In what has hopefully become an annual biz trip, the Pizza Snob got to travel once again to England, his second favorite country. While I certainly did not anticipate matching last year’s home run at London’s Mulberry Street, I was also quite skeptical about whether I’d even find another pizza place worth trying. That was until I found Ecco Pizza on Drury Lane in the Theatre District.

After taking a short nap on the afternoon of my arrival, I set my sights on Ecco based on a favorable, although hyperbolic, on-line review. (Saying that it is as good as Joe’s Pizza in Greenwich Village was a stretch.) Exiting the Underground at Covent Gardens, I proceeded by foot to find the place on my own since I knew that Drury Lane would be easy to find. I eventually found Ecco but not without a challenge.

There are several things that always take time for me to get used to when I am in London: (1) Asking for the “toilet” instead of the “bathroom,” (2) Looking the opposite direction when I cross the street and (3) Remembering that street numbers run consecutively, not odd and even like they do in the States.

So after remembering the third item on my list, I finally found Ecco’s storefront in the middle of a city block. Their outdoor sandwich board sign alerted me that they served an “11-inch freshly baked Italian pizza for £3.50.” They work from a small room with only a few tables for seating, and some people were there getting pizzas to go. I noticed that they also serve a light breakfast and Paninis.

Their overhead sign behind the counter listed about ten or so choices, and I ordered mine Margarita style, the closest they had to just plain cheese. I was also surprised to see that the pies cost 50p more to eat IN than they do to take OUT. Could this be for the dishwasher since I would soon learn that they serve on china instead of paper plates?

Looking back into the kitchen, I surmised that the Italian-looking fellow making my pizza was the owner. He had the look of a proper chef, and my hopes started to rise that I was about to be getting a serious pizza creation. I waited only about five minutes for my pizza to come out of the professional-looking oven and I was not disappointed.

The thinly-designed pizza came served on a china plate emblazoned with “Ecco” and was cut into six small slices. Around the ends, the crust looked light and enticingly charred. In the middle however, it looked like gravity was working against this pie, since the oil was flowing into the middle making its center a little soupy and soggy. Nonetheless, it still proved to be a delicious work of culinary art.

Right away I was taken with how exquisitely tasteful Ecco’s pizza crust was. It was delightfully crunchy and chewy at the same time. It was just the way I like it and could not have been any better. The cheese was tasty as well. My only real dis on this pie was that there was perhaps a tad too much oil which tended to thin out the tomato sauce as well as create the aforementioned soggy middle.

While not a fancy place, if I were looking for a light snack before the theater, Ecco would definitely be on my list. In fact, I think that it is good enough to simply be a pizza destination on its own. While correctly not claiming to be a New York-style pizza, Ecco truly makes a marvelous Italian Margarita pizza. This London pizza adventure has certainly got me excited for my trip to Italy later this year with Mrs. Pie!

PIZZA SNOB RATING ****Near Perfection

Ecco Pizza
186 Drury Lane
London WC2B 5RU, UK
44 20 7404 3555
[no website]

It seemed that there had been a lack of hometown attention from the Nashville-based Pizza Snob. So after “blogging-up” the efforts of my recent pizza travels, it was time once again time to ruffle some local feathers. My first choice for a new victim had been staring me in the face for several months.

On my daily commute, I drive by Pie Five Pizza Co., a new and uninteresting-to-me “design your own” pizza restaurant. It sits at the end of a strip center on the north side of Cool Springs Boulevard. In a strike against it being anything special, Pie Five is a sister company of the Pizza Inn chain with 50 current locations on their way to 500 through franchising. Locally, they have this Franklin spot and sites in Donelson and Hendersonville.

My mission took place on a lovely cool July 3rd holiday afternoon. After studying the on-line menu together, I convinced Mrs. Pie to join me for some patriotic pizza and a salad. Being knowledgeable about this kind of place, we knew that what we would be getting into would be about as non-classic and untraditional as could be. But the salads looked decent, and hopefully the pizza would at least be tasty enough to satisfy my constant craving for the good old taste of tomato sauce and cheese.

Like my namesake location in Fort Worth, Pie Five is another place in the trend to be like Mexican food’s Chipotle. The scheme is for you to walk along the counter adding unnecessary toppings to create your own personally-designed pizza. Their 28 available toppings were even proudly displayed on their cute “Periodical Table of Toppings.” Pie Five also lets you pick from four different crusts and seven sauces. For those lacking a sense of adventure, there are some pre-designed pizza choices from which to choose.

Trying to “normalize” our pie as much as we could, we went with the “cheese pizza” which was described to have a blend of Mozzarella and provolone.  Continuing in this vein, we chose the “crispy artisan thin” crust and the “Tuscan marinara” sauce. We added nothing to it receiving no discount for going topping-less. For $5.49 we got what looked to be a 10-incher that they cut into six uneven slices.

During assembly, Mrs. Pie got her usual urge to request less cheese, but I stopped her to allow my “let them make it” principle to apply. After a short journey along the conveyor-belt oven behind the counter, our pie was ready in just a few minutes.

Pie Five has spacious table seating inside, but on this pretty summer day we headed out to their awesome outdoor patio area that sits under the shady trees of the park adjacent to the Aspen Grove apartment complex.

After looking at our “plain as we could make it” pie, I felt optimistic since the crust was thin and looked crisp from the light char on its bottom. And as they used to say in Jersey when something was better than you expected, it wound up tasting “not bad!” But, this comment also implies that everything wasn’t all that good.

As usual, Mrs. Pie coined it perfectly: “It just didn’t have that pizza taste!” I agreed and blamed two things. First the provolone mixed in with the Mozzarella only served to throw the taste off. Next, the lack of any seasoning in the sauce really brought the flavor down. Good tomato sauce needs more than just sugar and tomatoes! On the other hand, Pie Five did manage to make a decent crust which they served up nice and crispy.

Surprisingly, we were still hungry and went back for another pie, this time going with Mrs. Pie’s “half the cheese” request. Overall, it may have fared somewhat better, but it still didn’t taste enough like traditional pizza for our satisfaction.

While a Pie Five pizza should never be considered to be a substitute for a good slice of classic pizza, it does work as a little appetizer on which to snack. As for their salad, I found mine somewhat dull and drab although it was cool how they served it in a bowl made from the tasty pizza crust. ‘Nuff said.

P.S. A funny aside to our visit was the stray cat on the patio that some kids were trying to feed pizza. Well, he wouldn’t eat it! Maybe he was from Chicago and preferred deep dish?

