While Bengaluru has no dearth of pizzerias, authentic wood-fired pizzas that score high on taste are not too common. Joining the list of restaurants that pay attention to authenticity is 1441 Pizzeria, that is now open in JP Nagar. With outlets in Mumbai and Pune as well, the restaurants are headed by Italian master chef Renato Viola who resides in Miami Beach, Florida. Named after the latitude co-ordinates for Naples, the birthplace of the pizza, they promise the real Italian taste, and we were not let down when we visited for lunch. The restaurant does not impress much with its decor, until you see the brick oven behind the counter. The oven, imported from Italy, can fire up a pizza in just four minutes. The restaurant even allows diners to get behind the counter and toss the pizza dough themselves.
The menu is short, with a couple of chef-recommended options, a DIY section, a few sides, and desserts. We ordered one pizza from the list of the chef’s recommendations and went with the DIY option for another. The 11-inch Goat’s Cheese Pizza was a delight. Topped with caramelised onion, goat’s cheese and arugula, it had a special Italian sauce, that brought together the whole dish. Their thin crust finds the right balance between crunchy and chewy. The sweet onion, salty cheese and the nutty arugula are a great combination. Some other options are the Fiama Pizza with Italian Sauce, Krish’s Pizza with Mama’s Sauce and Pesto Pizza.
The other pizza we tried had toppings such as sun-dried tomatoes, smoked mozzarella, basil, mushrooms and green chilli. For this, we chose ‘Mama’s Sauce.’ Slightly spicier than the Italian sauce, this added a much-needed kick.
The sides we picked were the Roasted Potatoes and Jalapenos Poppers. While the potatoes were a little dry, the crispy poppers were a treat. You can also choose from the Smoky Cheese Dough Balls, Cheese Burst Calzone and BBQ Chicken Wings.For dessert, we tried the Nutella Dough Balls. Bite-sized flour sheets stuffed with Nutella, this was a fitting end to the scrumptious meal.A must-try for pizza lovers, 1441 Pizzeria won us over with its simple but delicious and authentic pizzas.
Rs. 800 for two. At JP Nagar
anagha@newindianexpress.com @anaghzzz