San Francisco has been attracting better and better pizza parlors over the last decade and Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in North Beach just may be the best. Admittedly, we have not yet been to Flour & Water, nor Delfina, but those restaurants have so many other tantalizing items to offer, especially pasta, I’m not certain we’d ever get around to the pizze. Not so with Tony’s as the pizze are as prominent on the menu as the name of the restaurant. There may be side acts such as salads, pastas, and desserts, but pizza is the headliner that plays the center ring at this circus. The restaurant is lively, with a wait staff quick on their feet, but it is comfortable for conversation. The fast pace is more a product of the numbers of patrons, rather than the staff encouraging a quick turnover. We took our time and were not rushed.
The all too familiar bread and butter served at almost every restaurant in town is not familiar at all when you go into Tony’s. With all those pizza ovens, someone was bound to make focaccia on site. Since focaccia was developed in the Liguria region of Italy simply as a means to test the temperature of the communal bread ovens, it seems a fitting start to our meal. While the olive oil and fresh garlic was a nice fit for the focaccia, I preferred the plain olive oil. The tomato paste and olive oil mix may have been a good idea in terms of flavor, but visually it was unappealing. It needed to be blended to work.
Tony’s bakes it’s pizze in several different ways, depending on different temperatures to achieve different results. They also use specific flours for each of the ovens. They have this down to a science. The next time we go, I’m interested in discovering in greater detail the differences between each method. One only cooks the pizza for a minute in 1000 degrees and that may be the coal burning oven with the hottest temperature for very thin, crisp crust pizze. This one was baked in a domed, gas fueled, brick oven for a chewier texture on the dough. It was called the Cal Italia and is made with premium Italian imports and resides on the menu under the “Classic Italian” recipes. All the classic Italian pizze are made using vine ripened tomato sauce, with this being the exception.
Instead of tomato sauce, the Cal Italia, which by the way is an award winning pizza, utilizes fig jam from Croatia. This sweet preserve sets the foundation for a very savory pizza with the bite of imported Italian Gorgonzola, that also imparts a saltiness that the Mozzarella lacks. Asiago and the nuttier tasting Parmigiano help to add another layer of flavor and depth to this beautifully balanced pizza. Prosciutto di Parma and Balsamic vinegar add more salty sweetness to the mix. From these photos it is clear to see that the prosciutto, and well as one or more of the cheeses are not cooked, but layered on top after the pizza comes out of the oven. I’m certain the syrupy vinegar is also added after plating. They all get just enough residual heat to perk up their flavors. This pizza is a spectacular success and needs to be tried, then reordered. As original as the flavor combination seems to be, it is very similar to a pizza we tried many years ago in Boston at Todd English’s pizza parlor called Fig’s on Beacon Hill. A photo of that pizza can be found in a separate review. However, there’s no contest when it comes to the crust; Tony’s is superior.
From the 900 degree wood fired oven comes the Truffle – Less Pizza; the Cal Italia has the same medium rustic dough but is hand tossed. The Truffle – Less Pizza is not listed as being hand tossed, but interestingly enough the dough looked less uniform than that on the Cal Italia. Even more interesting is the fact that it was a bit less chewy. The ovens must really make a greater difference than one imagines on the outcome of the dough. Odd name, but only because I opted out of shaved truffle for this pizza. Black truffles were what was available; I prefer the heady perfume of white truffles. Since white truffle infused oil was available I decided to go with that, instead of fresh black truffle. It was a great call in terms of price. Truffle – Less was $19, Black Truffle Pizza is $39, and in season, White Truffle Pizza is $89. Now I long for the white truffle pizza I ate in Gubbio Italy for all of 9 euros!
The Truffle Pizza is made up primarily of cheeses; Mozzarella, Burrata, Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam triple cream cheese, and Parmigiano, with wild mushrooms, arugula and shaved truffles, or in this case truffle oil. It sounds creamy, milky and earthy and it was all three. The Parmigiano provided the much needed salty element. Once again, some ingredients were added after the pizza was baked, most notably the Parmigiano, arugula, and truffle oil. The residual heat helped the truffle scent travel upwards through the air above the table, like a bird gliding on an updraft. I can’t wait to go back and try another one of these sensational combination of flavors. While reading over the antipasti section of the menu, I found some other worthwhile items to try. A small plate dinner may be the direction I take next time.
http://www.tonyspizzanapoletana.com/includes/menu/Tony's%20pizza%20Menu_inside%202010.pdf
| 1570 Stockton St San Francisco, CA 94133 (415) 835-9888 |
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