Varasano’s Pizzeria
I was one of the lucky ones to have been invited to Jeff’s place where I had 14 glorious slices of the best pizza in town. That was a few weeks well before his joint opened. I was also invited to the invitation-only media event at the restaurant, but, contrary to what one publication butterfly insinuated, no, I was not in attendance. Two weeks ago, I came in unannounced. I did not talk to Jeff Varasano at all (although I did wave at him). Or anybody from his PR staff. I paid for our entire meal and I did not get any complimentary items. Whew. Now that those are out of the way, on to the food…
There were four of us and ordered 5 pizzas: Margherita, New Haven Clam, Chica Bella, Salumi, and Dolce. We also started with a couple of Spinach and Caprese salads. The salads were great starters with the spinach salad having good crunch, the pecans and the gorgonzola cheese adding a variety of textures, and the dressing tempering the slight bitterness of the greens. The caprese salad had thick slices of mozarella and great tasting slices of heirloom tomatoes. I love that they served the oil and balsamic vinegar on the side.
The first pizza that came out was the New Clam pizza. This was my favorite at Jeff’s house. It had clams, mussels, and a good amount of garlic in our chosen white sauce. The pieces of clams and mussels were substantial so you can really taste seafood goodness in every bite. The garlic wasn’t overpowering at all and provided just enough for taste. I was quite disappointed with the crust on this one — as you can see, there was too much charring, to the point of being bitter on some bites. The clams/mussels were also a tad on the salty side. Definitely not the same pizza I had at Jeff’s place. Nevertheless, our guy companions ate everything as expected (they don’t have anything to compare it with anyway), although my sister and were in agreement about the crust and taste.
The Chica Bella is truly a “chick” pizza. It’s my least favorite (even at Jeff’s private tasting) but I wanted to indulge my sister so I let her go ahead and order it for the group. Now, would you believe this is the best vegetarian pizza I have ever had? I’m a self-confessed carnivore and I am known to frown upon greens because to me, it’s such a waste of precious stomach space. I’ve been wrong before and Mr. Buddha sums it up nicely. I have to admit that I’m wrong again this time. The arugula on this pie was very refreshing with the drizzle of lemon bringing out its peppery taste. Truly a great vegetarian pizza. Even the boys in our group ate it all up.
Next came the Salumi pizza. If there was ever a “guy’s” pizza then this one is it. The generous amount of thinly sliced Italian meats, mozarella, and olives gave this pizza a bold taste. It wasn’t salty nor oily. Just meat goodness in every bite. Wouldn’t you know it, the boys in our group loved it and it’s their favorite!
The Dolce pizza is a great dessert pizza. It is gooey and sweet. Too sweet. But very good, nonetheless. I like it a lot. But don’t ruin your dinner by making a mistake of ordering this first. Be sure to order this last or as a dessert. It has tons of dates, fontina cheese, walnuts, and rosemary, then drizzled with honey. We used it as a mid-course to give our palates a breather and cut down the taste of the pizzas we’ve ordered. It worked!
The last thing to come out was the pièce de résistance. The star of the show. The Margherita pizza was THE BEST pizza I’ve had in town. Ever. It is also the most beautiful pizza I have ever laid my eyes on. It was perfection: the crust, the sauce, the cheese, the char. I had to stop the chatter around me so that I can enjoy this pizza in silence. It was heavenly. I did notice that the sauce is a tad less intense than the one Jeff served at his house but I can only say that because I have something to compare it to. My 3 companions did not know that difference and the consensus was the same: the best! Eight thumbs up on this one!
Interesting notes:
There was absolutely no floppiness on all the 5 pizzas we ordered. All the crust and charring were perfect except for the clam pizza which had too much charring to the point of being burnt and bitter on the edges. Not a big deal. Fifteen seconds less in the oven should do the trick.
The Dolce is a dessert pizza. It is way too sweet and rich for a pizza. Should move this to the dessert section of the menu.
The pizza sauce is perfect — a tad less intense than what was served at Jeff’s private parties — but still great, nonetheless. The perfect amount was used on each pizza which contributed to the no-sogginess factor.
Each pizza is good enough for two if you start with a salad/appetizer. As a big eater, I can finish one pizza on my own. There were 4 of us on my last visit and we demolished 5 pizzas and 4 salads without any problems.
The service was still spotty but should have improved greatly by now.
Verdict
The best pizzas I’ve ever have in town and most beautiful pizzas I’ve ever laid my eyes on. Definitely a must-try.
The scoop:
Varasano’s Pizzeria
2171 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 352-8216
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