Review – Varasano’s Pizzeria
Hey Gang,
Returning with another review of a local restaurant here in Atlanta.
This time I went to Varasano’s Pizzeria, located in Midtown Atlanta, about a mile north of the High Museum. I had a Groupon that expired on the 29th and didn’t want it to go to waste, so headed there for a late dinner on Monday Night.

source: http://www.varasanos.com
This pizzeria has recently won some national acclaim, making into the top eight of Rachael Ray’s Search for the Best Pizza in America. The owner Jeff Varasano has done his research and has happily posted it online for the world to see. Part manifesto parts reading as though from a master’s thesis, he discusses the intricacy of the crust, which is the whole part of Varasano’s Pizza Philosophy.
Located in Midtown, I found the restaurant easy enough, parked and entered on the street level. Nice entrance, open to the bar. Seeing the “Please seat yourself” sign, I choose a seat near enough to the kitchen and open oven/pizza prep area to keep an eye open on things but not at the bar, as those are not my favorite places to sit. The waitress seemed nice, service was a tiny bit strained as she seemed to be working the section alone, but all in all, was ok.
After ordering a soda and presented with the menu, I sat to work deciding what to order. Three things jumped out at me: the spinach salad, the Saluni pizza, and the Espresso Panna Cotta. So i place an order for the salad and the Pizza, deciding that the Panna Cotta could wait until later.
The salad came quickly. (sorry no picture) It had a nicely flavored dressing, sweet but not overbearing. Gorgonzola dotted the corners of the plate, which played nicely with the spinach and the pecans that also dotted the salad. A small salad, it served as satisfying appetizer.
When I go to a restaurant with an open kitchen like Varasano’s, I tend to sit nearby. I like to watch the movement of the staff, the ballet that is played out each night. Tonight, there were 3 in the pizza oven area, the part that was open, just behind a nice bar with stools for those who like to be on top. Two of the guys were all making the pizzas and a third was dressing them and the salads with the final shavings of cheese and garnish. (She left early and so did one of the guys, leaving the third to finish up the pies) What I found cool is that there were what appeared to be stacks of Gladware containers behind the cooks, each with a pie’s worth of dough. Out would come the dough, a little flour and stretching and tossing would begin.
As I was surveying my copy of Saveur, I looked up and thought I saw the owner himself. He was working the area in a separated air, aware both of his troops and with his guests as well. I nodded my hellos and he then proceeded to bring over a slice of pizza, explaining that they had an extra pie and offered me a sample of there house speciality, The Nana. After thanking him and introducing myself, I settled into my slice. Following the instructions on the menu, I left my fork and knife aside and dove in with gusto. Very Nice. Good sauce and cheese. It whetted my appetite for my pizza. Then along came my Salumi.
This arrived shortly after, piping hot from the oven. Apparently, they cook their pizzas at about 873 degrees, so it was like molten at first bite, but knowing what I was going to get, I kept on going. And I was not let down by my perseverance. The thinly slice Italian meats, not sure what varieties, but tasted real pepperoni, Hot Sopressata, Capocollo, and others, were crisp and meaty. Blobs of mozzarella and bits of katamala olives rested atop a thin layer of sauce which hovered on their crust. I have never had crust like this before. (read his manifesto) Light, airy and not at all dry, it was sublime. I reluctantly left behind the crusts as there was a lot of pizza. I persevered, devouring the entire pizza, not in record time, but fast enough to savor the flavor. The surprise was the olives, passing over their brininess to the meats and crust while melding with the sauce just enough. The owner checked back in with me about half way through my pizza, and we chatted for a moment or two before I returned to my meal; I didn’t want to leave any behind.
And I didn’t. I used my fork to finish up the final bits of olive and meat that had slipped off the ends of the slices, and sent my plate back to kitchen well satisfied.
The waitress returned, asking about dessert or the check. I decided for the Panna Cotta, as I try to order as often as I can out. Brought in a martini glass, it had a nice layered effect. The top had a delicate hint of orange to the firm gelatin assisted with chocolate shavings, the middle a thin rich coffee gelatin, barely gelatinized and the bottom was a nice subtle chocolate layer, leading all in all to a delicious dessert that was not overpowering nor detracting from the flavor memory of the pizza.

I settled my bill, leaving a nice tip based on the total purchase price before the discount of the Groupon. This is a place i will be coming to again, hopefully with friends, sitting where i was again to watch the pizza makers do their magic.
5 pans
Varasano’s Pizzeria
2171 Peachtree Road Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 352-8216
www.varasanos.com






Mike R











