Review of Mid City Pizza, 4400 Banks St., New Orleans, LA

★★★1/2

Overall Rating: Very Good to Excellent ($1/2)

I'm always excited to discover a pizzeria that can produce a top-notch Neapolitan-inspired pizza in a gas-oven. Mid City Pizza does just that. 

Pizza type:

Neapolitan-inspired, New York Style

Pizza ordered: Margherita

Crust:  I generally don't expect to see a crust worthy of being called "Neapolitan inspired" at pizza kitchens using a gas oven; excellent New York style maybe, but in the absence of the high heat of a wood or coal oven, a nicely charred crust is not as common.

Well, Mid City Pizza was a welcomed surprise.  The crust on the Mid City pie was every bit worthy of being called Neapolitan inspired.  The crust was thin enough and had the requisite crispiness around the edges as well as transitioning into a chewiness in the upper layer; however, most impressively, the Mid City crust displayed and excellent charring on the bottom.  Of course, with the lack wood or coal fire, the characteristic flavor of the char is diminished, but the bottom texture is just where it needs to be.

Sauce: I found Mid-City's sauce to be a very well balanced crushed tomato blend with no overwhelming spices or saltiness.  The sauce lightly compliments and underpins the whole pie experience, just as it should.

Cheese: Mid-City uses a very good quality mozzarella bufala and distributes it over the margherita pie expertly...just enough to be present without any overpowering, cheesy essence found with over-application of lower quality mozzarella's.

Other Topping(s): The basil was fresh, and placed on the pizza at the right time during cooking; releasing the basil character without drying it out or turning it brown.  The basil was certainly adequately applied; however, I could have stood more.  I'm a huge basil fan!

The slices of Roma tomato were fresh and flavorful and placed in just the right amount, maintaining the balance of the pie.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere is somewhere between mid-city New Orleans neighborhood cozy and Mid-City hipster.  It's bright, comfortable and family-friendly inside, and has some basic seating on a deck outside where you can enjoy a view of the vibrant, off-the-tourist-path neighborhood!

Service: We arrived around 5:00 p.m. and were greeted by very friendly counter-service. The server at the counter answered all our questions patiently and even let me sample their on-tap beer selection. They have a decent wine selection as well.  This pizzeria is basically no-frills, but very efficient, as well as laid-back.

Utensils: Basic utensils and adequate paper napkins.

Overall: Mid-City Pizza is definite hit.  I would compare it to the Bywater's Pizza Delicious (putting it in good company)  in quality, with, I feel, more efficient service in the ordering. If you are a serious fan of Neapolitan-inspired or New York style pies, you should definitely put Mid-City Pizza on your itinerary. 

Review of Cortlandt's Pub (aka Cortlandt's Pizza Pub), 4356 Old Shell Rd., Mobile AL

★★

Overall Rating: Good ($1/2)

Brick oven pizza is becoming more common in the Mobile-Pensacola area and frankly, the quality is all over the board.  Serving a good brick oven pizza, Cortlandt's quality lands squarely in the middle among the ones I have visited.

Pizza type:

Neapolitan-inspired, New York Style

Pizza ordered: Margherita

Crust:  Cortlandt's crust was not remarkable, particularly for a brick oven crust.  The bottom of the crust did display a slightly crispy texture and did transition to a chewiness in the upper-crust; however, the bottom of the crust was not well charred and the overall essence was bready. 

Sauce: Cortlandt's sauce is a nicely seasoned crushed tomato blend that compliments the overall taste of the pizza without overpowering any of the other aspects of the pie. As should be, the sauce is not too heavily applied, maintaining a good balance.  

Cheese: The cheese did not appear to be a fresh mozzarella and was applied a bit to heavily. The cheese tends to dominate the flavor of this particular pie, rather than balance with the tomato and basil.

Other Topping(s): The basil was fresh and not overly cooked, as desirable; however, it was a bit sparsely applied; more basil on this pie would have really defined it as a very good Margherita-inspired pizza.

Atmosphere: Cortlandt's has a nice neighborhood feel and is obviously popular.  It wasn't too loud and is a great location for meeting friends for a beer and a bite.

Service: We arrived around 5:30p.m. and were greeted by a very friendly server. As the place got busier, our server remained attentive without hovering.

Utensils: Sturdy utensils and substantial paper napkins.

Overall: Cortlandt's hits the mark in creating a cozy, neighborhood atmosphere, and produces a solidly good Neapolitan-inspired, New York style pizza; however, I will give the pizza another chance to impress.  I've gathered from others that the crust can be better than I experienced. 

