Wood-fired pizza restaurant to open in former 300 First location

After roughly nine months of sitting empty, a new local pizza joint is close to firing up the ovens inside the former 300 First space in downtown Rochester.

Linda Black, owner of Pi Wood-fired Pizza in northwest Rochester and co-owner of the Smokin’ Oak Pizza franchise, says her newest venture is called Tilda’s Pizzeria. Tilda’s will also serve wood-fired pizza, but Black says the difference between her two Rochester restaurants will be best seen in the dining experience.

“Pi is a little more of a fast-casual style, where you order at the counter and we wait on customers once they sit down,” said Black. “With Tilda’s, it’s going to be more of a sit-down experience. It’s a place you'll be able to unwind, have a meal and relax. It’s a really cool space, and we can’t wait to open.”

The new venture will be located on the second floor of 300 First Avenue NW. The previous restaurant there, 300 First, owned by brothers David and Mark Currie of Creative Cuisine, closed in July 2020 — though their downstairs concept, The Redwood Room, remains open. (The Curries are siblings of Black.)

Tilda’s will expand on Pi’s existing menu, while offering a larger beer and wine list than the north-side shop. Black also said Tilda’s will likely bring back some experimental recipes — like a walleye pizza — that were piloted at Pi in the past. 

“I like to offer a lot of variety,” said Black. “If you like pepperoni, we’ll have good pepperoni pizza. If you want to get a little more creative, we’ll let you do something a little different.”

Black hopes Tilda’s will be ready to open by late April, although no exact date has been set.

Isaac Jahns is a Rochester native and a 2019 graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism. He reports on politics, business and music for Med City Beat.