PIZZA SNOB RATING *** Better Than Dominos

Pie Five Pizza Co.
401 B Cool Springs Boulevard Franklin, Tennessee 37067
615-236-9120
www.piefivepizza.com

Original Review: 10/16/13

PIZZA SNOB RATING *** ½ Working on a Good Thing

The Pizza Snob isn’t sure exactly when, but the once-promising Wall Street Pizza at the Moores Lane and Franklin Road shopping center has vanished. Their former space has been taken over by the expansion of their former neighbor, the ever-popular Sopapilla’s Mexican restaurant.

Although I never got to pay them a return visit, I am always sorry to see a decent pizza joint go. The Snob’s write-up of Wall Street was one of the site’s most frequent hits due to their lack of a website.

I wish the former owners the best.

NEW PIZZA SNOB RATING     R.I.P

Wall Street Pizzeria
Davenport Boulevard
(Franklin Road at Moores Lane) Franklin, TN 37069
615-465-6166
[no website]

Looking for more local pizza places to pick on, I decided to go back to a place I hadn’t visited in several years: Nashville Pizza Company. NPC currently operates two places in Franklin, but does not actually have a spot in the Music City. So let’s face it, why didn’t they call it the Franklin Pizza Company!

In my pre-Snob days, I had previously been to their Grassland area location in the Battlewood Shopping Center and was not impressed. This time I thought I would visit their other location in the Watson Glen Shopping Center on Old Highway 96. Curiously, as the crow flies, this is actually the closest non-chain pizza joint to my home.

My adventure took place a lazy Saturday night that seemed just right for a takeout dinner. On my run, I stopped first to get some sushi for Mrs. Pie and then went to NPC to pick up the medium cheese pie ($10.75) that she called ahead for.

Arriving at NPC at 7pm on a Friday evening, you would have thought that this place served the best pizza in the world. The joint was jumping! Every table was full and there were others like myself getting pies to go. Mrs. Pie even said she had a hard time getting through on the telephone.

Waiting inside, I saw walls full of signed photos of country singers (including my favorite, the late George Jones) and several Williamson County pizza awards. Oddly enough they were all for second place which made me wonder who came in first.

While they said my pie would be ready at 7:20, it was ready early at 7:10. I took the pie home and dove right in. My first reaction was that it was not as bad I remembered. Dimension-wise, it scored fairly well in terms of being thin and not over-cheesed.  It was weird though how the end crust was much higher than the rest of the pie. While somewhat tasty and satisfying to my pizza craving I couldn’t deny the fact that there was just something odd about it.

Dissecting things, the bottom crust was light in color with no noticeable oven char. It wasn’t the least bit crunchy and had the look and feel of a cracker. The cheese was cooked so thoroughly into the crust, it had almost no fluidity left whatsoever. There were even a few spots on top where it was burnt. The cheese just seemed to be totally wrong. On the other hand, the tomato sauce was pleasant and while not well-seasoned, there was nothing off-putting about it.

Eating this crust on its own, you would never think you were eating a pizza crust. In trying to put my finger on what the crust reminded me of, I gave a bit to Mrs. Pie. Her remark? “It smells like beer!” Could that somehow be from the yeast?

My main dislike though about this pizza probably had to do with the fact as to how overall dry it was. From top to bottom, the cheese and crust were cooked almost bone dry leaving scant evidence of any oil—one of the cornerstones of taste for a good pizza.

All put together, NPC’s pie was not anything horrible or disgusting. But, if you are looking for a good pizza in Franklin, the Snob still recommends either Brooklyn Brothers Pizza on New Highway 96 or Sal’s Family Pizza on Hillsboro Road. There’s no need to keep NPC on your map.

PIZZA SNOB RATING *** Better Than Dominos
Nashville Pizza Company
152 Watson Glen Franklin, Tennessee 37064
615-595-8001
nashvillepizzacompany.com

Somewhere inside our brain is a place where we create and store imaginary mental images of the places we have heard of but have never actually visited. Mine had a directory full of almost sixty years of images of what Italy would be like. Finally, with the nest at home now empty, I was able to erase and rewrite some of those old temporary files in my brain with newly-created personal visions of the real place. The sub-folder inside my cranium for “Pizza in Italy” also got erased and refreshed. Herewith starts the tale of this exciting journey.

As far as the Snob’s usual advance research goes, this milestone of an adventure surprisingly was given very little. Perhaps it was the feeling of being so overwhelmed that I tried to rationalize with the excuse of wanting to discover things for myself. Regardless, while I now and forever remain loyal to the pizza from my own hood of New Jersey/New York, I made the absolute best of this trip to the land that made my favorite food possible.

Over the course of my five days in Rome (including a side trip to pizza’s birthplace of Naples) and three days in Florence, I learned that the word “pizza” does not mean just one thing in Italy. There are at least four separate and distinct types of pizza that I got to experience. I will say though that you see the words “pizza” and “pizzeria” everywhere you look. It seemed that Italy had as many signs for pizza as it had historic statues.

Mrs. Pie and I arrived mid-day on a pleasant spring Saturday to an Airbnb we leased in Trastevere, a rione (or district) of Rome, just south of Vatican City. Having been in the country only just a few hours, I wasted no time and had my first taste of Italian pizza after walking across the street while scoping out our new neighborhood.  My first Italian slice would be at C’era una volta …la Pizza (translated as “Once upon a time…a pizza”).

My first discovery was that the language of pizza is international. Despite my serious ignorance to the Italian language, I found it easy to maneuver my way through the menu board. (Non-verbal communications like pointing works fairly well and most Italians seem to be familiar with some simple English.) The menu was divided into “Pizza Base Bianca” (white) on the left and “Pizza Base Rossa” (red) on the right. The price was €3.00 (Euros) a slice and there was the usual local surcharge (€0.40) to dine on premises.

The first type of Italian pizza we would encounter lay behind the glass of a walk-up counter: an assortment of long uncut sheets of thick “Pizza al Taglio” (translated “by the cut”). I visually selected the prominently-displayed, plain Mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce Margherita. Then, without any real discourse as to how much pizza Mrs. Pie and I needed, the host cut off a slab and asked us “Hot or cold?” After our obvious choice for a reheat (heated out of sight, it only took a minute or two), the final product was served cut into four small savory squares, including three choice pieces with ends of blackened crispy end crusts. We then sat ourselves to eat on the colorful orange chairs out front in the magnificent fresh air.

