East Coast Pizza Finds A Home In Williston

Owner Russell Meads fell in love with authentic pizzerias as a 15 year old kid, when he landed his first job. No wonder he’s perfected it! After learning the trade, he’s now used the same recipe for 35 years. Managing his first Pizzeria in Cape Cod, MA, he draws on his years in the kitchen to perfect his dough and sauces.

Several years ago, Meads came through the Flathead Lake area of Western Montana while on vacation and fell in love with the mountains and terrain. He purchased a building and named the eatery Sun Mountain Pizza. The locals and visitors flocked in. Located just east of Flathead Lake, Big Fork has a cyclic tourist trade. Situated on a two lane high way, the snow packed mountains limited the number of patrons allowing for only a few months of busy traffic. Influenced by the down turn in the economy, he decided to sell.

The business was purchased by the Verapi family. Since the husband and wife had met in Italy, they changed the name to When In Rome. Acquiring one of Meads’ much loved recipes, the Vrapis took it to the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas where they won 2nd place for the non-traditional western division and 4th place in the traditional western competition in 2011.

Meads had heard about opportunities in Williston, ND. Deciding after a visit to the area to explore its potential, he knew he would once again have year round commerce. After purchasing a warehouse that was once a welding and wood shop on the east side of busy 2nd street, he designed another world class pizzeria. Appropriately named WILDCAT PIZZARIA, he used an industrial theme, keeping the cement floor and high ceilings. The interior design clearly shows another of his skills. He built beautiful wood dining benches and used old rail car siding for walls in the rest room. With large flat screen televisions and art from local artist Randall Roberts, a cool, comfortable vibe came together.

The menu boasts Williston’s only 18” pizza with his award winning multi-grain, New York style pizza and lots of great toppings. Also offered are salads, sandwiches, pastas and Strombolis. A nice variety of beverages are available including 6 tap beers. For dessert, he has a weigh and pay frozen yogurt, YoCream, with 4 flavors and an assortment of toppings to finish it off. “This yogurt system and machines are the wave of the future. Everybody is moving toward it,” Meads states with delight. Meads is in the process of opening another Wildcat Pizzeria in Dickinson, ND which is under construction and due to open in August. He hopes to feature another Williston artist, Eddie Wold, who is an abstract metal artist for the interior decoration.

Wildcat Pizzeria, a family dining experience, is located at 3120 2nd Ave, W in Williston and is open every day from 11:00 am to 11pm. Call ahead for pickup at 701-572-1111. You can also “like” them on Face Book at Wildcat Pizzeria.