Review: The Swiss Hotel, Sonoma CA

The Swiss Hotel is a bar and restaurant on the lovely town square of Sonoma, California. It's hard to go wrong with any dining spot in this upscale version of a Norman Rockwell town, but the Swiss Hotel came highly recommended by others who had visited Sonoma. The property boasts "a bar that is virtually unchanged through four generations (since 1909), and walls covered with a photographic history of the town."

Wood-fired pizza at Swiss Hotel

American ducks with Russian hats like Italian food at Swiss Hotel (apparently)

The menu is centered around Italian fare (just what you’d expect at a “Swiss” restaurant in California wine country). We made a lunch visit, and there were several nice choices on the menu, many focusing on pasta. But because it was a business lunch, I opted to avoid red spots on my white shirt and chose the personal pizza from their wood-fired oven. Mine was topped with pepperoni and roasted garlic cloves, and was dusted post-bake with fresh basil and aged Italian cheese.

Swiss Hotel, on the Square

Interior dining room

The crust was medium thickness. It was not a typical pizza crust, but more akin to excellent Italian bread both in its texture and flavor. It was reasonably sturdy and cooked nicely, with an excellent char underneath. None of the toppings were standouts, but the flavors harmonized and gave me the sense that Northern Californians are a little like Europeans in regard to food; even in a “Swiss” hotel, the pizza is going to be crafted with care and a with a knowledge of fresh, high quality ingredients.

Pepperoni and garlic personal pie

Superb char below

This pie did not rise to the lofty heights of the destination pizza I enjoyed just one day earlier at Pizzeria Delfina in San Francisco (review HERE), but it was well-crafted and entirely satisfying; “worth the calories.” The crust is an 8, the tomato chunks earn a 9, the cheese, garlic, and pepperoni each earn a 7, and the ambiance and service a 9. 

Lovely vintage Karmann Ghia spotted in Sonoma

Sonoma Town Square (from Sonomachamber.org)

Overall, the pizza comes in at an 8. Not quite destination pizza, but damn good pizza in a destination town. Sonoma is a charming place, especially for wine drinkers, and I expect to return. In addition to the nearby “The Girl and the Fig” restaurant, The Swiss Hotel is a dining spot worthy of repeat visits. 

Review: Pizzeria Delfina, San Francisco

When most people think of the great pizza cities, they cite New York (of course) and frequently Chicago (I've yet to personally confirm that).  Those more in the know will mention New Haven CT and even Trenton NJ. And it's increasingly true that you can find destination pizza in most American cities. 

Salsiccia pie; click any pic to enlarge

But without the helpful reports of pizza nerds online, especially as aggregated on Slice - Seriouseats, I never would have suspected that San Francisco is among the pizza elite cities. In March 2013, I had a two-day meeting in Sonoma, which meant a flight into San Francisco and then a drive to Sonoma. It presented an opportunity to stop for a pizza lunch in the city before crossing over the Golden Gate into wine country.

With the good folks at Seriouseats as my guide, I targeted five pizza spots, then narrowed the list to three because two of them are not open for lunch. On my short list was Pizzeria Delfina, Tony's Pizza Neapoletana, and Gioia Pizza. Tony's was especially intriguing, because they have several kinds of ovens to make an astonishing assortment of pies -- Neapolitan, Roman, New York, even Trenton! But I finally settled on Delfina because various reports pointed to a hybrid Neapolitan/New York pie. In other words, promise of a Neapolitan pie that isn't soggy in the middle.

Delfina is at 3611 18th Street, in what appears to be a hipster-ish area near Dolores Park. Parking was difficult until we found a bunch of empty metered spots three blocks away on 17th Street (cheap parking, compared to other cities, just 25 cents per hour).  The pizzeria is tiny on the inside, with a few tables and one narrow bar that seats maybe four or five. The website claims total inside seating for 24; those better be small people! Other available seating is at tiny tables on the sidewalk, and that was perfect for our unseasonably warm March day.

Broccoli raab pie

I was travelling with a colleague, and we opted to order two different pies (all the pies are personal size) and split them. We chose the Broccoli Raab pie, which also included caciocavallo and mozzarella cheeses, black olives, and hot peppers. For balance, we selected the Salsiccia pie, with housemade fennel sausage, tomato, bell peppers, onions, and mozzarella.

Delectable cornicione

Delfina has a well-considered wine list, with some very nice Aglianico for about $11 per glass. It was a nice way to begin, munching on some crisp thin breadsticks, waiting for the pies.

Both pies arrived fairly quickly, and they looked very Neapolitan. Delfina's website says that the pizza is "inspired by Craig's memories of New York-style pies from his youth and pizza from the best pizzerias of Naples. The menu features six Neapolitan inspired, thin crust pizzas." The broccoli raab pie came first, and it had a substantial amount of cheese and wet raab. That could have been a soggy-center situation, but the absence of tomatoes on this one kept it together.

Look closely at seeping moisture; crust remained crisp!