This absolutely delicious pizza reminded me of some of the best Sicilian slices that I have had back in America. (It had however about only half the usual thickness in its middle bread-like layer.) While the nearly-complete covering of cheese and sauce were superb unto themselves (although not noticeably seasoned, they were far from being bland), the delightfully-charred bottom crust was what I found most appealing about this pizza. The crust was just so fresh and uber-chewy. It tasted almost like something I have never before experienced. Its firmness really gave my jaw a workout while creating a mouth-watering experience that I did not want to end!

Pizza-wise, our trip to Italy was sure off to a magnificent start!

PIZZA SNOB RATING     **** 1/2 Nearer Perfection

C’era una volta …la Pizza
Via Portuense, 131 a/b
Trastevere
00153 Roma, ITALY
www.pizzeriaportuense.it

It was a Sunday and our first full day in Rome. Mrs. Pie and I had no specific pizza plans so I thought we might follow some Facebook advice we received from an American friend. So I made a mental note to locate the place she said was her favorite when she lived in our current port of Trastevere. Since it was on the main street our bus travelled, I thought we could spot it while we were coming or going. I soon realized that my naive attempt at following the numbers on buildings was producing no favorable result. I later became educated that not only do Rome streets change names at the drop of a hat, but there are also two concurrently-running sets of numbers on every street: one for residences and one for businesses. Suffice to say, we never found our desired destination.

Needing another plan for the evening’s dinner, I surfed my way to an article written by an Italian food critic who picked her ten fave pizzas in Rome. Wanting to experience some crispy, thin-crust Roman-style, I chose Li Roni from her list.

Still trying to familiarize ourselves with the Roma Capitale area, I thought Li Rioni might be easy to find since the review said it was only three blocks from the Colosseum. However, wandering about with a hopeful sense of confidence through the bumpy stone streets of Rome, the street I had written down as the address was nowhere to be found despite its presence on our map. It was now getting late, dark and we were weary, tired and hungry. This misadventure taught us two things: (1) asking Italian locals for directions most times finds them indifferent and (2) Rome tourist maps don’t always accurately capture all of the city’s little nooks and crannies. Finally finding the street, Li Rioni was nowhere to be found.

Well, I eventually discovered (by asking at a hotel) that I had mistakenly written down a similar, but incorrect street name. After more and more walking on our very tired feet, we finally found the correct street.

I should note at this point that we later became much more confident in our Rome bus-riding skills. We stayed away from the expensive taxis for which the taxi stands are also hard to find, and I still didn’t feel comfortable enough to carry my iPhone with all the talk of Roman pickpockets.

Finding the street was at first bittersweet. The long and narrow expanse was dark and looked vacant of anything resembling a restaurant. After Mr. Pie sent me solo down the lonely street to explore, I was excited to find Li Roni at the end of the block looking quite lively and elegant.

It was now about ninety minutes after their 7pm opening. All of the outdoor seating was taken, and the large inside area was crowded as well. Nonetheless, we were immediately seated at a small table near the front door. I spotted a manned wood-burning brick pizza oven in the rear.

As would be standard fare for our entire Italian journey, to eat plain and cheese in Italy means to order a Margherita pizza (€5.50) which we did here. (Mrs. Pie got her own: the Napoli which was the same plus anchovy.) In addition, we also ordered some delightful side dishes from the Li Rioni menu which included much more than pizza.

The joint was really jumping. But there looked to be only two waiters covering the whole place, and as a result, service was quite slow. We watched our busy waiter take orders, serve food and prepare drinks at the bar. Mrs. Pie wondered if he was also making the dough! It was tonight that I learned the essential knack in Rome of acting fast when ordering and paying to cut out as many steps as possible. Don’t let the waiter out of your sight until you finish your business!

The pizza took a while to come at the end of our meal and was served uncut on a plate along with a knife and a fork. Ultra-thin and covered with a messy-looking swirl of cheese and sauce, there were blackened char spots scattered about its surface and on its end crust. It was about 10 inches in diameter from which I made four slices that I folded and ate by hand like a true American. While my slice technique is usually the “Fold and Rip,” this pie required instead a knife-assisted “Rip and Fold” process to eat.

Assessing the crust, there was little if any char on the bottom despite the blackened pizza bubbles and end crust on top, making it more chewy than crisp. The dough was tasty and fresh. Otherwise there was really not all that much to this pie since it was very skimpy on top in terms of tomato sauce and cheese.

For me, the flavorful taste of the tomato sauce was the best part of this somewhat tasty, but simply-stated, rather unsensational pizza. Overall while it was flavorful, it surely was not anything worth travelling across an ocean for. We actually enjoyed our dessert more than we did the pizza! Trying to be objective in that this was a new style of pizza for the Snob, I disagree with the local food critic and do not see Li Rioni as being a required destination on a trip to Rome.

The Pizza Snob’s first attempt at Roman-style pizza was a little disappointing. Fortunately, that would soon change.

PIZZA SNOB RATING  **** Near Perfect

Li Rioni
Via dei Quattro, 24
00184 Roma, ITALY
www.lirioni.it

Day Three in Rome and Mrs. Pie and I were still winging it about what things to do on our tourist list and when to do them. After spending some time seeing the sites of the Roman Capitale and shopping along the Via del Corso, it was time for lunch. Mrs. Pie suggested we try the Campo de’ Fiori area which she heard was a good place to find something good to eat.

Still figuring out how the Rome buses worked, for the second day in a row we took the right bus in the wrong direction! In general the buses are great, but the street signs displaying the routes offer no help as to which side of the street you need to be on. Bus drivers are there to drive and don’t offer much help —maybe a “Yes” or “No” to your question if you are lucky.

And paying for buses is way too strange. You can only buy your single-fare ticket (€1.50) in advance at a Tabacchi (tobacco) shop or at a machine if you can find one. You are supposed to time-stamp your ticket when you board, but I rarely saw anyone do this. I assume that the locals who were doing nothing had passes of some sort. We paid most of the time, but there were times when we needed to get on the bus and there was no ticket vendor in sight. Get caught by a random inspector and it’s a €50.00 fine. Fortunately the odds were in our favor and we didn’t get caught.

We eventually got our bearings straight and found the Campo de’ Fiori open air market in a large open square. The covered booths looked spectacular with individual specialty vendors offering vastly wide selections of cheese, pasta, olive oil, jars of olives, fresh vegetables and cooking supplies. Unfortunately, they were starting to close shop since it was approaching early afternoon.

While walking through the square, we came across a modest-looking outdoor café called Virgilio, a combination Ristorante/Pizzeria/Wine Bar that we decided to give a try. The indoor seating area seemed rather limited, but we were able to dine al fresco in the more spacious outdoor area in front. They even had free Wi-Fi which seemed to be a challenge to find in Rome.

