Neapolitan Pizza Archives ~ NC Triangle Dining Food Blog

September 11, 2020 by Ron Wen

The Best Neapolitan Pizza in Durham, Raleigh, Cary, Carrboro and Chapel Hill

Sneaking a peek at the speckled underside of pizza — Sneaking a peek at the speckled underside of Neapolitan pizza

Pizza comes in many forms and styles: NY thin-crust, Chicago deep-dish, Detroit-style pizza, thick Sicilian and more. But when it comes to REAL pizza in my mind, you have to go back to the motherland, Neapolitan pizza from Italy. Now there are strict rules for true Neapolitan pizza: 00 flour, San Marzano tomatoes, and mozzarella di bufala. Quality ingredients that result in tender delicious, thin crust, soft melty cheese, and fresh tomato flavor, perfection.

Neapolitan pizza is usually served as a single-serving pie and cooked in wood-fired ovens. But the reality is that when you find Neapolitan pizza in the US, it’s often more like Neapolitan-style and takes some liberties on the official guidelines. But in my opinion for pizza, Neapolitan is the only way to go to truly understand what great pizza is about. And thankfully, the NC Triangle is starting to sprout up more Neapolitan-style pizza places over the past five years! Here’s a quick tour of some of your best options for Neapolitan pizza!

Margherita pizza at Capp’s Pizzeria in Chapel Hill

Capp’s Pizzeria, Chapel Hill – A bit off the beaten path in southwestern Chapel Hill near Pittsboro, I am really impressed with the pizza coming out of this joint! Great crust, crushed tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese, Capp’s spins things up a bit with its combinations. Don’t miss the Mama Mia with meatball, red onion and jalapenos. They also do a traditional (for Connecticut) clam pie on the Friday and Saturday!

Napoli Pizzeria, Chapel Hill and Durham – This food truck has gone bricks and mortar at the Durham Food Hall! Overall they are doing a solid Neapolitan pie and the pancetta garlic pizza I tried was excellent!

Pizzeria Toro, Durham – One of the first Neapolitan pizza spots in the area, Toro does some really good pies in a hipster setting. Expect to get a little fancier with their pies and the prices rise accordingly ($14 to $18). While they still do a good pie, I’ve also got some burnt ones here which is not cool if you’re paying a premium. But a good spot if you’re hanging out in downtown Durham and want some Neapolitan pizza.

Pizzeria Faulisi, Cary – A great option for the Triangle Neapolitan pizza craze, Faulisi does a very solid pie and crust (mix of 00 and Boulted Bread flour). Decor-wise it sits neatly between casual and hipster with a bright, light and white interior along with some counter service. Love their pies, it’s got a snappy crust and keeps things simple the way Neapolitan pies should be. And it sits conveniently right next to Bond Brothers beer so who can complain about great pizza and beer?

Cugino Forno, Durham – This NC chain focused on Neapolitan pizza has opened their newest spot in Durham! Located right next to Hi-Wire Brewery at Golden Belt, this spartan pizzeria is offering up classic pies in a 16″ form. The pizzas are solid and will probably feed two people…

Pizzeria Mercato, Carrboro – A cool little pizzeria run by Gabe Barker in a funky little corner of Carrboro. They are doing more Neapolitan style with a snappier (stiffer) crust but it still holds mostly true. They also offer some great appetizers and entrees, do NOT miss their arancini (serious noms). Pizzeria Mercato is more of an Italian restaurant to me, doing really good za. I just wish it was a bit closer to me!

Pompieri Pizza, Durham – Pompieri was one of the earlier entries into the Neapolitan pizza race in the Triangle and it’s still chugging along. The concept and space is quite different, located in an old firehouse, lined with aquariums and family-friendly. The pies are very thin crust and are served uncut with a pair of shears. While they definitely use quality ingredients here, it’s not quite traditional Neapolitan pizza here which is fine for most people.

Poole’side Pies, Raleigh – The newest entry in this category, Poole’side Pies offers up solid Neapolitan-style pies in a stunning setting reminiscent of a classic swimming pool theme. Along with a handful of fun, fried appetizers and interesting salads, Poole’side stretches the Neapolitan concept a bit with some Southern style.

V Pizza, Cary – A smallish chain based out of Jacksonville, FL has a couple of locations in the Triangle now. Offering up a more sophisticated take on Neapolitan pizzas and oven-baked wings, V Pizza offers up a lovely patio and craft beers along with its pies.

Flirting with Fire food truck, Various Locations – This very cool food truck hauls around a SERIOUS wood-fired oven all around the Triangle! And the one time I was able to try them out at a street fair, I was pretty impressed. Solid crust and they stick to the basic topping options. If you find them in the neighborhood, Flirting with Fire is definitely worth the visit!

