Pizza Nea - November 4, 2015

Sometimes you want to go out and have an elaborate meal full of flavor and texture combinations that are a revelation and make you think about food differently. Sometimes you want an hours long Bacchanal that leaves you sated and spent, closer to the dreaming world than the waking one. Sometimes you just want a good pizza.

With the exception of Pig Ate My Pizza’s “Piggy Pie” and it’s glorious brioche crust, or when making Kenji Alt-Lopez’ Foolproof Pan Pizza at home, I generally prefer my pizzas to be Neapolitan thin crust style. Nice charred bottom, some crunchy busted blisters on top, good chew, and slightly foldable; the perfect vessel for sauce and toppings. I salivate just thinking about it.

If you’ve read more than one of these, you’re probably able to discern that I’m not much of a “usual” guy, with a few notable exceptions. Tennessee Hot Chicken at Revival, Brown Butter Glazed at Bogart’s Doughnut, Crepe Cake at Spoon & Stable Brunch, Rare Lean Beef & Well Done Brisket at Pho 79, and Pheasant’s Tears Saperavi at Gyst Fermentation Lab are some of them, when I go to these places, these are the things that have the most gravity for me, or more akin, the exact opposite polarity if we were magnets; I’m drawn to them. But I like my variety, sometimes that variety comes from a familiar oven on a familiar crust from a good friend.

Mike, the proprietor of Pizza Nea is always doing specials, and it’s great. One week it’ll be an apple pizza with speck or pancetta, the next it might be a potato pizza with prosciutto, caramelized onion, and Calabrian chili oil. This week it was a Quattro Carni, 4 meats?!? Yes. For great porky meats; spicy sausage, pepperoni, prosciutto, and I think pancetta. (I’ll update later if I remember to see what meats on it for sure).

I also went with the small meat balls because I didn’t remember having them yet.

Polpette Napoletana - Bite sized Neapolitan meatballs made with spicy Italian sausage, Parmigiano-Reggiano, crushed tomatoes, topped with garlic and oregano marinara served with focaccia (menu description): Good & Traditional - not too spicy, next time I’d add some red pepper flakes to suite my tastes. The focaccia isn’t too thick so it’s enjoyably chewy.

Quattro Carni - 4 meats (spicy sausage, pepperoni, prosciutto, & pancetta(?)), red sauce, and mozzarella. This had a great crust, and was nice and salty from all the cured meats. The salt was balance nicely by the cheese and the sauces sweetness and acidity.

We’re moving buildings next year for work and we’ll be close to a bus that will basically go door to door from the office to Pizza Nea, even with all of the other options in the area, I think you’ll find me there most if I’m out to lunch.