‘Incredible’ pizza now, bakery soon: Unique dual restaurant opens in Garden City
The Black Moon has risen in Garden City.
After months of preparation, the red building at 3709 W. Chinden Blvd. is rolling out the red carpet. Serving artisanal-style pizza, Black Moon has taken over the old Sportscard Fanatic spot next to Section 37 Axe Room.
The new restaurant opens to the public Thursday, Sept. 28.
What is this place, exactly? If you’ve studied the sign while driving past in recent months, maybe you made out the smaller lettering under the restaurant logo: “Pastries & Pizza,” it reads.
Yet Black Moon opens at 4 p.m.? Not typical pastry hours.
The bakery concept will launch by the end of the year, co-owner Barry Faught says. Black Moon will offer a unique, oven-sharing concept — bakery and cafe by day, pizzeria by night. “They use the same equipment, right?” Faught explained in June.
For now, it’s all about mouthwatering pies.
Pizza, salads
A preview event Wednesday generated a couple of quick 5-star Google reviews. “The pizza here is incredible,” raves one.
Black Moon’s menu features six signatures pies — or build your own.
The most popular selection, Faught says, was Josh’s Guilty Pleasure ($18), named after chef Josh Pejsa. It includes red sauce, basil, a “Black Moon cheese blend,” pepperoni, jalapeno and pineapple. The Bad Moon ($21) is red sauce, the cheese blend, pepperoni, Italian sausage, olives, red onions, bell peppers and pepperoncinis. Want a veggie pie? Try the Flower Moon ($15), red sauce, basil, garlic confit, mozzarella, pecorino, parmesan and gorgonzola.
“Josh’s Guilty Pleasure is super good,” Faught says. “And the Flower Moon, which is no meat, is delicious. That cheese blend is amazing. A lot of people love the Hunter Moon — it’s pretty spicy. I just can’t say enough about how impressed and happy we are with how everything turned out.”
Appetizers range from Meatballs ($14) to Peach with Burrata ($13). Salads include a Grilled Caesar ($11, also “amazing,” Faught says) and Pear Gorgonzola ($12). Want dessert? Bite into the Bourbon-Poached Pear with Honey Lemon Mascarpone ($12).
Black Moon also serves draft, canned and bottled beer, as well as wine and canned cocktails.
Boise roots
Faught isn’t a stranger to Boise. He grew up in Idaho’s capital city but moved to Seattle in 2002. Two years ago, Faught brought his Emerald City brand, Broadcast Coffee, to downtown Boise.
The Broadcast coffee shop at 1100 W. Idaho St. in Boise has struggled to find quality baked goods to sell, Faught explained earlier this year. So he and his business partner decided to launch their own bakery to supply it.
Faught wanted to take it a “step further,” he said, and also do pizza.
Black Moon has traditional table and bar seating. Carryout will be a significant part of Black Moon’s pizza business, but for the time being, you need to walk in to order. And delivery isn’t an option.
Temporary hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, 4 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Since it’s in Garden City — not downtown Boise — Black Moon has its own parking lot.
And if you’re craving fresh-baked bread or French pastries? Don’t worry. An experienced pastry chef has been hired, Faught said, but can’t start until December.
“She’s coming,” he promises.