Blaze Fast-Fired Pizza, Morrisville – Ok, feel free to laugh at me but I do think that this chain is doing an excellent job serving up Neapolitan style pizza! Given their unlimited toppings model, it’s definitely not traditional but the crust is pretty close! And for $8 you really can’t beat the price. I love my pizza but try not to be a pizza snob, and Blaze hits all the right notes. The casual but cool interior along with Chipotle style ordering makes Blaze super family-friendly, too.

Grandma pie at Hutchins Garage, Durham - nctriangledining.com — Grandma pie at Hutchins Garage, Durham – nctriangledining.com

And there’s more great pizza in the area with more traditional pies such as Hutchins Garage, Trophy Brewing and Pizza along with Di Fara Pizza Tavern and Oakwood Pizza Box! Which is great news for us all because, not everyone has a friend with a wood-fired pizza oven. As a huge Neapolitan pizza fan it just makes me happy to see these options popping up. I’ve made the pilgrimage to great pizza places around the country like DiFara, Totonno’s, Motorino, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, Apizza Scholls, and more. It’s just wonderful to have some good local options here near home! So if you’re a budding pizza fan, give one of these spots a try and I’m sure you’ll be loving that thin-crust za, too.

December 11, 2012 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Pizzeria Toro in Durham for Artisan Za!

Back bar at Pizzeria Toro in Durham, NC Triangle Dining

The pizza craze continues in the Triangle with the addition of hipster pizza destination, Pizzeria Toro! Located in the Five Points area of Durham next to the Cupcake Bar, Pizzeria Toro has quite the urban feel. Large open dining space with a showcase pizza oven. Communal tables made of reclaimed wood and urban-industrial lighting piped in over the tables with large filaments glowing like fireflies. This place gets busy and as expected a bit noisy and boisterous but that’s the whole urban dealio. In back Pizzeria Toro has got a medium sized bar, a couple of additional tables and a small TV as a concession to the masses. My friends and I were seated on the communal table which gave me a front and center view to all the cooking action!

Wood-fired oven at Pizzeria Toro in Durham, NC Triangle Dining

Kale salad at Pizzeria Toro in Durham, NC Triangle Dining

Service at Pizzeria Toro is very professional, the crew was working its tail off and it’s running smoothly given how new the place is which is impressive. We order up a kale salad, pumpkin appetizer along with a couple of personal pies. Pizzeria Toro has a smallish beer list both draft and bottled, prices are higher than what I expect across the board but hey, you gotta have a brewski with your pizza! Our apps come out first, a rich dark kale salad with pignoli which we share. My oven-roasted pumpkin with chestnuts and guanciale (Italian bacon) is decent. Lightly charred, soft sweet texture with a bit of salty counterpoint, I liked it but wasn’t blown away. The texture was a bit too soft for me and the flavors not quite distinct enough. I’m watching pizzas come out of the oven at a furious pace and its cool to see all the variations and flavors.

Roasted pumpkin app at Pizzeria Toro in Durham, NC Triangle Dining

Twenty minutes after we order, I get my basic Margherita: San Marzano tomato sauce with fresh mozzarella and basil. It’s a good-looking pie made with great ingredients. Maybe a 14″ personal pie that’s good for one hungry person or shared between two for a light bite. And its a decent pie. It’s got a thickish cornicione with a bit of char, they’ve got it cooked about right. The crust itself is stiff with some bite, maybe some corn meal on the bottom. The sauce on top is light and flavorful with the soft melted cheese and the basil pops out. What I wasn’t a fan of was the flaked salt sprinkled on top, I’d prefer the crust to have a bit of salt in it instead of having hit my tongue. The pies at Pizzeria Toro are good, a bit artisan and similar in style to what I think you might get at Lilly’s or Chow. Italianish but a bit less traditional than Bella Mia in Cary with the choice of toppings. Overall I like Pizzeria Toro but prefer the style at Bella Mia but it’s early for Pizzeria Toro. Overall it’s a good option for high-quality pizza in a hipster environment. A fun noisy spot to put down some good za and wash it down with excellent beer. With Lilly’s Durham and Pop’s down the street, Durham is starting to put down some serious pizza roots, eccelente!

Pizzeria Toro

105 E. Chapel Hill Street

Durham, NC 27701

919.908.6936

Menu at Pizzeria Toro

Pizzeria Toro on Facebook

Location on Google maps

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December 15, 2019 by Ron Wen

Poole’side Pies, Raleigh- A Stylish and Southern Spin on Neapolitan-style Pizza

Poole'side Pies in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Poole’side Pies in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

When it comes to Neapolitan pizza, I’m a huge fan! And with all the good Neapolitan pizza in the Triangle, I was curious to see what Chef Ashley Christensen was going to do with her new restaurant, Poole’side Pies. With five restaruants in her culinary orbit, Poole’side represented a bit of a pivot away from her usual Southern-New American cuisine to a more European bent. And given its key location next door to the heart of her restaurant empire, Poole’side Pies would have some big shoes to fill. As construction moved forward on the space at 208 S. Saunders, there was a ton of build-up and hype for the opening of Poole’side Pies. Would that anticipation and those expectations be met? Yes and no in my opinion! Read on for the details, my friend!

