Free pizza Thursday at new Pike Creek eatery

1000 Degrees Pizza has opened in Pike Creek and to celebrate it's giving away free pizza on Thursday.

That's right. Let's us repeat those two delicious words: Free. Pizza.

The giveaway begins at 11 a.m. at the pizzeria in the new Linden Hill Station at 4526 New Linden Hill Road. The shopping center is at Del. 7 and New Linden Hill Road, catercorner from Goldey-Beacom College.

Customers will receive one free 10-inch, custom-made, brick-oven-baked Neapolitan-style pizza. The freebies continue until 8 p.m. or while supplies last.

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Patrons also have a chance to win free pizza once a week for a year.

The first 10 customers in the door will receive free Neapolitan-style thin crust or Roman style thick-crust brick oven pizza once a week for a year.

1000 Degrees Pizza is a brick-oven pizzeria chain with locations in California, Maryland, Virginia and Texas. It was founded in 2014 in New Jersey by Brian Petruzzi, whose family is from Naples, Italy.

It is one of the first businesses to open in Linden Hill Station.

The eatery offers counter service and patrons can create their own custom Neapolitan-style thin crust or Roman-style thick crust brick oven pizza by choosing from more than 30 toppings.

The pizzas — either 10- or 14-inch pies ($8.95-$14.95) — bake in just two minutes. The eatery also has roasted chicken wings ($6.95-$11.95) with Sriracha, Buffalo, honey garlic, garlic parmesan, bourbon barbecue and pesto sauces as well as build-your-own-salads ($8.95), "cheesy" breadsticks ($5.95) and, for dessert, cinnamon sticks ($5.95). 

Gluten-free pizza also is available. The gluten-free pizzas are baked in separate pans from the regular pizzas, and a separate, gluten-free-only pizza cutter is used to slice them.

We popped into 1000 Degrees on Tuesday night for its quiet "soft" opening. Customers were slowly filtering in. The dining room has high and low tables so you can eat-in or takeout. 

We tried a 14-inch The White Out Neapolitan-style ($14.95), a pie without tomato sauce. The thin-crust dough was topped with extra virgin olive oil, shredded mozzarella, parmesan, fresh mushrooms and garlic.

The crust had a very nice chew and the top was nicely browned in spots, sometimes called "leoparding."

The pizza bakes fast in the 1,000-degree brick oven, so if you're doing takeout and call ahead, let the staff know what time you'll be there so the pizza doesn't sit.

Actually, next time (and, yes, I'll be back), I'll just eat there or order at the counter. Two minutes of cooking time isn't much of a wait.

The new Linden Hill Station is a mixed development project with than 30,000 square feet of retail space that will feature restaurants, boutiques, residences and office space.

Coming in 2019 is Chuck Lager, America's Tavern, a 140- to 160-seat rustic-style restaurant. The eatery will be co-owned by Fabio Viviani, an Italian-born chef who starred on Bravo TV series "Top Chef."

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Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico