Blogging changes things. It changes your surroundings. Walk into a restaurant with your 4 ½ year-old son. Carry a camera. And you will be treated differently than if you were not carrying that camera. It's 2010. They know why I have a camera. Even though ¾ of the photos I take are of Bbq Jr., they know that I'm going to blog about the food. I noticed it at the Lazy Ox. And I definitely noticed it tonight at Pizzeria Bruno.
"Daddy, why does the door not have a top?"
"I don't know. Maybe to let the air in and keep the cats out?"
Pizzeria Bruno is already well-known in San Diego for their fancy Italian pizza oven named Bruno (<--check out the nifty pic that KirkK put up). Less well-known for the half door in the entrance.
But Bbq Jr. wanted to see the oven. When we visited, we sat inside. And they graciously let us walk behind the bar so he could peer inside the oven (Bruno) where Bbq Jr.'s pizza was cooking. Indeed, they're so careful here, they cooked the pepperoni separately from the pizza and layered it onto the pizza after cooking. Beautiful.
As I mentioned earlier, they noticed the camera. And we got better service for it.
The waitress: "We've added free buffalo mozzarella to your pizzas." The buffalo mozzarella is a $5 addition normally. "It comes from virgin cows grazing the Sicilian mountains in the shade of Sangiovese grape groves." Okay, that last sentence is bogus. But she told me a story about how lovely the buffalo mozzarella was, and why it was lovely. I just can't remember it. But it *was* lovely. Fresh. Smooth. Rich. And delicious. And free.
And then, out came the margherita. Pizza doesn't need a ton of toppings to make it lovely. Good pizza needs merely good quality ingredients. And this pizza has it. The cheese and sauce and the basil are amazing. But the crust - um... The crust on both pizzas was soggy. So soggy, it couldn't be picked up.
Indeed, there was a pool of juice on Bbq Jr.'s plate before we'd even cut into the pizza. Don't get me wrong, the toppings are *amazing*. But the crust leaves something to be desired. I don't know if they need to change the crust or add less liquid to the toppings (less sauce? more concentrated sauce? not sure).
At the end of the meal, I asked Bbq Jr., "Where would you rather have pizza? Here? Or at Blind Lady? His response? "Here, Daddy. I can watch the pizza oven here."
We'll be back. And we'll be carrying a camera on all of our restaurant visits from now on. Even when we're not taking pictures. And I'll suggest that you do, too.
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5 comments:
After reading both your post and Kirk's, I think I definitely need to give this place a try.
Hey BBQ Dude - You know, my crust was saturated on my first visit as well; but on every visit since, it's been good. BTW, folks just about never ever see my camera.... I've gotten really good at being discreet.
Mike, This place is well worth a try. The toppings are awesome.
KirkK, I look forward to trying it again. We'll see how they do next time. Perhaps the oven wasn't hot enough? We were there right after they opened... I'd love to see how you surreptitiously take photos.
The soft center and crust is due to the type of flour they import from Naples, it has a lower protein count, it is not high glueten flour, that 99% of all U.S. pizzerias use. When I was in Naples it was even wetter, and everyone uses a fork and knife. It is how it is supposed to be. Probably why the 3 times I have dined at Brunos there were many tables filled with Italians, not American/Italians. Softness does not bother me, I am more for the overall taste and the pizza has it.
Anon:
That's interesting. I did indeed end up using a knife and fork to eat the pizza. And I 100% agree with you, the toppings were fantastic.
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