Review of Pizzeria Rustica, Colorado Springs, CO

Pizzeria Rustica     
2627 W. Colorado Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO


Very Good (***)

       I was browsing pizza recommendations before a recent trip to Colorado Springs, and Pizzeria Rustica was regularly showing up at the top of listings.  So, my gracious hosts and good friends in Colorado Springs made sure we got there for dinner as soon as I arrived.  I was fortunate to be able to catch up with my old friends from college days over some very good pizza.   

      Rustica, with its cozy, hip feel, is a pizzeria in the Neapolitan style, with a twist of local ingredients and color.  Situated in the Old Colorado City area of Colorado Springs, the pizzeria serves a very good pizza and excellent antipasti, all complemented by a nice selection of wines by glass or bottle, beer, coffee, tea and sparkling water.

     Where did our Italian sausage pie, the Salsiccia on the menu, rate?  As pointed out above, they are producing, in a wood fire oven, what I would call a “Neapolitan style” pizza possessing all the basic characteristics of the tradition.  The outstanding characteristics of their pie included the sauce of chopped tomatoes, the very good crust made with imported Italian and local, organic flour and the handmade mozzarella cheese.  The pizza was only slightly weak in the crust, in the use of the cheese and in the sausage.

     The sauce on the Rustica pizza is excellent, made with the famous San Marzano tomatoes of Italy.  These tomatoes give their sauce a delicate flavor with no acidic or sour overtones or aftertastes.  Keep in mind, of course, this sauce is more a spread of crushed tomatoes that adds a compliment of fresh tomato flavor rather than a base sauce.

     The cheese on Rustica’s pie is an excellent handmade mozzarella, smooth and mild and even textured.  My only complaint is that it was used too sparingly.  I know I often complain of pizzerias using cheese too liberally, but there is a fine line, and this pizza could have used a bit more to balance the flavor and texture of the pie.

      This pizzeria is very close to producing an excellent Neapolitan style crust in their wood fire oven.  It’s essentially “there”, but I suspect a bit more heat and time in the oven would finish this crust with a good char and a bit more smoky flavor, taking it from very good, to excellent!

       I love Italian sausage, the mild, the sweet and the spicier versions, but I don’t like it when I run across a bit of a fatty aftertaste.  The sausage on the Rustica pie had a good consistency and texture, but it did have that slightly fatty flavor, not matching my personal taste.

      The restaurant is arranged well and not overly loud, making it great for dining with friends.  The service is efficient but not over-bearing.  Our waitress, on the night we were there did seem a bit rushed, but I think they might have just been short-handed at the time.  Finally, as always, I must comment on the tableware and napkins…sturdy silverware and substantial napkins topped off a great pizza experience.

      When you enter Pizzeria Rustica and the aroma from the olive oil and wood fire oven reach you, you’re sold!  So, if in the Springs, I consider this restaurant a “don’t miss” on your restaurant tour!

Enjoy!!!

G     

Review of Hopjack's Pizza Kitchen, Mobile, AL

Hopjack’s Pizza Kitchen
251 Dauphin St.
Mobile, AL 
(251) 455-6000

Very Good (***)
                                        

     The space occupied by Hopjack’s Pizza Kitchen on Dauphin Street in Mobile’s LODA (Lower Dauphin) district is fondly remembered by many as the home of Picklefish Pizza.  Well, with the arrival of Hopjack’s, the pizza experience here has gone from good, too often very good, to solidly very good!

     Hopjack’s is in a hip, multi-story space at the corner of Dauphin and Joachim Streets.  The pizzeria has quickly become a popular spot serving a nice variety of beers, Belgian style fries, fried in duck fat, and for producing a top-notch, hand-tossed pizza.  It is currently one of two locations, the other being in downtown Pensacola.  Both, incidentally, are very close the historic Saenger Theatres, in their respective cities. I understand another location is in the works on Nine-mile Road in Pensacola.    

    What makes the Hopjack’s pie the best in downtown Mobile?  Well, they’ve put together a very good product in terms of basic ingredients, culinary quality and the basics of New York style pizza construction.  The only potential problem I found with the pie is the, only slightly, too thick crust relative to the generous toppings, but the balance is very close. 

     Hopjack’s hand-tossed crust is one of the best I’ve found in Mobile, achieving a nice charred quality and crispiness in a gas oven.  If this crust was only slightly thinner and produced in the hotter, wood or coal oven it would be spot on. Make no mistake; however, this is an excellent gas oven crust.

     I liked Hopjack’s very high quality mozzarella.  It was mild and not too heavily distributed on the pie, adding just enough of its signature consistent flavor; none of the sour, separated taste you get sometimes when a lower-quality processed cheese melts.

