The Blissful Glutton: Wood-fired Pizzas

  Lobby at 12's Pizza

Wood-fired pizza makes me remember my first family trip to Italy as a young girl. Upon arriving at our hotel, my father, a diehard gourmand, instructed us to drop our bags – we were going to lunch. We sat in a tiny cafe overlooking a sun-soaked square filled with what seemed to be hundreds of birds. My father told us that the restaurant was known for its wood-fired pizzas – something that meant nothing to me at the time. Wasn’t all pizza the same? I was about to find out that all pizza is not created equally.

The pizza that arrived had a crust much thinner than I was used to, and it was charred black on the bottom. The cheese was fresh and arranged in sliced rounds around the pie. The tomatoes had texture and burst with flavor – nothing like the sweet and processed-tasting Domino’s pizzas we’d eaten at school parties. It only took one bite of that crackly crust for me to fall in love.

This month I set out to see how Atlanta’s wood-fired pizzas measured up. In an effort to even the playing field, I ordered a pizza margherita at each restaurant. While they were not all authentic versions, I was more interested in the quality of the ingredients and execution.

Some perennial favorites – Fritti and Baraonda – are not included in my roundup. Their pizza can be fantastic when the execution is on point, but my recent experiences at both restaurants have been lackluster. At Ecco, The Fifth Group’s newest offering, the pizza was under-cooked and closer to a flatbread.

Here are four definite winners I would return to when the craving for wood-fired pizza strikes.

Floataway Cafe is one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta. There is something so simple and unpretentious about the atmosphere. The food focuses on local and seasonal ingredients. The pizza dough was a bit different from the others I tasted and seemed to be a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flours, which gave the crust a rustic feel and flavor. The earthy and fresh flavors of the cheeses made the pizza taste very Californian. The micro-basil added necessary pops of green to lighten up the complexity of the cheeses. My dining companion and I enjoyed our meal, despite a few hiccups in the service. The selection of pizzas changes daily to reflect what’s coming in from local farmers. 1123 Zonolite Rd., No.15, (404) 892-1414. www.starprovisions.com. Open Tuesday through Saturday 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Lobby at 12 makes you feel instantly hip when you walk into this clean and industrial space with a variety of seating. My favorites are the bar and booths in front of the open kitchen. The pizza arrived on a wood plank and was placed on a metal stand on our table. The restaurant uses house-made dough, fresh mozzarella, shredded mozzarella, organic plum tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and shredded basil. The crust was crisp and flavorful, the cheeses blended perfectly, and the sauce was well balanced. Lobby’s menu offers a good selection of others like the Four Cheese and Arugula (gorgonzola, ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella), Italian Sausage and Broccolini (with ricotta and red onion), and the Spicy Meat Lovers (pepperoni, sausage, ham, ground beef, pickled jalapenos, and red onion). 361 17th St, (404) 961-7370. www.lobbyattwelve.com. Open Monday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., Friday through Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 12 a.m., Sunday 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Pricci has been around for a long time. The decor is seriously dated, but the food is solid Italian fare that I rarely find fault with. The Burrata was the closest thing to a pizza margherita on the menu. They use Calabrese burrata cheese with San Marzano tomatoes and micro-basil (can you spot the trend?). The crust was the most authentic tasting, and the burrata cheese took it over the top. This was my favorite of all the pizzas I tasted. Pricci also offer other pizzas like the Funghi (wild mushrooms, fontina cheese and caramelized onions) and the Prosciutto (fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, prosciutto di Parma and baby arugula) if the Burrata is not your thing. 500 Pharr Rd., (404) 237-2941. www.buckheadrestaurants.com. Open Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 11p.m., Saturday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Woodfire Grill was a natural addition since the centerpiece of the dining room is the large wood-fired oven, rotisserie and grill. The restaurant focuses on seasonal ingredients and sources most of the products from local purveyors. The pizza margherita is made with house-made dough, fontina cheese, buffalo mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes and micro-basil. The crust had good flavor and the right amount of char on it. The fontina, while not a traditional margherita ingredient, added a complexity of flavor that played well against the tanginess of the tomato sauce and brightness of the basil an overall good version that I would order again. The menu changes daily, but they always have a couple of pizzas on the menu the pizza margherita is normally one of the choices. 1782 Cheshire Bridge Rd., (404) 347-9055. www.woodfiregrill.com. Open Monday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday through Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 11p.m., Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Visit Jennifer Zyman’s Web site, www.blissfulglutton.com, where she chronicles her dining experiences in Atlanta and beyond.