Pineapple pijja

I'm meeting up with a friend for lunch in order to deliver some goods, and my friend was kind enough to accommodate me by picking somewhere close to my office.  In fact, it doesn't get much closer than Kytaly.  As the place doesn't take bookings for parties of less than 6, I showed up just a couple of minutes past noon to try to grab us a table.

But did I have to run into the hardworking PR here today?  He is seemingly everywhere!  I was just chatting with someone who ran into him yesterday at another restaurant he works with, and here he was.  I would soon learn that Franco Pepe himself was here, and my PR friend was doing his thing and invited a bunch of media people for a tasting.

Which is the reason why, even though I had arrived just a couple of minutes after 12pm, my friend and I were relegated to the outdoor deck on a rainy day.  The indoor seating had been reserved for those who were deemed worthy...

Despite my protestations, the hardworking PR insisted on introducing me to the maestro as well as the restaurant's owner - as if I were someone of significance and worth remembering.  The truth was that Franco probably forgot my existence in a matter of minutes, and nothing would have changed had I asked for a selfie like many people.

The restaurant now offers a set lunch, but I decided that since we were here for pizza, pizza was what we would do... none of those fancy schmancy appetizers and stuff.  I knew that two pizzas would be a little much, but we did it anyway.

Alifana - with fior di latte, smoked scamorza, strips of bacon, and shredded onions.   This was very, very delicious.  Franco being in the kitchen today probably made a difference, as the crust was certainly a lot more firm and crispy.  The thickness of the dough in the center was still pretty thin, but my first piece was something special.  The smoky cheese, that bacon, and the sweetness coming from the onions came together for a satisfying slice.

But the old problem remained, and became obvious once the pizza sat around for a while.  The onions sweated and the dough in the center - already on the soft and stretchy side - became soggy.

Scarpetta - a signature creation with Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP and cream of Grana Padano DOP aged for 12 months.  We then had quenelles of compote of 3 tomatoes - which were chilled - then shaved slices of 24-month Grana Padano wedged into the compote.  Sprinkled all over was a freeze-dried pesto powder.

I didn't get it.  Don't get me wrong, I liked the combination of flavors - which were very classic.  Hey, it's three different types of cheese, plus 3 different types of tomatoes, plus pesto.  No weird stuff on the dough like pineapple or anything...

But I didn't understand why the we got cold tomato compote on a hot pizza.  I know this thing has won awards, but the simultaneous hot/cold sensation threw me off.  On top of all that, the wet tomato compote once again contributed to the resulting soggy center.

We were so stuffed that we had to leave a big piece of Scarpetta on the plate.  No dessert for us, just a coffee for my friend.  After settling our bill and before I had a chance to run back to the office, Raoul the affable manager asked us to stay a few more minutes so he could offer us something special.  I was already on the verge of bursting, but decided it would be impolite to refuse.

He returned with a small pizza cone for each of us.  There was clearly prosciutto stuffed inside, and a sprinkle of licorice powder on top.  There was a secret ingredient we were to discover for ourselves, and it turned out to be PINEAPPLE.  This was the AnaNascosta - the "hidden pineapple".

Yes, Franco Pepe served us PINEAPPLE PIZZA.

I could only manage one small bite, as I don't really like licorice.  Besides, I was already stuffed beyond capacity.

My second visit turned out to be a little mixed, and I'm still not sure I like the soft, wet texture of this pizza.  But I'll be back to try a few more.