Chow Now: Pizzeria Vetri

I don’t consider myself a pizza authority. I’ve always been too put off by overly cheesy slices and chalky, flavorless crusts to consider myself a true pizza fanatic, but after experiencing a pizza revelation at Pizzeria Vetri, I think I’ve been converted.

Pizzeria Vetri offers two styles of pizza—classic, thin crust Neapolitan style pies and thick, doughy squares of Roman style pizza al taglio.

Taking up most of the menu space, the Neapolitan style pies are the focus of the restaurant. Each pie is baked to order in the pizzeria’s massive brick oven and comes to the table piping hot and smelling of freshly baked dough. Their pizzas may look large, but the crust is so light and airy that polishing off an entire pie on your own wouldn’t be a challenge. The crust is thin, pleasantly blistered, and has with a stark contrast between the crisp bottom and puffy top layers.

But I think the true genius of Pizzeria Vetri’s pies lie in the toppings. From the sweet and peppery fennel-laced sausage topping my salsiccia pie, to the light creaminess of the splotches of mozzarella punctuating the dough, no single ingredient overpowered the others. The tomato sauce was perfectly simple; it tasted of nothing but sweet, tangy tomatoes and fresh olive oil—just as it should.

The Roman style pizza al taglio is an entirely different beast. Its toppings are as equally balanced as its thin-crusted Neapolitan relative, but this kind of slice is far heftier. The bread is puffy and pocked with air bubbles that suggest the dough went through a long, slow rise. Its tangy flavor and slightly fermented scent show just how much time and effort Pizzeria Vetri puts into its food.

Bright tomato sauce, hot mozzarella, soft swiss chard, and a refreshingly cool and salty sprinkle of ricotta salata topped my slice. After one bite of this hefty square I quite literally couldn’t stop eating. My Neapolitan pie was spectacular, but this thick and doughy slice of pizza truly was the best piece of pizza I have ever eaten.

The pizzeria offers a selection of salads as well, with several seasonally changing options.

The wood oven salad—my personal favorite—was full of deeply roasted fall vegetables like brussel sprouts and carrots, topped with salty pieces of shaved provolone, and served in a nest of rich prosciutto.

A mix of roasted cauliflower, kale, crunchy pistachios, and sweet golden raisins made up the lighter tricolor salad.

So CHOW NOW at Pizzeria Vetri and have yourself a life-changing pizza experience!

-Chase Matecun