A group of 7 intrepid eaters gathered at Della Barba to try out their pizzas. I use the plural because they make four distinct kinds, though we only tried three of them; Detroit, Nonna, and Chicago Deep Dish. We left the NY pizza for another time.
This is a very tiny spot that has a few salads, appetizers, and desserts in addition to the pizza. The pizzaiolo here is very serious about his ingredients (all from the US), techniques, and styles. I get the feeling that he really knows what he’s talking about, though I have never been to Detroit or Chicago to confirm.
The first to hit our table was the Detroit. If this is Detroit pizza, then I can say it’s the first time I’ve had it. Maybe the others are just pretenders? It came out very puffy with an enormous rise. The brick cheese seeps over the sides and becomes part of the crust. But it’s not blackened. The very simple and pure sauce, my favorite kind, really shines through.
Next came the Nonna, which was also puffier than I’ve had before. The cheese dominates. We ordered bacon on the pizza, but banish the idea that it is like an American breakfast. The bacon is small dices of a very smoky ham. I wish I could have this all the time; it is irresistible.
The Chicago came last, and it was a big hit. We liked everything about it. I can’t always speak for others, but this time I have no hesitation. Despite the enormous amount of cheese, it was properly melty all the way through without being a mess. Still had some stretchiness to it. And there was really good balance of the ingredients.
We didn’t pay much attention to sizes, but I think he makes a mini-Chicago and a mini-Detroit… the NY pizza only comes in one size, and all his full size pizzas come in 8 slices.
I will go back to try out the NY pizza with the bacon and the deep dish with the bacon.
Did I mention the bacon?
