The Bottom Line
Pros
- Made-to-order pizzas and salads with fresh ingredients
- A special oven makes pizza crispy on the bottom without overcooking the toppings
- Large selection of house-made desserts
- Pleasant environment, not a strip mall pizza joint but not pretentious either
- Real plates and utensils, not paper or plastic
Cons
- Only one size of pizza, 12", is offered. That's the rule.
- Consistency of pizza may be different than you are used to.
- Online menu might not be he same as current menu at the restaurant.
Description
- Open for lunch and dinner seven days per week.
- There are more than 15 varieties of pizza offered at Pomo in addition to salads and sandwiches.
- Dine inside or on the covered patio. The side patio is shielded from traffic noise and the parking lot.
- Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana is difficult to see from the street; it is located on the north end of the Borgata shopping area in Scottsdale.
Guide Review - Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana
Welcome to Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana, where the words "stuffed crust with pepperoni" are never uttered. Be prepared to be delighted as you sit in a crisply decorated dining room, completed with Italian street scene and background mood music.
Owner Stefano Fabbri (yes, he's Italian, not from Brooklyn) explains that the pizzas made here are certified by the “Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana” (“True Neapolitan Pizza Association”) in Italy. According to the restaurant's website there are very specific rules that must be followed for an authentic Neapolitan Pizza including how it is prepared (hand-kneaded, not rolled with a pin or prepared by mechanical means), how it is cooked (in a wood-fired, domed oven at 950°F for about 90 seconds) and the size of the pizza (must not exceed about 13 inches in diameter).
To begin our Pomo experience, we ordered the Siciliana Salad ($12) with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, arrugula, cherry mozzarella and fresh sicilian tuna. The dressing was perfect for this lovely, fresh salad, but don't expect to have a choice of dressings here. We had to try one of the Neapolitan pizzas and chose the Toto' Sappore ($17) described as Tomatoes San Marzano DOP, Mozzarella Fior di Latte, Prosciutto Cotto Parmacotto, Salame Gentile & Salame Piccante Creminelli, Italian Sausage, Pancetta, Fresh Basil and EVOO. Wonderful! Although shunned by certification, I chose to try a white pizza, too. I actually loved the Bianco ($16) with Prosciutto and Shaved Parmagiano Reggiano. And, of course, EVOO.
Dessert after a salad and pizza usually isn't necessary, but with a selection like they have at Pomo it seemed like a shame to leave without a tip of the hat to the Pastry Chef. Had it not been recommended to me, I never would have thought to order the Semifreddo di Mandorle ($8). Oh, my. I would stop at Pomo just to have that dessert again. Desserts are not really portioned for sharing (not when they are this tasty, anyway) so we also ordered the Bigne al Cioccolato ($8) which are Chocolate dipped Cream Puffs filled with Pastry Cream. The menu didn't indicate that the cream filling was also chocolate -- even better!
Pomo Pizzeria Napoletana was an unexpected pleasure. There's not much privacy at the tables, so it might not be appropriate for a romantic rendezvous, but Pomo is certainly suitable for date night, friends/family lunch or dinner or even a casual business meeting. In a bit of a rush? The pizza takes a few minutes to assemble, but it only takes 90 seconds to bake it!
All prices and offerings are subject to change without notice. (May 2011)
