Tara’s Pizza at the Andes Hotel

By Robert Brune

ANDES — One of the special things about the Andes Hotel is how the amazing chefs in the kitchen come out onto the floor to engage with the customers. Upon returning from the Bushel Collective closing reception of ‘On the Verge’, this reporter decided to drop in at the Andes Hotel. Friends Dede and Daryl Shelton just rolled into town after being away for a bit, eating pizza with a neighbor Lynn Witkowski. It was an extra surprise to finally meet the amazing pizza chef Tara Spadafora Hall who came out to welcome our friends that were away. It was because of this friendly encounter, this reporter decided to duck into the kitchen and gather some background and photos of Tara. Here she was kind enough to share some of her story with us.

“Making pizza began as a family affair. When my brother opened a pizza place in Arkville (La Rosa's) in the 90’s, we both had full-time jobs but he was eager to start a small pizza business and asked if I could help on weekends. So, I spent weekends measuring dough balls and learning everything I could about making pies. After the restaurant closed, I became known for making homemade pizza & garlic knots for community celebrations and large gatherings.”

“When I started working at the Andes Hotel it became clear that Derek and I held a shared dream of opening a pizza place in Andes – and Tara’s Pizza at The Andes Hotel was born. Sundays starting at noon, I have a small but ever-growing selection of pizzas to sit and enjoy or take away. With the upcoming holiday of St. Patrick's Day, I will be making Reuben Pies.”

Not only has Tara developed a fantastic reputation, the kitchen workspace was remarkably immaculate as discovered with this unannounced visit behind the scenes of the Andes Hotel kitchen.