Let's just get down to biznaz...
Margherita - Doesn't look too bad. I like how the pie is not covered in basil like most plebeians' idea of this pie. The basil also isn't cooked either but rather placed on the pie after it comes of the oven and lightly wilted by the residual heat from the pie. Bravo for doing it right. But how does it taste? Dough is a little flat and a bit chewy. The char is acceptable but I prefer the lovely little char blisters around the crust that only a full wood burning oven can produce, instead. The sauce is also a little flat but more on the sweeter side (it needed a little more zing). The bufala mozza is not bad, decent melt capabilities. It's not gonna blow your mind but it's a pretty good everyday pie.
Tartufo - Their namesake pie with truffle oil splash on top. For $22, I expected a little more flavor than just a couple squirts of T-oil. You have to eat it while it's hot or else it loses it's flavor when it cools down. The funny part of this pie was the funghi... They were shitake and I thought I tasted Chinese black mushrooms in there, also. No shaved truffles were observed. Now, that is fucking goofy.
The last time I was this close to pie, the lights were off and my face was wet... Oh, wait, wrong blog. But take a gander anyways.... It doesn't look too bad and it tasted pretty good. Every time, I see this much baby arugula on top of a bread like structure, it reminds me of the Sardinian flatbread at Shaun's. Come to think of it, some fresh shaved Grana Padano would be real nice on top.
Calabrase - W T FUUUKK?! Are you really serious? Sending out something looking this pathetic is cause for alarm. Where is the quality control? Did you seriously think no one will notice this heavily charred, no, blacken piece of burnt up shit? (The bottom was blacker than Samuel L. Jackson.) If your boy can't tell the difference between charred and the bowels of a volcano, do not put him at the oven. Then the self-proclaimed "Pizzamaker" comes by and asks "How is everything?" while staring straight at this burnt up frisbee without even noticing why no one was eating it. He took it away only after we mentioned the flawed and inedible blackhole that was sitting untouched before our ghastly facials... He did apologize while at the same time stating that he was the pizzamaker over and over again. I never saw him near the oven nor the dough once since walking in... Not even remotely close. But he did get his boy to re-fire another one ASAP. Why does he not make the pies if he is the pizzamaker? Dom DeMarco of the highly coveted Di Fara's in Brooklyn has made every single pie for the last 4 decades, this guy here hasn't lasted 3 months at the oven. What does that say to you?
The Calabrase Redux came out relatively quick and it looked OK... Except that giant char blister that blew up in the lower corner. Made me kinda wanna stick something in it... Like in American Pie. But of course this would be the Italian pie. Scratch that, make that Tunisian pie. The spicy salami were pretty good and the only real flavor that I took away from this pie.Overall, the ingredients (dough, sauce, cheese, toppings) are fresh and totally acceptable. The only thing I have to snark about is the combo wood/gas oven (you'll be lucky if they're actually using wood on the day you walk in. Someone even said it was electric, as well... fuck me) which doesn't do the pies any justice at temps way below 700 degrees. Is this the best Napoletana pie in Atlanta? Not by a long shot. But it will trump any chain pizza joint in the state.
PS- Valet for a pizza joint just spews pompous douchery all over the pavement... You can thank La Fourchette next door for that. Oh, well, what can you do.
Bottomline: I would go back if I was heading north bound on Piedmont.
2 Stars.
3137 Piedmont Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30305
404-806-9957
http://tartufopizza.com/
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