Front dining area at Poole'side Pies in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Front dining area at Poole’side Pies in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Given all the build-up to Poole’side Pies, I can tell you for sure that getting a seat in this hot spot is not easy. Now open 7 days a week, things have gotten a bit easier so I was able to sneak in for a dinner, early on a quiet Monday. Approaching Poole’side Pies you’ll be greeted with a large, aquamarine presence that defines the main color palette of the restaurant. With large plate glass windows up front and a glass skylight above, the space is very light, bright and airy. There’s a hostess kiosk and seating area up front with a flower mural and touch of orange in the bench seating. Overall there’s a lot of white tile, offset by turquoise and chrome giving the space a 70’s feel. Like most of the AC Restaurants, your party will not be seated until everyone is there.

Bar at Poole'side Pies in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Bar at Poole’side Pies in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Beer at Poole'side Pies in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Beer at Poole’side Pies in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Poole’Side Pies has a short selection of cocktails (aperol spritzes are featured), beers along with a more substantial wine list by the glass and bottle. One note, the draft beer I ordered came in a diminutive pilsner glass at maybe 12 oz? Don’t expect a full pint glass for your draft beer here. Behind the bar is a beautiful back-lit scene of a diver underwater, very apropos. Once you’re seated, you get your usual efficient service that you’ll find at AC Restaurants.

Appetizers at Poole'side Pies in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Appetizers at Poole’side Pies in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Main dining room at Poole'side Pies in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Main dining room at Poole’side Pies in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

If you’re visiting for the first time, I’d suggest ordering up an appetizer or two. Clocking in at $7 or so, the appetizers at Pooleside Pies are excellent and affordable. On my visit, there was the mac n cheese frittatine or shrimp and grits croquettes, fried balls similar to arancini. The mac n cheese frittatine is served with a strong tomato relish, excellent. And the shrimp and grits croquettes are wonderful, perfectly fried and served with a tomato-sherry mayonnaise.

Margherita pizza at Poole'side Pies in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Margherita pizza at Poole’side Pies in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Sausage with broccoli di rabe pizza at Poole'side Pies in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Sausage with broccoli di rabe pizza at Poole’side Pies in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

For pizzas, we ordered up the classic margherita and a sausage, broccoli rabe and provolone pie. With only six choices on the menu, it won’t take you long to order at Poole’side Pies but I usually always get the margherita on the first visit since it’s the standard for a Neapolitan. Given the pies are cooked in a wood-fired oven (typically 800 degrees or so), they bake really quickly and one Italian oven is used for the entire restaurant, pretty amazing. And when the pies show up, they look solid. Some charring on the edges and leopard spotting underneath, the tops are garnished with what appears to be freshly shredded parmesan. The sauce looks pretty dark so I suspect the tomatoes are cooked a bit for a deeper flavor but Neapolitan pies are supposed to use just crushed San Marzano tomatoes. Both pizzas are decent for visit #1 and I was initially concerned but a second visit (two months later) showed a much improved crust. The crust on my second visit was nicely rolled and displayed the light, airy texture of a good Neapolitan pizza dough. Glad to see the improvement because the crust is the pizza IMO.

The meal wraps up and with an inexpensive bottle of wine, the tab runs about $100 before tip, so certainly expect to spend a bit during your Pooleside Pies visit. The challenge as an upscale pizzeria is that there’s SO much good pizza at lower price points. But Poole’side Pies certainly delivers when it comes to design and ambiance, it’s a truly beautiful space and the service is solid. And now that the pizza has improved, I can certainly recommend Poole’side pies from appetizers to pizza. Given the price points at Poole’side Pies and reputation of AC Restaurants, I wouldn’t expect any less…

Pooleside Pies

428 S McDowell Street

Raleigh, NC 27601

919.803.8660

Location on Google maps

December 13, 2015 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Cooking: Neapolitan Pizza Making at Home!

Home pizza oven searing green beans- NC Triangle Dining

When it comes to pizza, I’m a bit of a pizzaholic. I just can’t get enough and while I like most forms of za, I love my traditional Neapolitan thin-crust. I’ve even considered taking pizzaiolo (Neapolitan pizza maker) lessons but they are so pricey and only given in large urban areas (over $2k in San Francisco). So of course I got a little bit excited when my friend Jeff (Chef Jeff who teaches at Whisk in Cary) invited me over for an impromptu and excellent pizza dinner at his place in Cary. If you’re a pizza lover, read on my friend!