Not sure of the size portions we would be getting, we ordered one green salad and one Margherita pizza (£8.00) which turned out to be plenty for both of us to share. The pie, which they cooked in a conventional pizza oven, looked to be about 14 inches in diameter, and surprising to our Italian experience thus far, came pre-cut into eight slices. What struck me most though was if you took away the few basil leaves scattered on top and made it a little thicker, it would look just like something you’d get in Manhattan.

But, oh boy! Virgilio’s pizza was just over-the-top amazing. We found Roman-style pizza at its best.

The cheese and sauce were evenly mixed into a delicious tasting blend atop an ultra-thin crust. This enticing crust was crisp and crunchy and blackened-on-the-bottom with a freckly char. The flour on the end crust was snow white. The oil coming off of the cheese was bountiful and delightfully delicious.

I really think that we discovered the New York-style pizza’s Italian ancestor! It was so light and easy going down, and I was lucky that Mrs. Pie let me eat 5/8s of this fantastic pizza.

I can’t believe the surprise of finding this place. While this pie seems to be quite different from what we saw around Rome, it is truly one that I don’t think you should miss. Combined with a visit to the market it made for a fabulous Roman afternoon adventure.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ***** Sets the Standard

Virgilio
Piazza Campo de’ Fiori 10/a
00186 Roma, ITALY
www.ristorantevirgilio.com

During our recent stay in Rome, Mrs. Pie and I planned a day trip to see the famous ruins of the ancient city of Pompeii. This side trip would take us through Napoli, or Naples, which is the birthplace of pizza. Naples has a reputation of being a somewhat of a rough gritty city and it does not get the most favorable reviews from tourists. Nonetheless, it was an opportunity the Pizza Snob could not resist. So we planned on spending just enough time there to grab a quick dinnertime pizza on our way back to Rome.

The first leg of our journey to the ruins was an hour-long jaunt on a high-speed Trenitalia train from Rome to Naples. This combination of luxury and speed (300 km or 186 miles per hour) made us realize how poor mass transit in the USA looks in comparison. From Naples, we took a much more familiar-looking crowded and graffiti-laced train to Pompeii.

Visiting the ancient ruins of a city destroyed in 79 A.D. by the volcanic ash and pumice from Mount Vesuvius was a remarkable experience. But, imagine my surprise when in the middle of touring all the rubble, I spotted a sign for “Pizza!” I guess I can understand the need for some refreshments during one’s tour, but it really did smack of bad taste to create a snack bar in the middle of ancient Pompeii. To further belittle this bad choice, they either made the building to fit in with the ancient motif or worse yet, tacked it on to an existing surviving ancient structure.

All shame aside, I simply could not resist adding this pizza place to my list. I also anticipated that this being Italy, that the pizza wouldn’t be that bad. However I soon learned that snack bar pizza is still snack pizza, no matter where it is served: at a sports stadium, museum or even some ancient Roman ruins.

Inside the rather large facility, I found the pizza section and spotted some rather large Margherita slices under glass at the counter that sold for €3.90.  In true concession fashion, I would also have to first struggle with some horribly slow service to get my slice. This just about drove Mrs. Pie nuts since she was ready to get back to our tour. Their process was the usual fast-serve Italian method of paying at the register and then bringing your receipt to the serving end of the counter. Since the lady on duty felt that cleaning the area behind the counter was more important than serving customers, the other dude on call was doing both duties. His method of operation was to first collect Euros from a few customers at a time and then move to the service area to dish out the pizza.

I finally got my slice which despite the fact that it was sitting there for who knows how long, the dude behind the counter did not think was necessary to reheat. Retreating to a table in the cafeteria section, I knew I was about to be disappointed. Surprisingly, I could not believe how much this large cold double-wide slice reminded me of America’s own Papa John’s pizza. It was also about as dull, doughy and bland-tasting as one could possibly be—just like Papa John’s.  I then thought, “Could PJ’s or some American firm actually gotten the contract at this facility?” Or is there also bad pizza to be found in Italy? (I later learned that this place was run by Autogrill, an Italian catering firm.)

Cold, dry and limp, I quit before finishing this dreadful slice. At least it was edible for a few minutes. Part of the irony of eating at this place was the thought that the best pizza place in my hometown of Bayonne, New Jersey is at a place called Pompei Pizza! Wait until the folks back home hear about this other Pompeii!

Onward to Naples!

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ** Why Did I Waste Those Calories?

Pizza / Restaurant / Cafeteria (operated by Autogrill)
Pompeii Scavi
Pompeii, ITALY

Having finished our day ruminating over the ruins of ancient Pompeii, Mrs. Pie and I timed our connecting train back to Rome leaving enough time for a quick pizza in its birthplace of Naples. Arriving at the train station there, all would have been just fine had we remembered to bring along our list of recommended pizza places. Recalling that they were in close proximity to the station, we figured we’d try our luck in asking for help.

From our short time in Rome, we were generally aware of how difficult it could be to get help from locals. In addition to the language issue, there also seems to be a general indifference among some Italians to help Americans. After a few failed attempts at finding “the best pizza in Naples,” on the verge of declaring failure, I made one final effort asking two policemen on duty outside the train station.

“Mi scusi, best pizza in Napoli?” I asked. Like they were singing an Italian opera, in unison, they enthusiastically replied “Pizza Michele!” Mrs. Pie adeptly translated this to “Mike’s Pizza.” Now how cool is that! The best pizza joint in Naples (full name L’ Antica Pizzeria da Michele) was named after me.

We then followed through on their simple directions to just head straight down the road for ten minutes. They did fail to mention an eventual right-hand turn down a small side street. Fortunately, after feeling that we had walked far enough, two follow-up requests for directions eventually got us there.

Passing through the narrow side street, we came upon a small circle and there it was: an old storefront amongst a few other pizza places in some very old buildings. Excitedly I greeted one of the worker’s at the front door proudly proclaiming that I too was named “Michele.” Stepping inside, it was instantly obvious that this place was all about one thing: pizza!

The menu on the wall was simple with only two pizza choices: Margherita (with cheese) and Marinara (with no cheese). The only other question to answer is what size (normal, medium or large). Four drink selections (beer, water, coke or orange soda) rounded out the menu.

There was a big wood-burning brick oven in the rear of the main dining room. Two other adjoining rooms looked like they arrived later in the restaurant’s tenure. This place was a pizza factory pumping out pies non-stop to a bustling crowd. And the coolest thing was that Micehle, the original pizza master, started this place back in 1870!

We ordered the normal Margherita which they served uncut. It wound up being six small slices for us to share. No surprise, it was of course in the city’s namesake Neapolitan style. While not the Snob’s favorite, in a place as historic and inviting as this, I could care less.