    The sauce on the Hopjack’s pie I would call full bodied with well-balanced spices.  It was there in the overall flavor of each bite, but never over-powering.  It had no acidic flavor, sometimes encountered when a tomato sauce is basically out of balance, maybe not enough sugar added to cut the acidity.  You could also pick up a nice hint of the signature spices, probably basil and oregano.

     My dining companion and I order an Italian sausage and tomato pizza, with banana peppers thrown in for fun!  Well, if anything set the pie apart it was the quality of the toppings!  The sausage was wonderfully balanced in flavor, spicy and tender with no fatty aftertaste.  The tomatoes were ripe and flavorful and the banana peppers added a great kick and compliment to the sausage.  The toppings were generous, but short of overpowering the crust and thus not allowing it to cook well.  I was also impressed with the way the bakers balance the ingredients, with no particular topping standing out too much.

     Hopjack’s can be loud and lively, but not so much that you can’t carry on a conversation. The service, well, it is exceptionally friendly and confident.  One really gets the feeling the staff is glad to have you in their pizzeria.  Combined with a great selection of beers, substantial utensils and adequate napkins, the pizza experience at Hopjack’s is first-class!

    So, when in LODA, even if late at night, Hopjack’s is waiting for you and serving up one of the very best pizzas in the Mobile area.

Enjoy your pizza!

Review of Louisiana Pizza Kitchen, New Orleans, LA

Louisiana Pizza Kitchen
95 French Market Place
New Orleans, Louisiana 70126
Ph. (504) 522-9500

Excellent (****)

There are some very good pizza places along the Gulf Coast, but excellent is rare. Well, Louisiana Pizza Kitchen, located across from the French Market at the upper end of the French Quarter in New Orleans, is just that, excellent!! This restaurant serves an excellent Neapolitan style (grandfather of the New York Style) pizza, baked in a brick, wood burning oven, with care of handling and ingredient quality you rarely see.

The LA Pizza Kitchen has instant curb appeal with an open, airy feel wrapped in the adventurous and historic charm of the upper end of the French Quarter. It’s a comforting space even on the most hectic of days and the aroma of the rustic style pizzas is in the air.

Well to the pizza! I stopped in with a good friend of mine, and fellow pizza lover, for lunch on a Saturday. We ordered a classic margarita pie and, when it arrived, we knew this pizza was a cut above with its obviously fresh basil and tomato, fresh mozzarella and a near perfectly charred crust.

The hand tossed, brick oven baked crust was the absolute highlight of the pie. It was naturally thin, but also had just the right amount of crispiness with no doughy pockets or edges. Charring of the crust was just right to let the wood fire character come through.

Being one of the most authentic pizza styles available, the true margarita pie does not have a sauce. The actual tomato on the pie gives the pizza a subtle tomato essence without any dominant salty or acidic overtones. The Roma tomatoes used were at peak ripeness, and did not, at all, display any mushy texture after baking.

The cheese on the LA Pizza Kitchen pie was a natural mozzarella with a wonderful delicate flavor, not at all tangy or tart. It was distributed adequately over the pizza with obvious care taken not to overdo it. The mozzarella melted beautifully with no sign of separation of the cheese components sometimes seem with processed cheeses.

As for the other ingredients, the basil was fresh and plentiful, and other spices were adequate, although a touch more salt would have been nice.

The service at this restaurant is exceptional. They are friendly and professional, and there is no hovering or rushing of the diners. Combine this with well appointed, well-spaced tables, quality napkins and silverware, and it’s a hit!

So, next time you’re in the Big Easy, take a break from exploring the French Market and treat yourself to one of the best pizzas the Gulf Coast has to offer!

Enjoy!

Review of Buck's Pizza, Downtown Mobile, AL

Buck’s Pizza

350 Dauphin St.
Mobile, AL
(251) 431-9444

Good (**)

Oddly enough, the Dauphin Street entertainment district in downtown Mobile, Alabama, otherwise known as Lower Dauphin (LODA), has very few pizza places; however, if there’s a prime location to be had, Buck’s certainly has it, and, serves a good pizza.

Buck’s occupies a cavernous space just across from the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. The location is picturesque and inviting, and although quite large inside, the space is well-arranged with seating up front and a well-appointed bar area in the rear of the space.

Well, to the pizza. Buck’s, a franchise, certainly doesn’t serve up a “cookie-cutter” version of a New York style pizza. The pies at Buck’s are substantial and the ingredients fresh. This was certainly the case with the pizza my companions and I settled on, a half cheese and pineapple and half Margarita (fresh tomato and basil) pie. In fact, the pies are probably a bit too heavy with ingredients, given the pliability of the crust.

