Pizza for foodies

I love to eat. I love to try different restaurants and different cuisines, but nothing is nicer than when you go somewhere and meet fellow foodies. It was also my husband’s and my wedding anniversary yesterday and as we do every February Anniversary (We have two, the February date was our smaller city hall wedding) we went to an Italian restaurant. Each year we try a new one, and this year I picked La Lanterna di Vittorio on the quaint Mac Dougal Street in the Village. I could already tell that this would a nice evening when I made the reservation. At first I was told that I couldn’t can’t make a reservation for just two people and was welcome to just show up. But when I explained that it was our 24^th Wedding Anniversary I was put on hold while the person answering the phone went to speak to the manager. He came right back and told me that it was no problem at all, they would have a nice special table waiting for us. When we arrived the maître d' brought us to a table on the balcony, overlooking their indoor garden and a fireplace. As soon as we sat down he came back with tall glasses of champagne and explained that they were on the house. Nice touch! And this was only the beginning. Their menu is fantastic. They specialize in pizza and they have toppings you don’t often see. I picked Pizza con Gorgonzola e Noci. It’s topped with Gorgonzola, Mozzarella, Walnuts and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Oh, my goodness was it good. It became clear that this would a great eating experience when I asked our waiter Sergio if he recommended red or white wine with my Pizza. Right away he said that a Chardonnay would be nice, but since I usually prefer Pinot Grigio, I asked if he thought that would be good too. He said it would but explained that a Chardonnay with its sweet grapes would really enhance the flavor of the bitterness of the Gorgonzola. Either way, it was clear that he knew what he was talking about and I needed no more convincing. We had our champagne with Bufala Mozzarella and garlicy Bruschetta. Delicious. Then came the Pizzas. My husband’s Arrabbiata was topped with Mozzarella and Spicy Garlic and Tomato Sauce. Adding some spicy chili olive oil to it like Sergio suggested, made it amazing. But I must speak of mine here. One bite and I thought I was in heaven already. The dough was soft and fluffy and chewy all at once, and so fresh! The filling was incredible. The walnuts and the Gorgonzola perfect. Then Sergio came over and foodie talked me. “If you like this,” he said, “you might want to try it with just a tiny bit of honey. The acidity and the bitterness of the cheeses and the nuts will go very well with it.” He brought over a honey bear and I tried it…yup hadn’t reached heaven yet with that first bite. Oh, my goodness! As if this wasn’t enough of an amazing foodie experience, we shared a freshly made Tiramisu that was divine and just as we finished it Sergio came and placed two tiny glasses with a chocolate drink for us. It was a Baci, an Italian Kiss, this also on the house! I don’t think I need to tell you that I recommend this place do I? https://lalanternacaffe.com/