Our pie was delivered in no time flat and looked beautiful although it was imperfectly round. The sparse blotchy cheese and a lone basil leaf sat atop the tomato sauce and olive oil. It was cooked so expertly that it was not soupy in the middle like these pies often turn out. The crust, puffed out the edges, was spotted with some enticing black charred spots on top. Ripping it up into slices to fold, I felt that I stood out as possibly the only one in the room not using their knife and fork.

Both Mrs. Pie and I were totally taken by the wonderfully delicious crust. Salty for sure, it had a brilliant taste that made this pie disappear in record time. The paper-thin crust was soft and chewy made with a truly world class flour.

There is no doubt in my mind that Michele is the #1 pizza place to visit if you are ever in Italy. This was an exciting day for the Pizza Snob. The quality of their pizza and its legendary history make this one of the most special pizza places in the world! Michele without a doubt sets the standard for a Neapolitan pie. It was simply perfect and could not have been made any better.

PIZZA SNOB RATING  ***** Sets the Standard

L’ Antica Pizzeria da Michele
Via Cesare Sersale, 1/3
80139 Napoli, ITALY
www.damichele.net

This latest installment of the Pizza Snob’s recent trip to Italy is more about a common experience than it is about a specific place. It really is pizza everywhere in Rome with just about every food establishment having something that they called pizza. This one case in point was a chain eatery called Club Kave in the Trastevere section of Rome. Labelled a pasticcerie (translated as “confectionery”) it is a place that back home would be considered a combination bakery and deli. But, there as usual, sitting in the glass counter amongst the pastries and sandwiches, were cut slabs of cold pizza.

Mrs. Pie and I had pushed our morning shopping in Rome a bit too hard and come mid-afternoon we found ourselves hungry when we headed back to our Airbnb in Trastevere. Unfortunately, it was during that time between around 2:30pm and 4pm when most eating establishments close for the afternoon siesta that Italians call “riposo.”

Walking about aimlessly like lost tourists as we often did, we stumbled on Club Kave which was perhaps our only choice in sight. Nonetheless, we both found something that would satisfy our respective appetites. Mine was essential in keeping alive my streak of having pizza every day of our 10-day holiday.

My slice (or more like a slab) was billed as a Margherita since it was just cheese and sauce. It was served cold (I was not asked if I wanted it heated) and cost only €2.00. The best way to describe this slice was that it reminded me of a cold leftover slice of Sicilian pizza that you ate right out of the refrigerator. It had the same texture of being bread-like on the bottom with the full layer of Mozzarella cheese and unseasoned tomato sauce on top.

Overall it tasted decent. Being cold, the cheese of course was congealed and stiff. All in all, it wasn’t bad as a quick snack, but it certainly was nothing extra special. Again, this is just an example of something that you will see all over town in different kinds of places.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ***1/2 Working on a Good Thing

Club Kave
Piazza Di Sant’Egidio
Trastevere
Roma, ITALY

During our recent stay in Rome, Mrs. Pie and I were on a slow aimless journey back to our Trastevere Airbnb. Despite having just snacked on an Italian pizza variation at a place called Club Kave, we were still hungry. It was also still the afternoon siesta time that Italians call “riposo” which meant that most restaurants were closed.

But alas, strolling down the main drag of Trastevere from the train station, we came across the flashy storefront of Pizza Boom which stopped us in our tracks. Peeking inside the door, we were instantly tantalized by the tasty-looking trays of “pizza” of many varieties.

Pizza Boom’s wares were yet another example of pizza in Rome. While in no way dissing this yummy delight, I would much more call this version to be more akin to a selection of focaccia breads with different assorted fancy toppings. Eyeing over the colorful display under glass, I scanned over a least a dozen types to choose from. (They boast offering over 150!)  Pizza Boom was also far from modest, advertising their pizza as “The Best in the World.”

Together Mrs. Pie and I made three different choices. Keeping at least one plain and simple, I asked for a Margherita, and sadly there was none. This led me to the fairly plain Pomodoro which was only graced on top with some Buffalo Mozzarella and sliced Pomodoro tomatoes. For the fancier two, Mrs. Pie picked one loaded with mushrooms and another filled with spinach on the inside that was more like a quiche than a slice of pizza.

Not waiting to see if we’d be questioned, Mrs. Pie jumped in and ask them to heat them all for us which they did expertly. Each offering was cut into small pieces (we went double on the Pomodoro choice) and they all came out served good and hot looking appetizingly pretty on a tray.

Wow! They were all really good and tasty with Mrs. Pie taking the lead on their praise.  Each variety had its own unique delicious flavor atop the slightly crisp bread-like crust. It was perhaps half the width of a Sicilian slice you’d get back in the USA. Delizioso!  We left not a crumb.

This dressed-up twist on some of the plainer slabs we have seen around town was sure far from my fave calling of New York-style pizza. Nonetheless, it is an awesome treat well worth your try if you are ever in Rome. And Pizza Boom is the perfect place to make that happen.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     **** Near Perfect

Pizza Boom
Viale Trastevere, 271A-273
Trastevere
00153 Roma, ITALY
www.pizzaboom.eu

It was time for Mrs. Pie and me to take our Italian roadshow up north to the Tuscany region for a stay in Firenze (Florence). After another high-speed train ride, we checked into another Airbnb, and it was off for our first afternoon tourism adventure in this exciting city.

With no specific pizza plans, some quick internet research uncovered some rave reviews on Trip Advisor for Gusta Pizza. By sheer coincidence, it was just a few blocks from our pad in the hip district known as Oltrarno on the south side of the Arno River. Excited and hungry, we made a beeline there only to find them having just closed for the “riposo” afternoon shutdown time. Later.

It was easy to let our day in Florence to get the best of us. Before we knew it, daylight was almost gone, and I needed to first fulfil my promise to Mrs. Pie of a “non-pizza” dinner. However, that did not mean that we couldn’t close the evening out with a pizza nightcap at Gusta!

Somewhere between 9 and 10pm, we arrived to find Gusta’s rustic corner storefront looking quite lively. We made our way to the side door where we ordered at the counter, got our number (a lucky #100) and took stools at a tall table in the small room. Under the glass at our table was a collection of the paper number slips with hand-written notes of praise from happy customers.

Gusta is a pizza factory with a simple menu of only seven selections of Neapolitan pizza. We of course went plain with the Margherita which set us back only €5.00. Just behind the counter where we ordered was a team hard at work pushing and pulling pizzas out of a cool-looking oval-shaped, wood-burning brick oven. The place is owned and operated by the three Gusta Brothers who also have two other food places in the near proximity.