Payment: Cash /Credit cards

Review of Juliana's Pizza, 19 Old Fulton St., Brooklyn, NY

★★★★

Overall Rating: Excellent ($$)

  As I have expanded upon in previous posts, there are pizza bakers out there who are strongly inspired by, and true to, the Neapolitan roots and traditions of pizza.  These bakers are not confined to New York, but can be found nationwide, particularly in cities with strong Italian immigration history, such as New Haven, New Orleans, Tampa, Chicago, Galveston, Birmingham and many others. In these centers of Italian heritage, we find those wonderful pizzas that display the best aspects of the American manifestation of Neapolitan pizza and solid Neapolitan characteristics.

Juliana's is one of the best presentations of the blend of American and Neapolitan traditions I have encountered.

Pizza type:

Neapolitan Inspired, New York Style

Pizza ordered: Margherita

Crust:  The crust produced in Juliana's 850 degree F, coal fired, brick oven is near perfection.  The charred bottom is completely distributed under the crust, and the coal fire flavor just present enough.  The edges of the crust display a nice blistering. This blistering blends into an evenly distributed, slight firmness and an ever so subtle crispiness throughout the remainder. Juliana's crust is as good as I've seen in "first-generation" Neapolitan inspired pizza.

Sauce: Juliana's pizza is complimented by fresh, delicate, crushed tomatoes that are gently spiced.  The resulting sauce is just present enough, but does not over-power any other flavors.

Cheese: The cheese is a fresh mozzarella applied  adequately, but as with the sauce, not overly-present. The cheese adds a nice complimentary flavor as it should.

Other Topping(s): The basil was fresh and barely cooked, as desirable; however, it was a bit sparsely applied.  A bit more basil would have achieved an excellent balance of flavors. 

Atmosphere: Juliana's does a good job of balancing urban chic with classic pizzeria ambiance. Unlike many New York City pizzerias, the tables are not so close as to give crowded feel; you have a bit of elbow room.

Service: We arrived around 1:00 p.m. and were greeted by a very friendly staff. The Server gave use plenty of time to look over the menu and ask any questions; however, we new what we wanted...the classic Margherita!

Utensils: Sturdy utensils and substantial paper napkins.

Overall: Juliana's hits the mark as an excellent First Generation, Neapolitan-inspired, New York style pizza.  Virtually every aspect of the pie is satisfying and displays strong Neapolitan characteristics. Juliana's is a "Don't miss" in Brooklyn, NYC, NY.

Payment: Cash /Credit cards

Review of Bella's, 3585 Tynecastle Hwy., Banner Elk, NC 28604 Ph. 828-898-9022

 

★★

Overall Rating: Good ($ 1/2)

Pizza type:

New York Style

Pizza ordered: 1/2 Al Fresco (similar to Margherita)/1/2 Spicy Hawaiian

Crust:  In a top-notch New York Style crust, I look for relative thinness, a slight crispiness  to the edge, and bottom, that transitions into chewiness in the inner and upper crust, as well as the presence of charring on the bottom and edges, notably more difficult to achieve in a gas, or otherwise cooler oven. 

Bella's produces a good New York Style crust with adequate thinness and the requisite chewiness; however, the edges are a bit thick and bready, and the crust lacks significant charring and associated crispiness.  Overall, the crust is an adequate platform, with a neutral flavor, as one would expect in NYC style pies.

Sauce: Bella's sauce is a tomato blend, nicely spiced and not overly salty; however, this particular pie could have used a bit more sauce, on the Hawaiian portion, to balance the flavors.

Cheese: The cheese appeared to be a blend of cheeses  that is not uncommon on NYC style pies and their cousins.  At times, blends of cheese can result in added salt; not the case with this pie; however, the cheese was a bit overly present and generally upset the balance of the pie.

Other Topping(s): On the Al Fresco portion of the pie, the fresh basil was tender and flavorful as were the fresh tomatoes, although, I found the garlic to be overly present.

The Spicy Hawaiian portion of the pie, certainly a more complex flavor, was a nice combination of sweet pineapple and savory ham and pepperoni, with the interesting kick of the pickled jalapenos.

Atmosphere: Bella's has the relaxed, friendly feel of a neighborhood pizzeria and pub, with an interesting mix of locals and tourists visiting and enjoying a full Italian menu and a bar with a number of local  and regional micro-brews

Service: We were greeted at the door by a friendly staff, and, since they were very busy, we had a bit of a wait, but not to worry, the bar was just as friendly and the local micro-brew delicious.  Our server told us we would have an hour wait for pizza, and although it did not take as long as predicted, she kept us comfortable with excellent salads and calamari.

