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!
