Tucked into the heart of the Warehouse District at 604 Baronne St. is Forbidden Pizza, a unique addition to New Orleans’ culinary scene. Owned by local pizza enthusiasts Beau and Nicole Baudier, who also own Ironworks Coffee and Crepes, Forbidden Pizza was born out of the city’s craving for an innovative pizza experience.
Forbidden Pizza’s logo caught my eye long before its food did. The logo features a biblical Eve-inspired character ready to bite into a melty slice of pizza while being enveloped by a snake. It’s a tongue-in-cheek play on the Adam and Eve story, with pizza as the tempting treat rather than an apple. This theme continues into the restaurant itself, which features brass serpents as door handles.
The Baudier’s quest for the perfect slice began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the couple, like so many of us, regularly ordered food delivery. When they decided to open their own restaurant, they started in New York, where they taste-tested slices from different pizzerias to decipher just what type of pizza appealed to them. They found the perfect slice came from Brooklyn.
“We tested a few pizzas to decide on a flavor combination,” Beau Baudier says. “We prefer pizza that’s good without leaving you super full. We wanted a simple, fresh-tasting sauce made with organic tomatoes.”
“That was the easiest part because we prefer cooking with a lighter, cleaner sauce,” Nicole Baudier adds.
While figuring out the pizza’s dough, the Baudiers invested in a water filter that adds minerals to water to mimic New York water as closely as possible. In addition, the couple uses five different flours imported from Italy when making their pizza dough, which takes thirty-six hours from start to finish.
“We’re generally health-focused, which is funny when it comes to pizza,” Beau says. “We use high-quality, clean products like quality cheese to keep it as balanced as we can.”
Forbidden Pizza is available in twenty-inch pies or by the slice and the menu features such highlights as Original Sin, a classic Margherita pizza with homemade tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and basil; Pepperoni Pleaser, with tomato Sauce, shredded mozzarella, and pepperoni; Forbidden Fruit, with shredded mozzarella, fig jam, and bacon (with no pizza sauce); She Thicc, a thicker pan pizza with tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella, and pepperoni; and Some Like it Hot, with tomato Sauce, shredded mozzarella, pepperoni, jalapeño, and hot honey. Other pizzas such as Four Play, with tomato sauce, shredded mozzarella, ricotta, and burrata are only available as whole pies.
For vegan pizza lovers, the duo is working on creating a vegan pizza to add to their menu.
Despite opening just in December, Forbidden Pizza is already on the path to expansion. The Baudiers are planning to reveal a renovated space next door, complete with a full bar and seating for over twenty-five people. This cozy bar will serve craft cocktails, elevating the dining experience beyond a typical pizza joint and the expansion will bring a more extensive menu with additional appetizer and dessert options. The pair are aiming to complete the project in time for New Orleans’ hosting of Super Bowl LIX, promising an exciting future for Forbidden Pizza.
Beau explains, “The bar next door is going to have booth seating on the sides and bar seating. I love plants so we’re going to have a green wall and grow some herbs. It will be small but a nice expansion.”
“I want it to be a cozy place where people can come, eat, and have a drink,” Nicole adds.
Forbidden Pizza is open Thursday through Monday, 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