It wasn’t even five minutes before they shouted our #100, and I made my way to the counter to collect our pie. My first reaction was that it looked to have been made a bit hastily. It was not very round (a rather odd oblong shape) and the cheese was all clumped together slightly to one side. Served uncut, (along with a packaged plastic knife and fork) when we got to dissecting this one, one of our four derived slices actually wound up being cheese-less! What a shame!  Aside from that, it had only a very slim layer of tomato sauce. The crust was puffy around the edges with some bubbled char marks on top. Those big edges allowed the sauce and oil to get a little soupy in the middle making for some soggy and droopy front tips to the slices we cut with the plastic knife. The bottom looked pretty clean without any real oven char to speak of.

Blemishes aside, it turned out to be a truly tasty pizza. Most notable was the sparkling distinctive salty taste of the crust. I could easily see why this pizza gets such good grades. It had great-tasting cheese and sauce as well. But like any exceptional Neapolitan pie, that remarkable crust was its true star.

Trying to squeeze this one in right after a full dinner didn’t work so well, and we wound up taking two of the four slices home. I must say that cold out of the fridge they did make for a nice tasty (and salty!) breakfast the next morning.

As our stay in Firenze went on, I would learn that Gusta was a quite popular place. For one, there always seemed to be a line outside that side door at all hours of the day. But, the other thing I noticed was the seemingly omnipresence of their colorful pizza box! Throughout our area, I would always see someone carrying a Gusta box. Also at night, there were many who chose to eat their Gusta pie al fresco on the steps of the nearby Basilica di Santo Spirito.

All in all, Gusta was a fine pizza place well-worthy of its reputation and full of character. (However, I would later come to the conclusion that it may not the best pizza in Firenze!)  I did proudly make it home with one of their pizza boxes that I will forever treasure. You should make a point to visit Gusta if you are ever in Florence!

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ****1/2 Nearer Perfection

Gusta Pizza
Via Maggio, 46R
50125 Firenze, ITALY
[no website]

It was a Friday in Florence, and the Pizza Snob had no pizza plans on the books. So in order to keep my “Pizza everyday in Italy” streak alive, I decided to grab something on the street in between our visits to the Ufizzi and Accademia galleries. The quick timing of this decision led me to an open-air street corner shop with the simple name of Panini Pizze e Vini (translates to sandwiches, pizza and wine).

I walked up to their sidewalk window where I saw an assortment of different types of pizza slabs in trays with a €3.00 sign. I spotted one with just cheese and sauce which I ordered adding a special request for the piece with two sides of end crust. Without asking, they put it into a real oven and toasted it for a few minutes which gave it a nice warm taste and a crisp bottom.

My slice would best be described in American terms as a Sicilian. It had a thick, but crisp, bread-like base and a full layer of cheese atop the tomato sauce.

They put my piece in a small bag to go. With no place to sit, Mrs. Pie (who opted for a Panini) and I took our wares to a sit on a doorstep in a nearby piazza where we dined while watching the passersby.

The slice wound up being not too hot and just ready to eat. It was about 3/8 of an inch thick and nice and fluffy in the space between the cheese and sauce on top and its crisper bottom. Outside of the edges, it wasn’t overall crisp but it was good and chewy. As witnessed by my napkin, the slice was somewhat oily, but it was just enough to be quite flavorful. It was a good light eat and turned out to be a very delicious snack.

While this place was nothing unique to see on an Italian street, it is a fine example of what you can find out there to get a quick, solid delicious slab of pizza. For what they do, Panini Pizze e Vini gets a high mark from the Pizza Snob. Job well done.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ****Near Perfection

Panini Pizze e Vini
Via Ricasoli, 68
Firenze, ITALY
[no website]

It was our last day in Firenze, and I finally got around to asking Mrs. Pie to pull out that recommendation she had for the best pizza place in town. With the info about il Pizzaiulo in tow, we made our way deep into the east side of the city, feeling safe, but notably out of the tourist district.

Mastering our map like a pro (periodically checking to make sure we were still on course), we finally came upon the quiet and elegant storefront. Since, it was getting late in the afternoon and nearing shutdown (“riposo”) time, our hostess politely welcomed us with a “Pizza only” greeting which suited our needs just fine.

The full-size room was in full view of the wood-burning brick oven in the rear. It was clear that pizza was the main business here. It would also be Neapolitan style. However, il Pizzaiulo offered a menu of a lot more than just pizza, and they kindly let Mrs. Pie add a big salad to her pie. Strangely enough, Mrs. Pie ordered a veggie pie that looked just like my Margherita (€6.00), but with a salad on top!

Our small round pies were served uncut. With our utensils, we cut each pie down into four slices. The Mozzarella cheese was evenly blotched atop a thin layer of tomato sauce and a sparse sprinkling of basil leaves. There was some blackening on top with the bottom crust looking nicely charred. The top also did not look all that wet and soupy. Bravo!

Wow! It was outstanding—right on par with what we had earlier at Michele in Napoli! And again, like I have discovered with these top-notch Neapolitans, it was hard to focus on anything other than how brilliant the crust tasted. Although not as salty as some of the others, nonetheless this crust was quite chewy and tasty indeed. Both the cheese and sauce were delicious as well. I just don’t know what else to say other than this was a perfect Neapolitan specimen.

Neither of us left not a single morsel on our plates when we left. il Pizzaiulo truly is the best pizza in Firenze. Make it your pizza destination if you are ever in this wonderful city.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ***** Sets the Standard

il Pizzaiulo
Via Dè Macci, 113/r
50122 Firenze, ITALY
www.ilpizzaiuolo.it

Having finished our stay in Florence, Mrs. Pie and I had one night left in Rome before we headed back to America. Staying at a different Airbnb on this return visit to the Trastevere district, we excitedly discovered that it was just around the corner from Pizzeria Ai Marmi. This famous pizza joint that was recommended by an American friend who once lived here, had eluded us earlier in the week when we flat out just couldn’t find it.

Pizzeria Ai Marmi is only open in the evening. After seeing its darkened shuttered storefronts during daylight, it was an eye-opening surprise to see it alive with excitement when we arrived shortly after their 7pm opening. The outdoor seating along the sidewalk was just about full, and there was already scant space available in the main dining room. A greeter led us through the big room to a table in the smaller adjacent room. On the way, we spotted some serious pizza-making activity around the big open oven area. The front of their menu their oven as “antico forno a legna” which translates to “old wood stove.”

