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| - What kind of ex-Brooklynite would I came to Sin City but didn't check this place out? :-)
It was just another sweltering hot holiday weekend in Vegas. I spent the the afternoon sipping cocktails by the pool, and the morning riding the coasters of Stratosphere Tower; it's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it! :-)
We wanted to go to Grimaldi's for an early dinner to allow plenty of time to get to Kevin Burke's one-man comedy, "Defending the Caveman" at Harrah's; we walked into the restaurant just after 5. The atmosphere was convivial, warm, and very New York - in a Vegas sort of way;-) There are checkered tablecloths, and lots of brick.
Grimaldi's makes their pizzas in coal-fired ovens. Why? They say that pizza and Calzones baked in their signature coal burning oven offers a crisp crust and a unique flavor and that is just not possible using gas, convection or wood burning ovens, and that their handmade mozzarella, fresh ingredients , 'secret recipe' dough and pizza sauce make them the most award winning pizzeria in the United States. Quite the hype - will the Carboholic's Delights they serve at Grimaldi's stand up to it? To find out we ordered a personal coal-fired NY pizza with Italian sausage, pepperoni, and garlic. Also a Calzone with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, and mushrooms.
Grimaldi's menu lacks any non-veggie starters; given that the pizza doesn't take very long to cook, that's not a show-stopper, but it sure wouldn't hurt if they added garlic bread or Bruschetta for those of us who like to eat carbs while they wait for their carbs...
We didn't wait long for our food, but I was still very eager to try mine! Grimaldi's original venue was built underneath the Brooklyn Bridge long before my personal Escape from New York, but I never heard of it until recently; that made me several decades overdue for my first Grimaldi's fix.
Saving what I assumed would be the best for last I started with the Calzone. Ricotta cheese is a default with Grimaldi's Calzone; it was smooth, creamy, and delicious! Given it to do over again, next time I'll include sausage, but the taste of this Thing of carb-intensive Beauty was wonderfully balanced even without meat - I don't think I've ever tasted a Calzone this good!
Moving on to the meat of the matter, let's talk about Grimaldi's pizza! Unlike a lot of NY pizzerias, Grimaldi's sells only whole pies; no single slices are available. I was surprised when I saw the thickness of the crust up close and personal - for my money it's distinctly thinner than traditional NY Pizza; not quite Neapolitan, but getting pretty close. It was so thin that I was a little concerned about this pizza's ability to stand up under another meat topping and extra cheese, so we went with just the two meat toppings and garlic; no problems with "independent suspension" on the first or second slices. It was a slight issue with my friend's third, but nothing major.
What did it taste like? The scent of basil leaf added an enticingly to the pizza's delicious aroma; I took a bite and the sauce yielded a burst of fresh tomato flavor; the cheese was exquisite! It's not shredded - it's pure white, fresh mozzarella cheese, melted on the surface into a nice, thick chewy texture. The crust, slightly charred by the coal-fired ovens, was crisp and chewy; the flavors of the sauce, the pools of cheese, and the toppings blended into a deliciously satisfying pizza experience!
With friendly, efficient service, incredible pizza and Calzones, and five locations in Las Vegas, Grimaldi's is an exceptional star pizza joint that is now a permanent part of my Sin City rotation. I enjoyed this visit so much that I just may check out the Mother Ship when next I return to the Big Apple.
Tip: There's only one thing wrong with Grimaldi's, and one reason I can't give them a five star rating - absolutely no outside wine or liquor is allowed. Who knew that on Grimaldi's world Atlas, Las Vegas is now a part of Kansas? ;-)
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