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| - Full review blogged:
Crocchette Pugliesi: With my dining partner interested primarily in the pizza I was left to decide on opening courses and although the focaccia and arancini sounded tempting it was this pair of fluffy nuggets that won me over; and thankfully they did not disappoint. Featuring lightly whipped potatoes at outside edge with a lightly crisp coating each of these delectable bites burst with flavor as the interior housed a dense composition of house made Fior di Latte and Prosciutto Cotto. Served alongside stewed San Marzano tomatoes and a light salad of grape tomatoes and spinach each bite was fresh and balanced - my only complaint being that there wasn't a half-dozen more.
Gnocchi alla sorrentia: Quite simply, good gnocchi is what every starch should aspire to be in my world and these gnocchi were sublime - each small dumpling so light that it threatened to float off the plate. A dish so often over/under-done each of these fluffy balls was simply adorned with simple stewed tomatoes, torn basil, creamy Fior di Latte, and a light dusting of Parmigiano Reggiano before a quick trip to the oven produced a lightly caramelized crust. If you go, this is a must order - and if I go back I'd love to see if they'd be willing to supplement the Bufala in place of the Fior di Latte.
Bufala DOP: Less the gourmand than myself but still knowledgeable of food it was suggested by my dining partner that he was going to order the Regina Margherita but more than happy for my suggestions an upsell to the Bufala DOP took little coaxing and while I cannot vouch to the quality of the Regina I can say without a doubt that the $3 fee was worth every penny as the weekly imported Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP Napoli's tangy funk and ethereal mouthfeel was notable in every bite. Moving next to the crust (offered cut or un-cut by the kitchen in order to stick with tradition,) slow kneaded and just crisp enough on the edges to keep the rim steady and the center wet I particularly enjoyed the low smoky notes and although a bit more blister would have been ideal the simple garnish of unsweetened San Marzanos, Basil, and a touch of Parmigiano Reggiano was precisely what I'd hoped for walking in the door.
Tirolese: With my colleague ordering the pizza I'd have selected I decided to be a bit more progressive and turned to an equally well constructed pie featuring the same base but subsequently topped with Fior di Latte, Brie, and Speck Alto Adige IGP - a unique imported leg ham first salted and air-dried and then smoked, the flavor harkening notes of sweet, savory, and smoky all at once and perfectly balanced to the acid of the tomatoes by the creamy pairing of cheeses. Most times a pizza purist when visiting a Neapolitan spot I have to say I may have enjoyed this one even more than the Bufala, though perhaps that simply speaks to the quality of the translucent layer of pork on top.
Semifreddo Alla Mandorle: No stranger to semifreddo but having never seen it delivered quite like this what arrived to my table was exquisite - a sort of 'ice cream sandwich' but without the ice cream or sandwich. Featuring a delicate frozen mousse - think whipped cream but frozen - stuffed with chopped figs cooked in honey and rolled in crushed Amaretto Cookie this dessert was the very definition of light and refreshing, a fact furthered by a light drizzle of reduced strawberry and honey plus powdered sugar that made it sweet, but not overly so.
Millefoglie: Described by some as an Italian Mille Feuille and by others as the hand-held equivalent of a Napoleon this Millefoglie was quite different from the versions I'd experienced in Boston and Philadelphia, but with buttery puff pastry layers juxtaposing layers of pastry cream as well as cream Chantilly plus ample notes of honey and Amarena cherry it would be hard to say this wasn't the best Millefoglie I've ever had. Far more dense than the semifreddo or a traditional mille-feuille but far less so than most napoleons I'd be hard pressed to describe a dessert I've had that is similar in flavor, though the overall texture was something like croissant meets baklava.
The Verdict: While some may contest that VPN certification is meaningless and I would tend to agree, if that is what it takes for 'Pomo to get people past the sub-par exterior and into the restaurant then I am all for it. While perhaps not the best pizza in the Phoenix metropolitan area due to a little place called Bianco the pies at 'Pomo stand up to the best in all but a handful of cities and when you take into account the strength of the rest of the menu I think it likely ranks amongst the ten best Neapolitan joints I've been lucky enough to visit.
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