Business & Tech
Napa Pizza Patrol: Where's the Best?
There's no shortage of great pizza in Napa -- you just have to get out there and explore.
In the sixth century B.C., at the height of the Persian Empire, the soldiers of Darius the Great (521-486 B.C.), familiar with lengthy marches, baked bread flat on their shields and covered it with cheese, dates, and whatever else was available.
It's a shame that Darius can't weigh in on today's flatbreads. But closer to home, we have some Napa pizza aficionados who can:
Michael Ouellette, Director of Operations at Vintap Wines, is a fan of Oenotri.
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“It’s a wonderful Neapolitan style of pie,” said Oullette, who’s been in the fine cuisine business in Napa for years.
“The paper-thin crust has a hint of wood-oven smokiness. The pizzas are a blend of old world and new world sensibilities, including fresh Monterey sardines when available.”
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He also likes Azzurro Pizzeria, particularly the Funghi with Taleggio cheese pizza. “Oh, and great salads,” said Ouellette.
Mitch Cosentino, founder and winemaker at pureCru Napa Valley, likes Firewood Café.
“The mushroom pizza is excellent- a favorite of mine, my neighbor John O'Donnell’s and Gary Krol from Cooperages 1912. When Gary is town the three of us go there for that as a shared appetizer," said Cosentino.
"The rich and tasty flavors are well blended between the cheese and the saucy wild mushrooms. Not too much of anything to overwhelm the rest."
Marc Lhormer, executive director of the Napa Valley Film Festival and producer of the movie “Bottle Shock”, quickly named Pizzeria Azzurro. “Variety, innovativeness, freshness of ingredients, prices, atmosphere, etc ...”
And by the way, if you’re looking for a good wine and pizza pairing, Marc says, “GustavoThrace Barbera ... makes a great Italian varietal ...!”
Phil Rosenthal, executive producer of the hit “Everybody loves Raymond” and his fascinating documentary “Exporting Raymond,” about his attempt to take the sitcom to Russia, is a Napa and pizza fan. “I'd love to give you my tip for best pizza: I think it's .”
I told him my son and fiance prefer the margarita pizza with French fries on top. Yes, you heard it right. French fries on top of the pizza.
As an investor in Mozza in L.A., Rosenthal knows pie.
“I think I'll go with your son,” he said. “He seems to have good taste."
