When it comes to pizza, Ed Barbeau is a perfectionist.

The owner and chef — the “pizzaoli,” in Italian — of Pisano’s Woodfired Pizza is so particular about his hand-tossed artisan pies, he tests them out every year at the International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas.

In a sense, these are the Olympics of pizza making. And Barbeau has more than held his own against chefs from Italy and New York, the hotbeds of the industry. He has placed as high as fourth in the international finals (with an extreme Hawaiian barbecue pizza), and he’s been the Western regional champion. He placed second in that division earlier this year with his filet mignon pie.

“We respect Italian traditions,” Barbeau explained. “My pizza is made using traditional techniques and ingredients, like Double 00 Italian flours cold-fermented for 36 hours. (They are) shaped by hand with respect for the dough — not tossed in the air or machine-shaped — then cooked in a traditional Italian Pompeii oven.”

Rosso and bianco

Pisano’s held a corner in Bend’s NorthWest Crossing neighborhood from 2008 to 2013. When Barbeau lost his lease there, he r moved to Tumalo Junction, custom-building his wood-fired brick oven in a former Subway sandwich shop. Here, he presents a smaller selection of individual specialty pizzas on light, yeasty crusts.

Yes, you can get that Hawaiian pizza, which features not only Canadian bacon and roasted pineapple, but also Ligurian pepperoni, crushed San Marzano tomatoes, minced jalapeno peppers and Memphis barbecue sauce. Or you might opt for the Mediterranea, a vegetarian choice with spinach, kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, crumbled Central Oregon goat cheese and house-made basil pesto.

Pisano’s pizzas fall into two categories. The extreme Hawaiian is “rosso,” or red; the Mediterranea is “bianco,” or white, indicating that it is made without tomato paste on the crust. There are five in each category, and that’s it — although diners are welcome to suggest their own combinations.

Spacious feel

Pisano’s isn’t a large restaurant, but it feels spacious, with about 40 seats at high and low tables and at a six-stool bar. There’s also a spacious seasonal patio.

But the ambient charm is within the contemporary cafe, which features faux-brick around its walls and an abstract mural of St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice in one corner. Large cans of Pomodoro tomato paste are stacked on a high shelf, just beneath the ceiling, and easy-listening music, Italian as well as American, adds a romantic twist.

Although the staff are few in number, service is excellent, with Barbeau himself often exiting the open kitchen to deliver pizzas and chat with patrons.

The menu isn’t solely pizza. On a recent visit, my dining companion and I both ordered salads, of which there are several choices.

I had a Caprese salad, always one of my favorite starters when it’s done right. I know that I will prefer the Pisano’s Caprese when heirloom tomatoes are in season; for the time being, it is being prepared with thick slices of large, perfectly ripe Roma tomatoes. They are a suitable substitute, especially as they are sandwiched between slabs of Buffalo mozzarella cheese, topped with coarsely shredded basil, and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. They are offered with two tangy sides — a garlicky house-made pesto and a mash of moderately spicy Calabrian chilies.

My companion’s Caesar salad bowl featured sliced romaine leaves and a generous handful of sun-dried tomatoes, topped with ample shaved Parmesan cheese. The creamy dressing was excellent, although she found the touch of anchovy paste too subtle for her taste. Bruschettas baked with cheese are presented as a side.

Filet mignon

I didn’t want to miss out on Barbeau’s filet mignon pizza, a “bianco” prepared on a tomato-free layer of mozzarella. Strips of prime steak, cooked in a spicy wine reduction sauce, were generously distributed with slices of caramelized Maui onions and freshly roasted garlic. It was like lunch and dinner at the same time.

My friend’s “rosso” was a sausage pizza, but it had much more than merely savory bites of Italian sausage. There were caramelized onions and crushed tomatoes with mozzarella, along with sweet-and-spicy peppadews, a unique pepper grown in South Africa.

There’s only one sandwich on Pisano’s menu, but it’s a good one — an almost traditional meatball sub on a warm ciabatta roll. The meat, which is topped with marinara sauce and melted mozzarella, is also blended with a mix of herbs, including parsley, that give it more flavor that the everyday meatball sub.

There’s only so much food a person can eat. From previous visits, I remember being impressed by Pisano’s Thai-style chicken wings, which have a sweet and spicy glaze. And the New York cheesecake is a silky meal finisher.

The only thing to do is to come back again.

— Reporter: janderson@bendbulletin.com