Cheese and mushrooms for pizza- NC Triangle Dining

As much as I love my pizza pies, Jeff takes things a bit further. With a background and career in food and the culinary arts, Jeff is such a huge fan of Neapolitan pizza, he has a serious clay pizza oven at his house which is a small but similar version to what professionals use. Domed and wood-fired, it takes two or three hours to get it up to temp before you can get your cooking started. And we are talking h-o-t, hot! Pizza ovens will run 800 degrees and up, allowing you to bake your pizza pie in like 3 or 4 minutes, crazy huh? And that’s why pizza in your oven at home can never compare.

Meat toppings for pizza- NC Triangle Dining

When I show up at Jeff’s place, he’s got everything prepped and ready to go. With a group of friends of over 10 people, you have to be neat and orderly. The dough (type 00 flour) has been mixed and stored for more than 48 hours which allows it to rise and develop that great texture needed for Neapolitan pies.

Jeff has got the usual meat toppings along with roasted and mashed root veggies, fresh basil, fresh mozzarella, other assorted cheeses, olive oil and a pizza sauce made of imported Italian tomatoes. While he will be putting together the pies in the kitchen, my friend Tripp will be the official pizzaiolo, tending to the pies in the oven and making sure they are cooked properly.

Margherita pie ready for the oven- NC Triangle Dining

Meat pie ready for the oven- NC Triangle Dining

Jeff spreads out the dough with his hands and sets up the base with some red sauce and sprinkles the cheese and basil on top. Tradition at Jeff’s house is to do a margherita to start the meal off, a basic but simply delicious red pie. Tripp gets the stainless steel peel out and the fresh, unbaked pizza goes on top, about 16″ across. At the oven, Tripp pushes the wood to the side and scrapes the base of the oven floor to minimize ash.

We’ve already prepped up a pan of seared green beans to start the meal but in goes the first pie. You have to watch that pie carefully, letting the dough set initially and then spinning it at regular intervals to make sure the crust bakes evenly. With the wood and heat coming off of the back of the oven, it’s the only way to ensure it cooks properly. And the pie bakes fast, once it’s just about done, Tripp “domes” the pie by raising it on the peel toward to the top part of the oven which is super-hot and finishes off the bake process. Inside he quickly slices it with a circular cutter and we are ready to mangia!

Cooked margherita pie from the oven- NC Triangle Dining

As a pizza freak, I know it’s all about the crust and Tripp has done a great job with the pie resulting in a black speckled char around the edge (or cornicione) of the pie. And it’s an amazing crust. Jeff has salted it a bit and the texture is perfect: stretchy, chewy and fresh. Balanced with a light red sauce, light muzz and fresh wilted basil, a margherita pie is the base version of a Neapolitan pie that you use to judge a pizzeria and Jeff and Tripp have knocked it out of the park.

Meat pie from the oven- NC Triangle Dining

As the evening goes on, the variations get more adventurous with prosciutto, salami, mushrooms, honey, gourmet cheese and more. And they are all excellent, I only wish we had a pizzeria like this one in Raleigh. The closest options in the Triangle would be Pizzeria Toro and Pompieri in Durham but we are currently lacking in the Raleigh-Cary area.

Nutella dessert pizza ready for the oven- NC Triangle Dining

Jeff decides to finish things off with a dessert pizza of nutella, crushed graham cracker and marshmallow, a wonderful finish to the meal. I mean who can resist warm nutella over a delicious crust? So yes, it was a fun, delicious and educational evening. I got to eat some amazing Neapolitan pizza right here in the Triangle but unfortunately Grimmarelli’s is not open to the public. Yet. And maybe I’ll still get to those really expensive pizza lessons some day because my love for great za seems to be a life-long romance, pizza out!

The Best Neapolitan Pizza in Durham, Raleigh, Cary, Carrboro and Chapel Hill

Napoli Pizzeria, Chapel Hill and Durham – This food truck has gone bricks and mortar at the Durham Food Hall! Overall they are doing a solid Neapolitan pie and the pancetta garlic pizza I tried was excellent!

Cugino Forno, Durham – This NC chain focused on Neapolitan pizza has opened their newest spot in Durham! Located right next to Hi-Wire Brewery at Golden Belt, this spartan pizzeria is offering up classic pies in a 16″ form. The pizzas are solid and will probably feed two people…

V Pizza, Cary – A smallish chain based out of Jacksonville, FL has a couple of locations in the Triangle now. Offering up a more sophisticated take on Neapolitan pizzas and oven-baked wings, V Pizza offers up a lovely patio and craft beers along with its pies.

Pizzeria Toro in Durham for Artisan Za!