WHAT THEY ORDERED
Starter:
>> Pizza fondue with cheesy tomato sauce ($8)
Pizzas:
>> Classic margherita, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese ($9)
>> House-made fennel sausage, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese ($12)
>> La Caseranat buffalo mozzarella, tomato sauce and torn basil ($15)
>> Triple pepperoni finished with white truffle oil ($15)
PIZZA PIE RATING:
4 slices (out of 5)
Beth Kondo, a.k.a. The Crust Critic
At first look, the pizza fondue starter was uninspiring. The dipper looked like a large calzone that was disappointingly empty. But after a first bite it was refreshingly awesome. Yes, I mean awesome. The wood-burning oven created a light crisp on the outside, and it was soft and chewy on the inside, dusted with just the right amount of herbs and cheese.
Pizzas arrived shortly after, and I must admit I had a bit of a prejudice: I’m especially critical of Neapolitan-style crust simply because, well, sometimes there’s just not enough. While this crust was especially thin, it hit the spot. Nobody likes limp crust, and La Madia had the perfect crust combo: light and buttery, yet still enough crisp to hold the toppings.
Kym Hinton, a.k.a. The Sauce Sleuth
The pizza fondue with cheesy tomato sauce had me at "hello." The sauce, which was covered with parmesan cheese, was not too salty and had a smooth consistency. It was paired with warm bread (like an empty calzone) for dipping. I could have eaten just this and been happy.
Neapolitan pizza isn’t really the best choice for a sauce lover, since the sauce is almost an afterthought. La Madia’s pizza was more like cheese glued to crust with a faint hint of tomato underneath. Not cool. It wouldn’t have been a problem if I hadn’t just tasted the sauce and known how good it was. While the others in the group didn’t miss it, I would have liked the pizza more if it had come with a side of sauce for dipping, like that pizza fondue.
Matthew Kessler, a.k.a. The Toppings Tester
La Madia offers something for every palate, but we had a group consensus: The triple pepperoni pizza was our favorite, an all-around standout. White truffle oil complemented saucer-sized pepperoni and really enhanced the overall flavor of the pizza. Cheese peeked out from under the pepperoni and married the toppings well.
Though the torn basil on our buffalo mozzarella pizza wasn’t discernable from cut basil, it did add to the fresh, creamy cheese. The house-made sausage crumbles on our sausage pizza were plentiful with a nice—but not overwhelming—hint of fennel. And while it was welcoming to see the usual ground red pepper and parmesan on the table, no one felt the need to use either on the well-seasoned pizzas.
Joe Irick, a.k.a. The Details Doctor
Service was attentive but not over-the-top. But we really have to give kudos to the designers of this contemporary pizzeria. The waiting area has an elegant wine bar, and there’s plenty of comfortable, spacious seating in the dining area. The restaurant also has a back nook of booths to give your party a secluded feeling, if desired.
The wood-fired oven isn’t quite the spectacle here as it is at some Neapolitan-style spots around town, but it’s illuminated well, and it’s certainly the centerpiece of the room. There’s even pizza-bar seating near the oven so you can sit and watch your order cook.
[ Members of the Pizza Posse—Kym Hinton, Joe Irick, Matthew Kessler and Beth Kondo—were chosen by Metromix staff through an application and interview process. ]
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