Review #58 - Piatto Pizzeria + Enoteca

Piatto Pizzeria + Enoteca
Variety: Pizza
Address: 5144 Morris Street
Date Visited: Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Orders: VPN Margherita, Della Terra

Taste: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Portion Size: 9 + 9 = 18/20
Presentation: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Value: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Service: 9 + 10 = 19/20
Bonus: 1
Minus: 2
Final Grade: 84% (Good)

(Scoring: 100% to 140% = Exceptional, 85% to 99% = Excellent, 67% to 84% = Good, 60% to 66% = Satisfactory, 50% to 59% = Marginal, 0% to 49% = Poor, -40% to -1% = Abysmal)

Notes: After narrowly missing a downtown holiday party due to a slightly later than expected night at work, we were all dressed up with no place to go. Fortunately, we peered down from our parking spot and noticed Piatto. J had heard about this place that was "legally allowed to make Neapolitan pizza" (or something like that), so we gave it a shot. Walking into this industrial chic joint, it looked a lot more formal than it actually is. By that, we noticed that it's actually the kind of place you might want to bring your family - the kids and play around on the Vespa scooters parked randomly throughout the restaurant. That said, it wasn't too kitchy, either. It was a nice mix. Not sure how else to describe it! It was clear that we'd missed the dinner rush, which was fine by us, and it also meant that the host was able to pay a bit of extra attention to us, explaining the menu in great detail in a way that wasn't too overbearing. It was obvious that he took great pride in his work. Although the nightly complimentary soup and appetizers had all but disappeared, there were a few scraps left for us, which we gladly inhaled (we were kinda hungry after missing out on the party, after all!) T noshed on some olives while J indulged in some tasty squash soup served in an espresso cup. So, what's an enoteca? We didn't know, either, but apparently it means "wine repository." It didn't take T long to select the reasonably-priced wine flight (sampler), which included generous pours of a variety of wines. We enjoyed watching our pizzas being cooked in the cool wood-fired oven and it wasn't long before they were delivered - J had the VPN Margherita - traditional Neapolitan pizza with just tomato sauce, cheese and olive oil. It was fairly big but not too bulky, just enough for one. Though, the crust was "a touchy burn-y" for our liking. T had the Della Terra (from the earth, perhaps?), which was a vegetarian offering featuring olives, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, cheese, basil and olive oil. According to T, "It tastes exactly like the Margherita," so the ingredients didn't seem to add much. In addition, the cook obviously missed a pair of olive pits and T hurt her tooth. That was a little disappointing (and painful!). So, bonus point for the awesomeness of the wine sampler and for the host's passion, but two minus points for the pits. All in all, we enjoyed the experience, but T put it best when she said "They talk it up until it's hard to live up to it. When it arrives, it's just a pizza. It was good, but it's not the best pizza I've ever had in my life. An authentic experience doesn't necessarily mean it's the best."

Final Verdict: Enjoyable with a great atmosphere, but authentic doesn't guarantee excellence.