Oz Pizza (**1/2) ($1/2)
2805 Main Street
East Point, Ga
Ph. 404-761-7006
The closest living relative of authentic Neapolitan pizza in the United States is the thin-crust, New York style pizza. These New York style pies, prepared at these hometown, neighborhood “joints” are really our stand-by. Oz Pizza, in East Point, Georgia, near the Atlanta Airport, keeps the tradition of the neighborhood pizza joint going.
For someone looking for unique quality in pizza, Oz Pizza’s combination of hometown pizza joint coziness, with a touch of urban quirkiness thrown in, gives it instant curb appeal. These type pizzerias have an instant leg up on their franchise and large-chain brethren as they are able to maintain the subtleties of pizza baking that come with obtaining ingredients in smaller quantities, as well as often having experienced pizza bakers in the kitchen as opposed to kitchen staff following the scientific kitchen methods and set recipes of the large franchises and chains.
So what about the Oz pizza? On this visit to Oz, I had an Italian sausage pizza with black olives and green peppers added. The sausage was good, not the best, as it had a slightly fatty flavor; however it was seasoned nicely. The other ingredients, although applied a bit too heavily, were fresh and cooked just enough. The overall flavor of the pie was good to very good.
The hand tossed, gas oven cooked crust is good too, and at times, very good. Some pizzerias cook in brick ovens, over wood or even coal fires, certainly taking the quality of the crust to the next level, but most, for practical reasons, use gas or electric ovens. Oz produces a variably thin, hand-tossed crust that is slightly crispy, nicely charred on the bottom, and yet pliable enough to fold over. The edges of the crust are doughy in spots, and this is undesirable because it makes the last few bites of your slice a bread stick! When ordering, I’ll often request the crust be made extra thin, asking the baker to avoid thick, doughy edges.
The sauce does not appear to be freshly made or display any significant signs of containing freshly crushed tomatoes; however, it is nicely seasoned with ample oregano and basil. A slight reduction of the salt content and addition of some form of sugar to cut the acidity of the sauce could improve the pies significantly.
The cheese on the Oz pie is good quality, processed mozzarella and is used sparingly enough not to overwhelm the general flavor of the pie or the other toppings. Keep in mind, cheese is the ingredient most often used in excess. A good pizza baker knows this and will try to balance the flavors of the pie. Oz does a very good job at achieving a nice flavor balance in its pies.
The space at this restaurant is cozy and inviting. It is not unusual to run across a Sunday afternoon Scrabble tournament going on here! The napkins and silverware are of very good quality, although you often have to ask for things like red pepper or grated cheese. The service is sometimes a bit rushed and inattentive but overall adequate. There is a good selection of beverages with the beer being somewhat pricey.
Well, if you find yourself in Atlanta and want a reliably good, to very good, New York style pizza experience, you can count on Oz Pizza!
Enjoy!
2805 Main Street
East Point, Ga
Ph. 404-761-7006
The closest living relative of authentic Neapolitan pizza in the United States is the thin-crust, New York style pizza. These New York style pies, prepared at these hometown, neighborhood “joints” are really our stand-by. Oz Pizza, in East Point, Georgia, near the Atlanta Airport, keeps the tradition of the neighborhood pizza joint going.
For someone looking for unique quality in pizza, Oz Pizza’s combination of hometown pizza joint coziness, with a touch of urban quirkiness thrown in, gives it instant curb appeal. These type pizzerias have an instant leg up on their franchise and large-chain brethren as they are able to maintain the subtleties of pizza baking that come with obtaining ingredients in smaller quantities, as well as often having experienced pizza bakers in the kitchen as opposed to kitchen staff following the scientific kitchen methods and set recipes of the large franchises and chains.
So what about the Oz pizza? On this visit to Oz, I had an Italian sausage pizza with black olives and green peppers added. The sausage was good, not the best, as it had a slightly fatty flavor; however it was seasoned nicely. The other ingredients, although applied a bit too heavily, were fresh and cooked just enough. The overall flavor of the pie was good to very good.
The hand tossed, gas oven cooked crust is good too, and at times, very good. Some pizzerias cook in brick ovens, over wood or even coal fires, certainly taking the quality of the crust to the next level, but most, for practical reasons, use gas or electric ovens. Oz produces a variably thin, hand-tossed crust that is slightly crispy, nicely charred on the bottom, and yet pliable enough to fold over. The edges of the crust are doughy in spots, and this is undesirable because it makes the last few bites of your slice a bread stick! When ordering, I’ll often request the crust be made extra thin, asking the baker to avoid thick, doughy edges.
The sauce does not appear to be freshly made or display any significant signs of containing freshly crushed tomatoes; however, it is nicely seasoned with ample oregano and basil. A slight reduction of the salt content and addition of some form of sugar to cut the acidity of the sauce could improve the pies significantly.
The cheese on the Oz pie is good quality, processed mozzarella and is used sparingly enough not to overwhelm the general flavor of the pie or the other toppings. Keep in mind, cheese is the ingredient most often used in excess. A good pizza baker knows this and will try to balance the flavors of the pie. Oz does a very good job at achieving a nice flavor balance in its pies.
The space at this restaurant is cozy and inviting. It is not unusual to run across a Sunday afternoon Scrabble tournament going on here! The napkins and silverware are of very good quality, although you often have to ask for things like red pepper or grated cheese. The service is sometimes a bit rushed and inattentive but overall adequate. There is a good selection of beverages with the beer being somewhat pricey.
Well, if you find yourself in Atlanta and want a reliably good, to very good, New York style pizza experience, you can count on Oz Pizza!
Enjoy!
