A few Saturday’s ago, me and my friend (and fellow blogger) Andrea Fenise grabbed a bite to eat at Elemento Neapolitan Pizza after an afternoon of shooting some style content for our blogs. Andrea and I have been working together for almost as long as we have been friends (over 10 years!), so we always have fun because our work days end with a little play. We both consider ourselves foodies and love trying new places and dishes on a restaurant’s menu, and Elemento Neapolitan Pizza was a easy choice based on our location that day (Crosstown Concourse).
So what made Elemento Neapolitan Pizza different from a regular pizza joint is that its food was modeled after the original Old World Italian dish, meaning their recipes used only a few high quality ingredients. You have the option to add toppings, but it’s best to keep it as close to the original options as possible so as not to alter the taste. I tried the The Forager (fresh mozzarella, parmesan, crema, cremini, portabella and oyster mushrooms, roasted red onion, and thyme and I added Kalamata Olives bc I knew they would compliment the flavor), a classic Caesar Salad with hand torn croutons and a cannoli for dessert. Andrea got the Dolce e diavola (sweet + spicy; San Marzano Tomato Sauce, fresh mozzarella, calabrese salami, peppadew, post oven shaved parmesan, and honey drizzle) and a cannoli as well.
The flavors were bold, and blended beautifully. I’m typically a more the merrier person when it comes to adding veggies for my toppings but I liked this more “reserved” combination. I also really liked the cannoli; the filling was fresh and not overly sweet. Initially I wished it had a more vanilla-based flavor but the more I ate the more I appreciated that it didn’t.
The portions were enough to share with a friend (or take home for leftovers), and I loved how flavorful the crust of the pizza was. Crust can make or break a pizza and theirs actually reminded me of Garlic Naan bread, which I sometimes use when I want to make a mini pizza at home.
If you’re wondering why I’m using the past tense when talking about our meal, it’s because I learned that they closed earlier this week! That saddens me so because I liked the atmosphere of the restaurant (minimalist vibe with lots of natural light and exposed brick walls) and the food was delicious. It was going to be my new pizza spot *cries*. I’m not sure what happened because they received a lot of positive buzz around their food while they were open (they opened in 2018), but alas, their doors are now closed. I’m sure it’s a long shot, but I hope that they’re able to find a new location and eventually re-open sometime in the future because the pizza was gewt!
At any rate, I am happy that I was able to at least try their food once and enjoy some good conversation with my friend. We can sometimes get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our own lives, so it was nice to end the “work day” with some great food and even better conversation with her. Andrea and I can literally talk on the phone for hours about everything, so when we get to hang out in person, it’s a real treat. If you haven’t hung out with one of your friends lately, reach out, pick a location, and go!
Andrea also wrote a sweet recap about our afternoon together for her #eatwithstyle series. Click here to check it out!