PizzaME is like a BFF who is always nice to you, always delights you, and you look forward to meet him/her on any given chance. While it’s almost ‘downstairs’ for me, this small cute eatery has been a favorite since it opened two years back. It’s just around the corner along the lake in the J cluster of JLT, next to McGettigan’s. The Al Fresco setting with the view of the lake is an added delight in the winters.
What attracts first is the restaurant design, which is minimalistic, charming and very Tuscan. By Tuscan, I mean the Teal/Light Blue color which is subtle and ubiquitous. It gives a warm feel to the ambience that is accentuated with the Open Kitchen concept and the Wood-fired Oven. It’s such a delight to see the Chef creating the pizza dough, tossing it in air, laying it on the wooden pan, basting the sauce, putting the cheese and topping it up with the choicest of ingredients. One could smell the heavenly aroma from a distance, walking along the lake. Many a times I’ve given up on my will to not let myself eat out, because that aroma charms my mind and heart.
Once inside, it’s a different world. A world tucked away from the world at large. Quiet, cozy and unruffled. In a pace of its own. If you are alone, you have Wi-Fi for your company, or you may collect your thoughts, or look around at the artifacts that signify all things Italian. If with a company, the conversations will by default flow in the direction of the ambience, smell, experience…everything about pizza, or PizzaME.
You may have your favorite Pizzerias in the city, but I bet nobody offers as good a Garlic Bread as PizzaME does. Simply put, it’s different. It’s not an open bread, they fold the baked bread and drizzle it with herbs. The result is a crispy bread that has the perfect blend of garlic, olive oil and salt. I used to like Itzza Pizza’s (JLT) Garlic Bread, but PizzaME wins hands down.
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The extensive menu may confuse you with so many options, you may choose to have safer options like Vegeteriana or Al Mais. By far, Vegeteriana is my favorite here, the veggies used seem fresh, the cheese is subtle and perfect, and the dough…it’s the best, a clear winner. Some pizzerias make their crust so thin that they become overtly crisp, it gets difficult to have them with a fork! PizzeME’s crust is balanced, thin yet moderately crisp.
In fact, their crust is so fine that even a Margherita or Quattro Formaggi taste delightful. One pizza that I didn’t like was Al Pollo Diavola, since it had green chillies. Red chilli flakes are fine to make the pizza spicier, green chillies just don’t gel with a pizza.
PizzaME’s Pasta Arrabiata scores well in the texture department, as the sauce is thick and flavorsome. But if you are having it with a pizza, it might not taste as good!
Ending with dessert, their Panna Cotta is simply amazing. No fuss, just the right ingredients. It’s a perfect ending with the strawberry syrup overpowering the cream and the senses!
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