If there is a noticeable weak link in the Buck’s pie it is the crust, specifically the bready texture and flavor. Their crust has good form with some desirable imperfections denoting it’s not machine or pre-made, and it displays some nice charring around the edges. The problem is that the bready, and somewhat flimsy, crust doesn’t stand up well under the weight of the toppings. Also, the crust has a slightly bready flavor that detracts from the other ingredients.

When it comes to cheese on any pizza, quantity and quality are the keys. Buck’s does an excellent job of balancing the quantity of cheese on their pie…enough, but not too much. Their cheese doesn’t seem to be a natural mozzarella, but it does have a nice mild flavor, no sharp edge. The cheese also displays a nice white color, as a good mozzarella should.

Buck’s sauce is mild and flavorful and really lets the taste of tomato come through. It’s not over-present on the pie, although it does get a bit lost on the bready crust. This sauce, combined with a thinner, crispier and nicely charred crust would put Buck’s pie way ahead of most franchise pizzas.

The toppings are way above average. I was particularly impressed by the freshness of the tomatoes on the pie and generous layering of fresh basil. The pies are definitely made with care.

The service at Buck’s is exceptional. The staff is efficient and friendly without being over-bearing, and the table is set with sturdy silverware and ample napkins. The space is especially well-suited and accommodating to groups.

If in LODA and craving pizza, I recommend Buck’s. What the pizza lacks in the finer points of quality is made up for with the excellent service and atmosphere.

Enjoy your pizza!

Review of Old Town Pub, Chicago, IL

Old Town Pub (***) ($ ½)
1339 N Wells St
Chicago, IL 60614
(312) 266-6789

In the realm of Deep Dish, Chicago style pizza*, lies the Old Town Pub, serving up a very good New York style, thin crust pizza in classic pub surroundings.

I visited Old Town Pub with family on a cold November day in Chicago before our visit to the Chicago History Museum. It was the day of the Auburn-Alabama Iron Bowl, so we found not only very good pizza, but some expatriate Alabama fans at the bar!

I was first positively struck by the warmth of the space and the friendliness of the staff. They welcomed us into the pub and the server made sure we were settled in at a table so the Auburn fan in our company had a good view of the TVs! From there, it was all about the pizza…with an occasional shout of “Roll Tide” or “War Damn Eagle” form the crowd!

So what about the pizza? The New York style pizza at Old Town is a solid tribute to its roots. It’s solid in every aspect…crust, sauce, cheese and toppings.

I’ve pointed out in previous reviews that a good New York style pizza crust requires quality ingredients, patience in handling and forming, topping with care and, of course, baking at a high enough temperature to impart a somewhat crispy, brown and slightly charred character. The baker(s) at Old Town hit the make with a very good basic crust. It’s about the right thickness, not excessively bready on the edges and slightly crispy. It could, however, have been a bit better charred. The light color in the crust, lack of charring, was really one of the only stand-out weak points of the pie. Of course, gas oven cooking makes getting that nice charring on the crust a bit more difficult, requiring close some attention on the part of the baker.

The cheese on the Old Town pie did not seem to be a natural mozzarella, but it was of very good quality with a good balance of texture, saltiness and mild flavor. Cheese can be more problematic that any common ingredient, if over applied, or if it’s of inferior quality (too pungent or of poor texture).

We ordered our pie as half-pepperoni and cheese and half Italian sausage and fresh basil. I concentrated on the Italian sausage side of the pie, as Italian sausage is my standard New York style test/review pizza. The Italian sausage on the pie was excellent. The slight sweetness of this lightly textured and well-spiced sausage shown through the other flavors just enough, without the greasy, fatty after-taste often encountered with so-called Italian sausage. The fresh basil could have been applied a bit more generously, but added an adequate basil essence to the pie.

The sauce on the Old Town Pub pizza was a stand-out ingredient. It was mild, with just the right amount of spice variety (oregano, basil, etc) to complement the heavier ingredients. It was not at all acidic or excessively salty. The sauce was also applied in just the right amount to impart the spiced tomato flavor without overpowering or upstaging any other component of the pie.

The service at Old Town Pub is friendly and easy going, making you really feel the coziness of a neighborhood pub. The utensils are of good quality, and the napkins were adequate. Why do I always comment on the napkins? Can’t stand cheap napkins!

So, if you find yourself in the Windy City, and in the Old Town area, I highly recommend you take time to visit Old Town Pub and experience a very good New York Style pizza in the Second City!

Enjoy your pizza!

* The Chicago-style "deep-dish" pizza was invented at Pizzeria Uno, in Chicago, in around 1943.