Natalino's

If you have followed this blog long enough, you do know that I have a soft spot for food in the burbs.  Well, it helps I live in the burbs because it directly involves me...  So when a tasting at Natalino's Pizza out in South Surrey/White Rock came calling, I didn't need much convincing.  Seriously, why are so many people so skittish about leaving Vancity to try food out in the burbs anyways?  Maggi joined my on this food adventure where we sampled authentic Roman-style pizza with quality imported ingredients.  The owner/chef is from Italy and really prides himself on creating the best Roman-style pizza in town.  

Before we got to the pizzas, we were served individual ingredients, so that we could appreciate the quality.  That we did with the made from scratch San Marzano tomato sauce, fior di latte, meats and the crust by itself.  When combined into the Queen Margherita, the flavours really melded into something balanced and delicious.  The thin sourdough crust was crispy on the outside while soft and chewy on the inside.  Due to the flavourful sauce, the pizza was plenty tasty and it didn't hurt that there was an even amount of cheese on each slice as well as fresh basil.

Up next, we tried the King Pepperoni with tomato sauce, mozzarella, Spanish chorizo salami, fresh mozzarella, lemon zest and parsley.  Naturally, with so much salami on top, there was much more body and saltiness.  However, this was completely balanced off by the lemon zest.  Something unexpected, but it worked.  As you can see, there was lots of cheese and fresh parsley on top as well.

Continuing on with the local classics, we had the Hawaiian with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, bacon, fresh pineapple, coconut flakes, green onions, and cilantro.  Here was yet another twist with the addition of coconut flakes.  This created a de facto "pina colada" effect where it was indeed very tropical.  Lots of tang as well as sweetness in this one.  Once again, with so much topping, it was quite filling.

Their most popular pizza happens to be the Montanara with white truffle sauce, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms, sausage, cherry tomatoes, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and basil.  This was very good with just enough truffle essence for effect without being overwhelming.  The ample amount of tender sausage made this hearty while the bursts of tang from the tomatoes and the brightness of the fresh basil lightened up the heaviness of the sauce.

One of their newer offerings is the Santorini with feta, kalamata black olives, artichoke, red onions, bell peppers, oregano, orange zest and a drizzle of one of the best extra virgin olive oils imported from Italy Chiaro Scuro by De Robertis. This was probably the most loaded pizza, yet the crust held up.  Lots of classic Greek flavours here from the gaminess of the feta to the salty tang from the olives.  Orange zest was the wildcard and it was mostly in the background.  Could really taste the olive oil as it was high quality.

Going a bit spicy, we had the Manila with Spicy sauce, mozzarella, pork belly, banana peppers and cilantro.  This wasn't spicy as in "mouth on fire", rather it was heat that was manageable.  Hence, we could still taste the other ingredients including the buttery pork belly and the tang from the banana peppers.   This was nice spicy finish to an eye-opening experience at Natalino's.  This has to be the best Roman-style pizza I've had in the Lower Mainland.  Not only is the crust excellent (not being too thick, yet still a good contrast of crunchiness and soft chewiness), the toppings are top-notch and plentiful.   Yes, this is not remotely close to where I live, but I'll gladly do a return visit.

The Good:
- Not too thick Roman-style crust
- Excellent toppings
- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:
- Mostly takeout, save a few tables. Best eaten fresh