This brightly-lit pizza-centric place was alive indeed. Seeing all of this activity, I knew that we would be in for something special. But, again like we have seen here before in Rome, there was a serious understaffing of waitpersons to handle such a busy place.

Studying the menu, I became extra excited after learning that this would not be a Neapolitan pie, but a crisp thin-crusted Roman. This is a style way more to the Snob’s liking: a NY Pie in training! It was also strange to find that in addition to pizza, the menu had some fried items and bean dishes, but no pasta whatsoever.

We ordered a Margherita for €6.80, the most expensive of our trip, although it turned out to be bigger than the others. As busy as things were, unsurprisingly, it took some wait before our pie arrived. Unlike our other Roman-style experience at Virgilio, Al Marmi served their Roman pie uncut with a knife and fork. This crispy delight was folding material, and the Snob got right to business slicing this one up into fourths. Feeling like she was back home in the States, Mr. Pie was right at home with the bowl of pepperoncini they brought her to sprinkle and season-up her slices.

This pizza was thin, crisp and oily, but most of all, absolutely delicious! The combination of it all was amazing. The blackened charred bottom crust delightfully made this a pizza that cracked when folded—just my kind!

If I ever go back, next time I will order those fried rice balls on the menu that I saw everyone else eating. Why we passed on those I’ll never know. And if you ever got to Rome, make Pizzeria Ai Marmi your #1 choice for pizza. This is the real deal as far as Roman-style goes. I can honestly can say that this was the best pizza of our entire trip to Italy. We really saved the best for last. No wonder this place is so popular!

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ***** Sets the Standard

Pizzeria Ai Marmi
Viale Trastevere, 53=59
Trastavere
00153 Roma, ITALY
[no website]

Leaving Columbus, Ohio after a short stay on business, I thought my trip had had its last taste of pizza. Until lo and behold, there was a Donatos Pizza staring me down in the airport terminal not too far from my departing gate. Since I was looking for dinner and had been wanting to check Donatos out, the timing could not have been more perfect. And ain’t it cool when airports feature local businesses?

Donatos is a family-owned pizza chain started in 1963 in Columbus. Since then, they have grown to boast almost 200 locations in six states in America’s Heartland. Most are in Ohio and my fellow Nashvillians can take note that there are plans for one to open in Midtown.

Their catch phrase is that they serve toppings “Edge-to-Edge.” Well, for a cheese-only lover like me that serves no purpose. The Snob prefers a pizza that is good enough to stand on its own without being drowned in toppings. Unfortunately, Donatos’ pie did not pass that test.

I went for a 12-inch “medium” cheese pizza at the somewhat inflated airport price of $11.99. It came served in a pizza box and upon opening it I was disappointed to see that Donatos definition of “crispy thin” meant that greasy Chicago tavern style pizza cut into those small annoying slices.

From what I can tell, Donatos is quite successful and sells a lot of pizza. But that doesn’t mean I have to like this style of pie and I don’t. It’s just way too oily for me, and Donatos use of Provolone cheese instead of Mozzarella is an abomination to all that is sacred in the world of pizza.

As for some specifics, the cheese was glazed over with a sorry burnt look and the bottom just wasn’t all that crisp. Grabbing one of the middle slices without an edge makes me reach for a napkin to clean my oily hands. There was barely any end crust to it and the bottom crust was char-free. In fact, it was so white-looking it didn’t even look like pizza crust. I was also really surprised to find the tomato sauce so salty.  The pizza also left a nasty aftertaste that lingered in my mouth on the flight home.

All right—in the spirit of the universal premise that there is almost no such thing as bad pizza, it was a tad tasty and I wound up eating the whole thing since I was so hungry. But this type of pie just doesn’t do it for me. Those brief blushes of a satisfying pizza taste just make me long for something crisp that I can hold firmly and fold.

So Donatos can keep expanding away, but this is just another chain that the Snob will avoid. And speaking of chains, are you ready for this? From 1999 to 2003 Donatos was actually owned by McDonalds until the original owners bought back control. I don’t eat there either.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     *** Better Than Dominos
Donatos Pizza
Port Columbus Airport
Columbus, OH  43219
[no phone]
www.donatos.com

If you search on-line for what locals think is the best pizza in Louisville, Wick’s Pizza Parlor & Pub is almost always at the top if not on top. Will somebody please tell me what I am missing?

I walked by Wick’s last year while making my way to Spinelli’s Pizzeria which is so far the best slice I have found in Louisville. But what I saw Wick’s outdoor patrons eating that day just looked totally unappetizing. Well, this year I decided to see if I could learn what folks liked about this place. After my experience, all I can surmise is that perhaps being an immensely popular bar clouds the fact that their pizza is nothing special.

Whenever I am in lovely Louisville, I spend plenty of time in the hip Highlands area. So the trek over to Wick’s on Baxter was a convenient one for me and my travelling companion, the mysterious but wise Pelikan. We just had a late breakfast and after some gallivanting about, it was time for us to sample some new pizza.

Wick’s has four Louisville locations, and this one on Baxter must be their main event. It was a massive facility with several large rooms on a prominent corner location. We were initially pleased to see the sign that read “Slices from 11 to 3,” but were disappointed when we learned the message lacked a weekday-only qualifier. We would therefore be stuck ordering a whole pie from a menu chock full of specialty pies. We went for an ordinary plain cheese 12 inch ($12.75) which came cut in eight tiny slices.

The pie was unsurprisingly a giant cheesy mess. After only a few bites, Pelikan hit it right on the head calling this one a “close cousin to a Chicago deep-dish.”  I just couldn’t believe how much cheese was on this thing! It also had a tendency to get quite stringy and sloppy causing Pelikan, a former physician, to comment on how he had to perform a “partial cheeseectomy” to make his slice edible.

Wick’s pie also had little taste appeal and left quite an unwelcome aftertaste. The cheese was nothing special while the tomato sauce was way too sweet and lacked any of the customary seasoning. Looking down at it, all you could see was this big blob of white cheese on top that didn’t blend in with the sauce. The crust on the bottom didn’t win any prizes either since it was dry and not very crisp. The end crust was a monster–way too thick and doughy.

The more I thought about this pie, it reminded me of something that you would take frozen out of a box and cook at home. This just was not at all to my liking, and I was relieved once we were through. While I feel like I may be in the minority with most of the folks in the great town of Louisville, I am sorry, but Wick’s pizza is not for me.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ** Why Did I Waste Those Calories?

