a culinary marriage

The pizza that drove me from hiatus to write about? (And hopefully find the breaks in the schedule to write daily?) Of course it wouldn’t be a sensational one.

There are arguments to be made for Birroteca – ample parking, promisingly varied wine/cocktail list, and newly open, of course. Unfortunately, this is another case of a restaurant that we wanted very badly to love – it’s so close to home! – but ultimately really disliked.

The service was terrible. I’ll leave it at that – maybe you’ll have a better experience if you try it. We had lots of questions about the pizza, and were sitting at the bar hoping to strike up a conversation with one of the three bartenders to find out more about how it’s cooked – but they were all busy chatting with each other, and trading cocktails with each other, too. Never mind that the bar was actually pretty full of patrons, at least a handful of which would’ve been ordering another drink if offered.

So, without any answers from conversations not had, the best that I can describe the crust texture is ‘something that you probably shouldn’t have microwaved, but you did… and now it’s too chewy.’ Are you familiar with that chewiness? The ‘hmm, is this overcooked or is there something wrong with my teeth?’ feeling?

D speculated that they may be using pre-cooked crusts, and adding toppings. I’m not sure if that’s the case, but the crust was flavorless and seemed unrisen – no nice cornicione. It was practically basted in olive oil, which added nominal flavor and lots of extra oiliness.

His plate: Prosciutto pizza – mozzarella, melted tomatoes, arugula, prosciutto

Her plate: Spicy fennel sausage pizza – fresh mozzarella, tomato sauce, mushrooms, oregano

A few notes on our pies, based on what was described on the menu: D only found one “melted tomato” on his pie, but would’ve liked more. I’d be willing to bet good money that the mozzarella on mine wasn’t fresh, but was regular old shredded stuff – or was just overcooked so much that it curdled. The fennel sausage was pleasant, but not spicy – by either popular definition of the word, neither ‘hot’ or ‘flavorful’.

After eating a few slices each, we noticed a bartender prowling around looking for an extra set of red pepper / oregano / parmesan shakers – and we both got legitimately nervous that he’d come and take our flavor away. We realized that we’d been overloading the extra toppings to make up for the lackluster flavor of the pies as served.

Another pizza note – typically we try out a new place by ordering a Margherita. The table behind us had just ordered one, and I saw that it looked much more like a “plain” pizza than something showcasing fresh mozzarella and basil with a more Neapolitan crust , so we picked pies that were more topping-loaded.

The prosciutto pie was only on my menu, not the one D got – and we found a bunch of other small inconsistencies. Problematic – no. Unprepared and unpolished – yes. Definitely something that we wouldn’t have cared much about if the service had been organized and friendly, and the food had been great. As we were leaving, we walked through the dining room – half full of people, all with pizzas that were barely eaten. Lots of room for improvement here – and we’d love to hear more positive reviews in the future.

Birroteca has only been open for a month – maybe a longer time is needed to nail down this concept? For two pies, a glass of wine ($7) and a soda, $45 is a bit much.