Indeed, as we removed slices from the tray and looked underneath, we could see some accumulating moisture. But the bottom of this crust had a distinct crispness to it; there was no hint of sogginess. The pizza at Delfina is indeed a hybrid, even if it is 80 percent Neapolitan and 20 percent New York. Actually, to my perception, the crisp bottom and zero-tip-sag was more characteristic of Trenton and New Haven than the softer, foldable New York slice. But surely no matter how you label it, the crust was masterful.

Try THAT with your average soft wet Neapolitan pie!

I thoroughly enjoyed the raab pie, but it once again confirmed for me that vegetable-topped pies will rarely resonate with me like a pizza with cured meats on it. This raab had a bitter (in a good way) snap to it, but its strong flavor was a distraction from the good cheeses and the brilliant crust. Overall, the pie was excellent, but I wouldn't choose it again.

There is some magic in this crust

The sausage pie had that same perfection in the crust, with one of the best corniciones I've seen or tasted -- big puffy blistered handles with an al dente chew to them. Once again the thin crust, even loaded fairly heavily with wet cheese and tomato and sausage, remained crisp and sturdy, practically defying gravity. No knife and fork needed!  The taste was wonderful, with good chunks of tomato harmonizing with creamy mozzarella and the savory sausage. 

The red bell pepper and purple onion were welcome veggie additions (especially the onion) but they were cooked a little less than ideal, probably because this pie spends such a short time in the oven. Still, they enhanced the pie.

On my list of "58 Pizzas Worth the Calories" (link HERE), the highest-ranking Neapolitan pies are Motorino (reviewed HERE) and Forcella (reviewed HERE). Trenton, New York, and New Haven pies fill out my top spots due to their superior crusts. But because Delfina's modified Neapolitan succeeds in avoiding the soggy center, it rises above most, if not all, Neapolitan pies I've had. I'll re-do the rankings sometime soon, and I expect Delfina will get slotted ahead of all the other Neapolitans.

The crust gets 9.5, the tomatoes 8, the cheeses 9, the sausage 8, the veggies 7. The service was warm and engaging, and the al fresco atmosphere enhanced the good California vibe. It was pricey, but still a decent value. Overall, Delfina gets a 9.25. This is wonderful destination pizza and I'd gladly return for more.

Review: Spatola's Pizza (Paoli, PA)

In February 2013, we published our list of "58 Pizzas Worth the Calories" (Link HERE).  It generated some reader comments (always appreciated) and we got a tip from a West Chester resident to try Spatola's Pizza in Paoli, PA.  I could not be more pleased to report that there are now 59 pizzas worth the calories. Something special is taking place at Spatola's.

My awesome lunch at Spatola's, Paoli

Quite recently, we noted here that the boom in Neapolitan-style pizza is surely welcome, but we want to see more new places making artisanal versions of classic American pies - New York, New Haven, Trenton style. (Link HERE). Thin crisp crust, homemade dough, quality ingredients, hand-crafted. One such new place dedicated to traditional American pie is Gennaro's Tomato Pie in South Philly; we're anxious to get there and have some.

20 W Lancaster Ave, Paoli PA 19301

It's taken some time since I arrived in Chester County in 2009, but I'm finally fulfilling the Quixotic Quest to find destination pizza in West Chester PA or anywhere on Philly's Main Line (What is the "Main Line?" Find out about these tony suburbs at this Wikipedia LINK). La Porta in Media heads the pack (review HERE), and Wayne PA is blessed with both Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza (review HERE) and Jules Thin Crust. Now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with those great pies is Spatola's.

From the Spatola Pizza website, http://spatolaspizza.com

After I got the tip from a commenter on this blog, I found a little (and conflicting) info about Spatola's on the web. Googling, you can find Spatola's in Doylestown, New Hope, Ambler, and Lansdowne. Not certain if they are all linked or not. There are just two locations identified on their website -- Paoli, and Chalfont. The site notes "From Palermo, Sicily to Philadelphia and finally ... Chalfont PA." The Paoli location is the newcomer.

Sicilian, left, and Trenton, right. From http://spatolaspizza.com

What I saw at the counter

On a weekday, I stopped in to the Paoli location on Lancaster Avenue (very near Paoli Pike, the Paoli train station, and the WaWa) for two slices at lunch. It is a small space, just six stool seats along a window counter. Even the display counter was small - too small to easily see all the pizza choices as well as other options like garlic knots and cannoli. The conventional pie (NY style) had eye appeal, but I had come primarily to investigate the Trenton-style and Brooklyn-style pies.

Owner is in background, at the oven

Chatting with the friendly counter man (who I later learned was the owner), I discovered that the Trenton pie is a large 16" square pie (quite a bargain at $14.95) that resembles a Sicilian pie (also on the menu) but has a thin crust and a pronounced raised edge. It's made with plum tomatoes and conventional mozzarella. I've had plenty of Trenton pizza, and the main similarity to Trenton pies I know is the thin but crisp crust. The closest thing to this style would be Brooklyn's "Granma" slice, which is another thin-crust square pie (see a Granma slice at Brooklyn's Lenny's Pizza, where Tony Manero ate pizza in Saturday Night Fever, at this LINK). At Spatola's, their version of a Brooklyn pie is identical to the Trenton pie, except that fresh mozzarella is swapped in for the conventional dry mozz.

