Image: Molly Woodstock

Drive past the neon-hued fast food joints, navigate the strip mall parking lot, and you will find yourself in front of the unassuming Pronto Pizza off of 82nd Drive. Step inside and you know you’ve found something unexpected, a culinary gem hidden in the heart of Clackamas.

This February, proprietor Linda Shankweiler launches a new kids menu at Pronto—and it’s a far cry from soggy cheese pizza wilting under a heat lamp. Pronto has teamed up with Northwest Primary Care nutritionist Jacki Abbot, local farmers, and a small army of hungry kids to design a healthy, sustainable, and tasty kids menu that elevates the family-friendly neighborhood pizzeria to the next level.

One look at the kid’s menu and it’s clear your kids aren't in for a carb fest. While there’s still Pronto pizza offered, the menu is seriously gluten-free friendly. Because Pronto crafts all of their ingredients in house (with the exception of their pepperoni and mozzarella) they’ve avoided gluten additives naturally resulting in a sensible menu that balances indulgence with whole food dinner options. Appetizers like baked cauliflower breadsticks or a snack plate comprised of cheese slices, sunflower seeds, seasonal fruit, and crostini provide plenty of fodder for kids to mindlessly nosh while still receiving a serving of fruit and veggies.

New kid’s menu            Launch Party
Sunday, February 9th             5—8 pm
Kids under age 12 can enjoy a free kid’s buffet.          Nutritionist Jacki Abbott will be available to talk about healthy eating for families.

Their kid-sized pizzas include fresh produce and the pasta is cranked out in house, but the real gem on the menu is the Pronto Plate. Think baked chicken nestled in a bed of roasted seasonal vegetables, house made mac and cheese, local salad greens, and a house-made cranberry applesauce. Broken into three categories—protein, veggies, and fruit— kids can choose one item from each section for a truly balanced dinner.

The other striking feature of the new menu? Pronto’s commitment to Clackamas County farmers. Not only does the restaurant source from organic farmers Siri & Sons, Aloha Produce, and Triune Berry Farm, they've partnered with local company Draper Valley to source their organic, free range chicken from nearby Oregon City instead of trucking their poultry across state lines. This kind of dedication and attention to detail poured into crafting healthful, sustainable, and local food is not something you expect from a pizzeria, much less one tucked behind a Taco Bell in Clackamas.