Utensils: Sturdy utensils and substantial paper napkins.

Overall: Bella's makes a solidly good New York Style pizza that is certainly welcome after a long day on the local ski slopes or hiking trails.  The pie is substantial and well-presented; however, I did find it to be a bit unbalanced in flavor with the cheese and garlic dominating.

Payment: Cash /Credit cards

Review Of Post Office Pies, 209 41st St., Birmingham, AL

★★★ 1/2

Overall Rating: Very good to Excellent  ($1/2)

Pizza type:

Neapolitan-Inspired

Pizza ordered: Margherita

Crust: The crust is key, and it only took a few minutes for our pie to arrive at our table, usually a good indication of a adequately hot (wood or coal) brick oven.  The crust on the PO pie was exceptionally well-crafted.  As a Neapolitan inspired crust should be, it was thin, slightly chewy with crisp bottom surface along with a nice charred quality on the bottom and edges.  Of course, it also had a nice, slightly smoky flavor.

Sauce: The sauce is a delicate, crushed tomato with subtle spice and adequately low acidity.  PO's sauce gave the pie a nice garden-fresh tomato character without upsetting the balance of the pie. It's a nice support, as a good sauce should be.

Cheese: The PO pie is made with an excellent quality fresh, natural mozzarella.  The cheese was applied in pieces torn from the larger distributed well over the pie.  This natural mozzarella had the expected mild, and ever so slightly, sweet notes you would expect, and, of course, the nice stringiness.

Other Topping(s): The fresh basil was applied a bit too sparingly, overcooked and slightly bitter.  Bitterness in basil can be a result of over-cooking and/or timing of harvest and handling; a generally preventable situation.

Atmosphere: Post Office is a bit loud  and urban chic, but yet it still provides a cozy neighborhood feel.  They also have a nice selection specialty lemonades and craft beers. The open kitchen and communal seating give it a relaxed, laid-back feel as well.  This pizzeria is accommodating for any group.

 
Service: The service is front-order style, but you have plenty of time and space to study the menu before ordering. PO has some of the requisite pizzeria hectic pace; however, you'll have the patient, professional and cheerful attentiveness of the servers. The pizza bakers were kind enough to escort me around the kitchen, briefly, to get a good look at the oven and crust preparation.

Utensils: Sturdy utensils and substantial paper napkins.

Overall: This pizzeria really impresses.  Although not true Neapolitan process, they produce an very good, to excellent Neapolitan-inspired pie.  Post Office Pies is a don't-miss for pizza lovers!

Payment: Cash /Credit cards

 

G's Pizza Nation is back up and running!

 

After it being dormant for a couple of years, I've got G's Pizza Nation back up and running! 

In December, look for my review of Pizzeria Delfina, a newer and outstanding addition to the pizza scene in the Mobile, AL area.

Here are some more recently visited pizzerias worth mentioning!

  

  

Di Fara Pizza
1424 Ave. J
Brooklyn, NY, NY

     

Keste
271 Bleeker St.
New York, NY

Motorino (East Village)
349 E. 12th St.
New York, NY

John's of Bleeker Street
278 Bleeker St.
New York, NY







Review of Roberta's, 261 Moore St., Brooklyn, NY 11206 Ph. (718) 417-1118 (East Williamsburg, Bushwick)

Overall Rating: Excellent (****) ($1/2)

Pizza type:

Neapolitan Inspired

Pizza ordered: Margherita

Crust: Roberta's knocks it out of the park with a near-perfect Neapolitan inspired crust.  This crust has a nice rise and hollowness on the edges, although not bready. It has a slight crispiness on the bottom and edges and just the right amount of tough chewiness in the heart of the slice.  The wood fire oven gives the crust a wonderfully even char and, of course, a hint of wood smoke flavor.

 Sauce: The sauce is a delicate, crushed tomato with subtle spice and very little acidity.  Roberta's sauce imparts a nice garden-fresh tomato character to the pie without upsetting the balance of flavor.  It's a nice support, as a good sauce should be.

Cheese: The Roberta's pie is made with an excellent quality fresh, natural mozzarella.  The light, even flavor of this cheese blends perfectly with the spices of the  sauce and the other toppings.  This cheese also displays that wonderful natural mozzarella stringiness.