The pie I took home. Box filler!

I was keen on the Trenton style, so I ordered a slice and also a more conventional NY slice that was topped with sauce, regular mozzarella, diced tomato, and what looked like spots of bufalo mozz but may have been ricotta. Anyhow, both slices had a very thin crust that had a wonderful crispness, and was somehow sturdy enough to support a generous cheese and sauce topping. 

A pepperoni slice, after the re-bake

Sausage slice. You can see the fennel seeds!

The Trenton pie was sufficiently promising that I ordered an entire pie for takeout, and it cooked while I ate my two slices. The friendly owner hails from Palermo, Sicily. For the Trenton pie I ordered to go, he was reluctant to fulfill my request for meat topping -- "Why mess with perfection?" he asked. We spoke about how so many pizzas are ruined by piling on too many toppings. We spoke about balance and he noted that "simple is often best" (a lesson I learned in Rome - see link HERE). This pizzaiolo understands the yin and yang of crafting a destination pie.

Tasted even better than this looks

Generally, nearly every pizza tastes pretty good, so I often discriminate more by texture. These slices had my ideal texture - no tip sag, no need to fold it to eat it. But more importantly, they had a savory balance of sauce, cheese, crust that made it the tastiest pizza in my memory. I expected to like the Trenton slice, and I loved it. The plum tomatoes had a sweet note and plenty of fresh tomato flavor. The thin crust had superb flavor and texture. This Trenton slice was firing on all 8 cylinders.

Another look at the lunch slices. Chunky plum tomato sauce!

I expected less of the NY slice, but it may have been even better. There was some oil pooling on top of this slice, but I don't seek out pizza as diet food; the oil imparts flavor and I welcome it, whether it oozes from the cheese or is added olive oil. 

The pie man did relent to my request for meat toppings on my Trenton pie; I got half pepperoni and half sausage.  The meat went on only after the pie was nearly done; this big square cooked in a large black pan. All the pies were cooked in a conventional commercial pizza oven, just like DeLorenzo's of Trenton (link HERE) and Di Fara's of Brooklyn (link HERE). There's plenty of fuss about brick ovens, coal fired ovens, wood fired ovens, but this confirmed my sense that ingredients and technique matter a lot more than the oven.

I took the finished pie and placed it in my trunk, where it spent the next 4 or 5 hours. Naturally, it steamed itself in there -- never a good thing for the crust. About 7 hours later, I took out five slices, put them on my perforated pizza pan, and heated them for about 10 minutes at 450 degrees.
They made a full recovery! Supremely crisp (but not hard) on the bottom, with the lovely chunky plum tomato and cheese complemented now by some high-grade pepperoni and genuine Italian sausage, sliced from the rope. Again, this pie nails it on flavor, on balance and harmony, and on texture. The ridges on the cornicione were crisp with small bubbles and especially delightful to crunch down. I hate to see any pie eater leave pizza bones behind; with this pie, it would be criminal.

The edge crust was an  amazing bubbly crunch

In my pizza quests, I've discovered Neapolitan pie, gourmet pie, and legendary pie. I loved them all, but mostly I've been looking for a pizza shop that can execute a crisp and tasty American pie that doesn't get soggy. This is an every-day and any-day go-to pizza. The quality is high, the craftsmanship higher, and the prices are modest. It's American pie with a genuine Italian sensibility. I'm delighted to have it nearby.

At home, but before the re-bake

Ratings:  The crust gets 9.5.  The sauce gets a 9. The cheese is 8.5. The pepperoni is a 7, the sausage is a 9. The yin/yang is a 10.  Overall, I will split hairs and call this pie a 9, a destination pie, and a grand bargain.

Why is Most Pizza so Mediocre or Worse?

For years I held the broad notion that, although the chains were lousy, mom-n-pop shops made “real” pizza. But over decades of eating pizza, I found that I was getting the same soft-crust, over-cheesed and under-cooked pies at every storefront place. If the crust has no character, what are the chances that the pizza shop owners are making their own dough? 

A beautiful beast I made at home

I’ve discovered that there is an entire industry devoted to supplying the independent pizza shop. Sauce, dough, cheese, napkins, boxes, even menu printing are outsourced, and it makes for some pretty homogeneous pizza products. It's often a necessary cost-savings for little shops trying to compete with the big chains, but it makes for some unremarkable pizzas. Whenever pizza is a commodity, it can't rise to excellence.

Typical soft, floppy, uniform, over-cheesed and bland pie

THIS LINK is very enlightening:  and it may help explain why there are so many soft, wet, floppy pizza crusts. Price-conscious pizza makers choose the cheapest, low-gluten pizza flour from Sysco. Pie makers looking for shortcuts can buy pre-fab crusts, too. That’s why, typically, their “fresh” pizza is not as good as DiGiorno!

It's generally worth the time and the money to seek out destination pizza joints; you can often spot them by the line of patrons waiting for a taste.