review by jon bosworth and donald dusinberre
For uncommon combinations and distinctive flavors, take some time to visit Tommy’s Pizza for lunch or dinner. This small, innocuous pizza place, buried in a strip mall along Southside Boulevard, was an unusual treat. Historically, the best pizza places are never those glitzy towering standalone joints with recognizable name brands, but rather small parlors tucked away almost invisibly in a strip of shops. Tommy’s Pizza is a secret treasure- just the sort of place you’d hear great things about but rarely notice.
As we arrived at the tiny restaurant, we noticed one of the cooks walking out front and picking fresh rosemary from a potted plant. An odd sight to be sure, but it quickly made us aware of Tommy’s attention to detail and quality. We took our seats in the compact dining area and ordered a round of beverages. They feature a delicious selection of Boylan’s bottled soft drinks (as well as the usual fare of fountain sodas, iced tea and fresh lemonade), they also offer a selection of domestic and imported bottled beers, as well as Chianti and Pinot Grigio wines. Overall, their beverage selection was commendable (and the Boylan’s Birch Beer was exceptionally delicious), but the stars of the show were yet to come.
As an appetizer, we had one of Tommy’s specialties; the unusual but astounding Strawberry and Tomato Salsa Foccacia. Along with goat cheese and the fresh-picked rosemary, it teased my taste buds and made me rethink what fruit can do before dessert. The fresh foccacia bread was soft and warm, soaking up the juices from both the tomatoes and the strawberries. The seemingly divergent ingredients in this appetizer were a startling surprise, and starting off with such a unique experience turned out to be a very good sign.
The Caprese Salad was an earthy mix of baby greens (heavy on the arugula), fresh-sliced mozzarella and sweet roma tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and a rich, fruity balsamic reduction. As with our appetizer, the balance of sweet and tangy was surprising and thoroughly enjoyable.
The Margherita pizza is a delicious thin-crust pizza with an olive oil sauce (replacing the traditional pizza sauce), topped with real mozzarella cheese, fresh sliced roma tomatoes, and fresh basil. This was one of our favorite pizzas on the menu, and it’s perfect for someone looking for a gourmet pizza that isn’t too heavy. The Tri-Color Pie is another ‘white’ pizza with a deliciously embattled trio of toppings. Laden with the slightly bitter flavor of arugula, which tempers the dense tanginess of sun-dried tomato while using roasted red pepper as a bridge between them, this was the most unusual of the pizzas we tried, which is indeed a compliment.
The Quattro Stagione pizza features large, thin slices of prosciutto ham, artichokes, roasted red peppers and goat cheese. The artichokes on this pie weren’t the least bit strong or bitter, blending artfully with the roasted red peppers and the mild goat cheese and prepared over a traditional tomato-based sauce. A great choice for someone looking for a unique meat/veggie combination that doesn’t overload the palette.
Just as every child hopes, Tommy and his pizza makers toss the dough high into the air, entertaining everyone in the intimate dining area. There’s a sense of comfort in watching your food being made, and there’s an even larger sense of delight seeing your golden, hot pizza pulled from a brick oven. Visit Tommy’s Pizza at 4160 #2 Southside Boulevard, just down and across the street from Tinseltown. $$
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EU Critic’s Choice Awards