Other Topping(s): The fresh basil has just the right presence.  It is cooked just enough to release the delicate overtones of the herb. 

Atmosphere: Well, Roberta's is loud, crowded and urban-hipster chic, but yet it still provides a cozy neighborhood vibe.  It's a rather eclectic atmosphere, but the open kitchen and partially communal seating give it a relaxed, laid-back feel as well.  There are several seating areas ranging from bar seating to picnic tables to traditional tables. Something for any individual, couple or group.

 Service: The service is not fast and seems a bit hit or miss at times; however, when the server does get to you, you'll receive excellent attention to your party and to detail. Even with the chaotic pace of this pizzeria, you'll have the patient, professional and cheerful attentiveness of the server.

Utensils: Sturdy silverware and substantial paper napkins.

Overall: The relatively short hop on the L train from Union Square and about a two-minute walk brings you to the former garage, in a somewhat desolate neighborhood, that now houses Roberta's.  Quite frankly, I've never had a better Neapolitan inspired pizza.  If you are a pizza enthusiast of any level, a visit to Roberta's is a must!  Be prepared for a wait...but it's well worth it!  Enjoy!

Payment: Cash /Credit cards

Italian Pie, 417 S. Rampart St., New Orleans, LA (504) 522-7552

Overall Rating: Good to Very Good (**1/2)

Pizza type:

New York style pizza

Pizza ordered: Pepperoni and black olives

Crust: The gas-oven baked crust at Italian Pie is a good to  very good New York style crust.  The crust is relatively thin and exhibits the key components of the New York style, to include nicely browned and tougher texture edges, and a somewhat crispy bottom that transitions upward into a slight chewiness.  The bottom of the crust didn't display any desirable charring; however, it was nicely browned. The crust did not display any residual flavor of oil or herbs, thus making it a good neutral platform for the toppings.


Sauce: Italian Pie's sauce is a very good crushed tomato-based sauce that is nicely spiced without displaying any dominant herb flavor, as well as not being overly salty.  The sauce was applied sparingly enough, not throwing off the flavor balance of the pie.

Cheese: Although not a fresh mozzarella the cheese was a good quality, pizzeria mozzarella.  The cheese was applied a bit too heavily, giving the pie an ever so slightly dominant cheese flavor.  The cheese was of good enough quality, however, that it didn't come across a sour or separated...oily.

Other Topping(s): The pepperoni was flavorful, nicely spiced and not too lean, so it remained tender after baking.  The black olives on the pie were of very good quality and generously applied, but did not overwhelm the overall flavor.

Atmosphere: Italian Pie's South Rampart Street location does a great job of combining urban pizzeria with traditional neighborhood pizzeria feel.  The curb appeal is excellent...drawing in any true pizza lover.
 Service: The  service at Italian Pie is outstanding!  The server was enthusiastic and knowledgeable and went above and beyond to make our experience very pleasant.

Utensils: Rather flimsy paper plates and adequate utensils and napkins.

Overall: Often skeptical of chain pizzerias, I found this small NOLA chain does a great job of combining classic pizzeria atmosphere, a touch of urban chic, a good to very good New York Style pizza and great service, to produce an overall winner.  If you're in the Big Easy and love pizza, you will be pleased with this place.  It's within reasonable walking distance from the French Quarter, Central Business and Warehouse Districts.
 

Payment: Cash /Credit cards

Review of Vitolli's Pizzeria & Italian Eatery, 21862 Highway 59 Robertsdale, AL, (251) 947-9999

Overall Rating: Good to Very Good (**1/2)

Pizza type:

New York style pizza



Pizza ordered: Pepperoni, Italian sausage, beef, Canadian bacon, mushroom, onion, green pepper and black olives

Crust: The bakers at Vitolli's prepare a good hand-tossed crust, although, and with a bit more heat and care in the preparation, it could be very good for its type.  The crust did display some good crispiness around the edges and chewiness as you got into the thinner portion; however, in places, the edge was too thick and had a bit of a stale crispiness.  Also, the crust was a bite under-cooked in the center of the pie...maybe from thickness vs. temperature of the oven.  There was some nice char on the bottom of the crust, but not nearly enough.  It is certainly a good New York style crust, but needs some fine tuning.


Sauce: Vitolli's sauce was rather neutral in tomato flavor with some spice shinning through.  It gave the pie a nice tomato presence without any added saltiness, acidity or overpowering flavor.  They do a good job of not over-applying the sauce...just enough.

