I feel the need to just start by busting this one out of the park.
THIS PLACE KICKS ASS!!!!!
Really, truly
All of the stuff I love, none of the stuff I hate
It's like they read all of my past rants and said "aight, here ya go!"
But let's back up just a bit. A little about the place. It's a wood fired brick oven pizza place located on the free road to Ensenada, after Rosarito, just before Puerto Nuevo.
Km 40.5. Exit the toll road at Puerto Nuevo and head north just a bit, BAM!
OK, to the pizza.
The owner, I believe his name is Richard, labels this pizza as "adult pizza". Just something you will enjoy eating. A bit refined, firmly grounded in Italian/Neapolitan stylings, yet a very Mexican flair that works very very well, but not pretentious or trying to be something they aren't.
Perfect. Thank you.
Details. Again, a Neapolitan style, but not quite. The main difference being the use of a hard mozzarella instead of the fresh, really wet stuff which tends to make the top soupy. Too loose for me... so this harder cheese makes me smile. The dough is made fresh every day, made the previous day for the next day's offering. Their sausage is also made in house. Although I never asked, not sure why..., but the sauce appeared to be simply San Marzano tomatoes and salt, the standard sauce for a Neapolitan pie. The place was beautiful and inviting. Chairs at the bar looking into the kitchen and then a lovely dining room with plenty of room for all. Even a fireplace and couches to relax either before, after, or during your meal.
Wanna see? Here ya go....
I was allowed full access into kitchen, and I took full advantage of it.
Here's the oven
Imported from Italy in pieces and assembled at the restaurant
The V is the logo for the maker of the oven, it's unknown what the V actually stands for, but it's cool
After the oven was built it was given a local look with red bricks artfully placed around. It's an Italian oven on the inside and looks Mexican on the outside. Well done.
Wood
Here's the chef of the night. I'm a douch for not getting his name. There was another guy also working in the kitchen but this was the main guy during our visit.
Dough
Starting to look like a pizza.
No stupid spinning or other theatrics. Just smoothing the dough to a general round shape.
Bravo.
Sauce
And sauce
A little parmesan
The near pie is sausage and peppers, and they add some red onion as well. The far pie is Margherita.
In they go. The oven is abut 650f. We were there early on in the evening so the temp wasn't at max just yet, which is about 800f.
Totally awesome
Rad
Killer
Bada Boom!
Super delicious
Well worth the drive, no question about it
Now this, this is a great example of why this place is great.
Very typical Italian, or even European, to have not only the dried red pepper flakes but olive oil infused with pepper flakes, or even better, chopped and/or pickled chunks of peppers in oil.
What do they do at Ollie's??? BAM! Jalepeno's!!! Dried and in a shaker! And, in a bottle of olive oil as well! Being creative but making it have some correlation to something. Creativity that has meaning. Pizza in Mexico should have a Mexican twist. It's like the moron in NYC who is doing Neapolitan in Brooklyn, American guy, and is trying to infuse Sake into his pizza somehow. YOU'RE AN IDIOT! How does that relate to anything!
Ollie's, well done
If you love pizza, or Mexico, or friendly people, or Negro Modelo on tap (!!!!!) or cool places to eat, or just wanna be more awesome, then you have to check this place out. I know I'll be back very soon, and I have room for stragglers. Let's get in the truck and go!
Eat more pizza
DVA
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