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| - OK. It is not a 5-star place. But I had to give the 5 stars in order to offset the ratings to date. I went there because the Isthmus Annual Manual said it had great wood-oven pizzas. I ordered their signature Benvenutos pizza (with ingredients similar to some chain places' "supreme") and tap water.
This was an extraordinary pizza. The crust was explosive, the ingredients were pleasing (I went to a boutique, Sicilian-personally-owned pizza place in Madison last week - - which I charitably did not rate on Yelp - - where the otherwise-droolingly-pretty and well-assembled aggregations somehow tasted plain and DULL - - you have to BUY good basic INGREDIENTS).
The truly odd thing about Benvenutos are the aesthetics. It is situated on a desperate strip mall, with a hideous bland exterior, that makes you think it is some pretend restaurant, living on pretentions alone. The pretentions continue as you go to the giant counter. And then there is this quasi-industrial interior, with huge industrial ceiling-fanned ceilings, cute semi-Vegas-italian- buffet faux-italain scrawlings on the strange pompous facades, all amidst these massive spatial proportions that are wholly intimidating, and make you think you are either in some very, very SPECIAL hallowed unknown reclusive monastery purveying mama's most lustrous home-style concoctions (which you know isn't true), or you are in the most prepostrous strip-mall farce that has ever been created
It's a little of each, but amidst this aggregation of disparate elements, the proof is in the pizza, and the pizza is incredibly good. A billowing perfect crust - - superb textures all around - - ingredients with satisfying flavor - - a PERFECTLY constructed pie (texture, flavor, appearance - - you name it). Nice serrvice.
I'm going back.
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