Cheese: I found the cheese to be of good quality, pizzeria mozzarella.  The cheese was not over present and didn't add any greasy or sour, separated taste to the pie.  As with the sauce, they knew how to added just enough without making the cheese a dominant flavor.

Other Topping(s): The pepperoni was mildly spicy and rather lean,  but not dry and added a nice zest to the pie.  The Canadian bacon added a nice smoked flavor without greasiness; however, the beef didn't seem to standout at all.  The Italian sausage was a bit bland and fatty in flavor, and didn't seem to add any interesting personality to the pie. The mushrooms were tender and flavorful, and well distributed as were the black olives.  The green pepper and onion came across as fresh and tender and added a nice clean, lively vegetable flavor to the pizza.

Atmosphere: I really enjoyed the cozy, classic neighborhood pizzeria atmosphere at Vitolli's.   They had a decent selection of beer and wine available at very reasonable prices.  The space is not too loud and is very family-oriented.
 

Service: The table service at Vitolli''s is exceptionally friendly and skilled.  The service was never rushed and very attentive without being intrusive.

Utensils: Sturdy silverware and substantial  napkins.

Overall: We're seeing more and more New York style pizza kitchens on the Gulf Coast and the quality varies greatly.  The descendant of Neapolitan pizza, the New York style pizza, is sold in a wide variety of venues from large franchise outlets to one-of-a-kind establishments. Vitolli's is a solid, good neighborhood pizzeria with a good product, great staff and cozy atmosphere.  With a bit of work on the crust, they could  produce a consistently, very good pizza!
 

Payment: Cash /Credit cards

 

Review of Pizza Delicious, 617 Piety St. (Bywater) New Orleans, LA

Review of Pizza Delicious, 617 Piety St. (Bywater) New Orleans, LA 70117 

(504) 676-8482

Overall Rating: Excellet (****)

 

 

Pizza type: 

New York style Pizza

Pizza ordered: 1/2 Margherita, 1/2 Kale, sopressata, Parmesan and Mozzarella

Crust: Simply the best New York style crust I've encountered on the Gulf Coast...probably in the Southeast!  I would call the crust on the Pizza Delicious (PD) pie a textbook example of what a New York style crust should be.  On the New York pie, the first-generation descendant of Neapolitan pizza, the crust should have certain characteristics, and PD nails them all! 

 

The crust is thin, of course, it is lightly charred on the bottom to impart a crispiness, and as you rise up through the roughly 1/10 of an inch thick base, the texture transitions to the signature tender chewiness.The edges of the crust are still relatively thin at maybe a 1/4 inch in height and sturdy enough to handle the slice.

 

Delicious' crust has a neutral, but slightly yeast and smoky charred flavor that give just the right support to the toppings, not overpowering or masking any flavors as a bready crust can often do.

Sauce: PD's  sauce is a fresh crush of tomatoes that adds a nice finish to the pie.  It isn't too sweet, spicy or acidic, and is applied masterfully...just enough.  The sauce is akin to a good wine paring, present and complementary.

 Cheese: The cheese on the Pizza Delicious pie is an excellent natural mozzarella displaying it's signature mild, almost nutty flavor.  It is applied in the traditional manner, as natural mozzarella doesn't grate like the processed mozzarella you see on many pies.  It is generally applied in slices or pinches, keeping a nice white color even after baking.
 

Other Topping(s): The fresh mozzarella and basil on the margherita half of the pie were in great proportion with the basil not overpowering any of the other flavors, but present.   On the other half, the excellent, thinly sliced sopressata was a bit spare and the fresh kale in pieces a bit to large, but from a flavor point of view the combination was excellent!

Atmosphere: The hipster casual  space at Pizza Delicious is far from a traditional pizzeria; however, it fits the hip neighborhood nicely and is comfortable.  It is a bit noisy inside, and heavy metal music was playing; not sure if that is the regular theme.  That might depend on who's working.  Anyway, if metal isn't your thing, there is a nice outdoor seating area as well. 

Service: You order at the counter and service is efficient and straight-forward. It was not crowded the afternoon we were there, and the manager on duty was very attentive.  All of the employees were very friendly and paid great attention to detail.
 

Utensils:  Sturdy silverware and substantial paper napkins.
 

Overall: I have always been a  believer that one must get out of the French Quarter to find New Orleans' real culinary treasures, and this urban chic pizzeria demonstrates just that!  To date, I have not found a better, more authentic New York style pizza anywhere in the area and few even as good in New York. If you love New York style pizza, you must get to the Bywater and pay these folks visit!!

 

Payment: Cash /Credit cards