cheese, house made “Bloody Maria” barbecue sauce and spicy habanero jam. They also offer
other types of patties, such as premium Kobe beef, or mushroom and lentil patties for people who don’t eat meat.
Door 38 Pizza offers stripped down burgers served with the classic fixings, like lettuce, tomato, onions, bacon and American cheese.
Krause currently owns four restaurants, two in Taos and two in Santa Fe. At all of his locations and
like many restaurants throughout the country, the pandemic has
caused disruptions to his business operations.
“It’s still an extreme challenge to find kitchen help. All of our locations — in Santa Fe, in Taos, up
here in the Ski Valley — it makes me feel a little bit hesitant about opening another location right away until I see how things could start looking a little bit different,” said Krause.
He’s experienced a severe shortage of line cooks at his restaurants, he said. At times, he’s had just one cook in the kitchen.
But at Taos Ski Valley Krause said he’s off to a strong start — with a great staff which has helped turn his attention to addressing
other pandemic-related problems, like supply shortage.
“It’s been a bit of a roller coaster. A lot of locals were coming in and were surprised with the new atmosphere because they’re expecting Tim’s Stray Dog, and it’s completely
different. But it’s been mostly a positive reaction of people being glad we’re finally open and locals have a nice spot to come to,” said Door 38 Manager Bethany Hammon.
Hammon said many locals have been receptive to a new place to
eat in the ski valley with new food on offer, and that’s who they’re hoping to attract.
“Everybody that comes in here has a story about Stray Dog. We have an employee whose parents met here. You know? It’s a special place when you hear stories like that,” said Martin.
Going forward, Krause said he plans to expand the menu and is working with Martin to create
a breakfast menu, which would include breakfast pizza.
“We’re hitting just about every appetite that there could possibly be in the ski valley,” said Martin.
Door 38 Pizza is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.