It was our last day in Firenze, and I finally got around to asking Mrs. Pie to pull out that recommendation she had for the best pizza place in town. With the info about il Pizzaiulo in tow, we made our way deep into the east side of the city, feeling safe, but notably out of the tourist district.
Mastering our map like a pro (periodically checking to make sure we were still on course), we finally came upon the quiet and elegant storefront. Since, it was getting late in the afternoon and nearing shutdown (“riposo”) time, our hostess politely welcomed us with a “Pizza only” greeting which suited our needs just fine.
The full-size room was in full view of the wood-burning brick oven in the rear. It was clear that pizza was the main business here. It would also be Neapolitan style. However, il Pizzaiulo offered a menu of a lot more than just pizza, and they kindly let Mrs. Pie add a big salad to her pie. Strangely enough, Mrs. Pie ordered a veggie pie that looked just like my Margherita (€6.00), but with a salad on top!
Our small round pies were served uncut. With our utensils, we cut each pie down into four slices. The Mozzarella cheese was evenly blotched atop a thin layer of tomato sauce and a sparse sprinkling of basil leaves. There was some blackening on top with the bottom crust looking nicely charred. The top also did not look all that wet and soupy. Bravo!
Wow! It was outstanding—right on par with what we had earlier at Michele in Napoli! And again, like I have discovered with these top-notch Neapolitans, it was hard to focus on anything other than how brilliant the crust tasted. Although not as salty as some of the others, nonetheless this crust was quite chewy and tasty indeed. Both the cheese and sauce were delicious as well. I just don’t know what else to say other than this was a perfect Neapolitan specimen.
Neither of us left not a single morsel on our plates when we left. il Pizzaiulo truly is the best pizza in Firenze. Make it your pizza destination if you are ever in this wonderful city.
PIZZA SNOB RATING ***** Sets the Standard
il Pizzaiulo
Via Dè Macci, 113/r
50122 Firenze, ITALY
www.ilpizzaiuolo.it