Wick’s Pizza Parlor & Pub
975 Baxter Avenue
Louisville, KY  40204
(502) 458-1828
www.wickspizza.com

Sometimes it’s a stretch for me to leave my New York-style pizza comfort zone to try a Neapolitan style pie, even when I know it’s gonna be good. While nothing could take the place of a nice crisp folded NY slice, the Snob has happened upon a few tasty Neapolitan pies.

My first experience with this type of pizza, the way it was originally designed in Italy, was at the Porta Via Italian Kitchen in Bellevue. I paid them a visit after reading in the local paper that they became the first in the state of Tennessee to be certified as original by the Vera Pizza Napoletana (VPN). This was a proud accomplishment that was judged on both the standards of their process and the ingredients they use.

Since then, PV has opened a second area location in Cool Springs. Close to my ‘hood, it has become a favorite Italian restaurant for Mrs. Pie and me. As previously stated, I generally stay away from Neapolitan pie and usually have one of their other fine dishes instead. And Mrs. Pie, who could easily call herself “The Gelato Snob,” considers their homemade fare to be the best in town.

On a whim, probably because we’d soon be going to Italy, we decided to have a Porta Via pie. Being only a 12 incher (in accordance with standards) it makes for an excellent appetizer. We went for the certified Margherita which is in the Snob style of not putting anything unnecessary on your pizza. It’s a little pricey at $14, but when you read the ingredients, especially the Buffalo Mozzarella, you kind of feel like you are getting your money’s worth.

Pizza doesn’t take long to cook in a 900 degree oven so we had our pretty-looking appetizer in a flash. Surprisingly, they cut it into four slices despite the menu saying they’d do it on request. We didn’t ask, but maybe it was because I still look like a New Yorker.

Getting right to the point, PV’s pie tastes absolutely delicious. It’s your usual Neapolitan specimen: thinly sauced, botched cheese and sprinkled basil leaves. There were also a few sliced cherry tomatoes that while tasty, made things a little watery on top. That’s in addition to the usual slushiness you get in one of these pies from the oil and sauce flowing to the center. On the bottom, the crust was a heavy experience (charred without any crispness), but was delightfully chewy and yummy.

I’m sure most who come here load their pie from the wide variety of toppings available. However, if you stick to the basics like I did, you will come pretty darn close to finding that perfect pizza taste. Fresh fine ingredients cooked this well taste sublime.

Far from my pizza comfort zone, nonetheless, Porta Via make a Neapolitan pizza well worth tasting. It’s the best in these parts for sure and PV is a great restaurant to boot!

PIZZA SNOB RATING     **** 1/2 Nearer Perfection

Porta Via Italian Kitchen
3301 Aspen Grove Drive
Cool Springs Franklin, TN 37067
615-771-7747
www.eatatportavia.com

Back home in the Pizza State, my brother and I decided to cross the “ever-lifting” Bayonne Bridge to see the Staten Island Yankees minor league baseball team. It’s one of the best Friday night deals around. For twenty bucks you get a box seat, cap, hot dog and a drink. However, if the Pizza Snob is heading anywhere, the first stop is usually for pizza.

I have had great pizza success on the Island where I’ve discovered that they even have their own style of pie. (Can you say crispy and crunchy?) My studies this time led me to a highly-recommended more traditional NY-style place not too far from the Bridge: Brothers Pizza, a big bustling pizza joint with a killer corner location.

While we were waiting on line at the counter to order, I befriended an older gentlemen with whom I talked about all of the great pizza joints on the Island and in the City. This guy (like me) really knew his local pizza, and he thought that Brothers was the best on the Island! Well, it certainly proved to be one of the best.

My brother then pointed out that with three giant ovens and a staff as big as a basketball team, you knew this place was going to be good. The other clue was how crowded things started to get around dinner time. And there was first for me: an electronic sign that scrolled through their selections. (Brothers is cash-only by the way.)

A bit out of character, in addition to my usual plain cheese, I also ordered a square “Grandma’s Slice” (cheese on the bottom and sauce on the top with some basil leaf sprinkles) since I had read good things about it. They were $2.75 each, and both wound up being pretty darn good!

It didn’t take long and both of my perfectly-constructed slices were cooked well to a good char throughout on their bottoms. The plain slice was at a great eating temperature—a trait that the Snob really values. However, my Grandma, despite its reheat, probably should have been served a little hotter.

On the regular slice, I did find the end crust a bit plain—even reminiscent of dry white bread. I did hear a nice “crack” from the bottom though when I folded it. Except for that end crust, it was a truly delicious slice. Both the cheese and sauce were primo. The Grandma was quite tasty too. A nice coating of olive oil really gave this one a flavor boost. I also had some good and crispy end crusts on mine.

Brothers is just a good solid pizza joint where you can’t go wrong. They care by not just going through the motions and really make an extra effort to make a great pizza.

Oh yeah—my brother liked it too, although, like me, he did leave his end crusts.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     ****1/2 Nearer Perfection

Brothers Pizza
750 Port Richmond Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10302
718-442-2332
[no website]

Back home on a Saturday evening in the Pizza State, I took flight across the river into the Pizza City. Although my mission was to further explore pizza in the LES (“Lower East Side”), I first made an unplanned stop at Pomodoro Ristorante & Pizzeria. Located on a corner in the East Village just above Little Italy, I had walked by this place many times in the past, noticing their prominently advertised “vodka slice.”

Pomodoro is an order at the counter joint with a small section of tables and chairs. Weather-permitting, there are also a few tables outside. In addition to a wide selection of different slices of pizza, they serve some other dishes and offer beer and wine.

I ordered a plain slice ($3.00 cash-only), curiously wondering whether or not it would be the vodka. It wasn’t. The good news though was that I was in no way disappointed with what they delivered. After a good three-minute reheat, the good-value-sized slice was served up at a perfect eating temperature.

At first glance, the tomato sauce looked a little darker than usual. I found it to be rich tasting, quite good and perfectly blended with the cheese. There was a solid consistent black char throughout the entire bottom crust, and I would label this baby as “well-cooked.”  It also had a delicate touch of seasoning (mostly likely some garlic and oregano) that seemed just right, and kept it from being bland without going overboard. This was also a perfect “Fold and Rip” slice without any cheese slippage.

My only mark against Pomodoro’s slice was that the crust was a little dry and had too much at the end. Still, this is a slice that no one in their right mind would ever refuse.

What a fool I was to order a slice thinking I’d automatically get the vodka one. Now I know I need to request it. At least I’ve got a good reason to go back to this fabulous pizza joint!

PIZZA SNOB RATING ****½ Nearer Perfection
Pomodoro Ristorante & Pizzeria
51 Spring Street (corner of Mulberry Street)
New York, NY 10012
212-966-9229
www.thevodkaslice.com