NY-Style: The Other Pizza

By Tom Maicon at January 4, 2010 | 9:39 am | Print

With the local bloggers, critics and those that follow, all busy on a Neapolitan pizza binge—I decided to get my ‘za on at two popular New York-style pizza joints over the weekend.

I’ll start with the better of the two experiences, Verra-Zanno’s Pizzeria (11600 Medlock Bridge Road, John’s Creek Tel: 678.473.0209). Who remembers New York-style pizza? It arrives piping hot on crispy, light brown razor thin crust, a little bubbly, and with a veneer of stretchy mozzarella cheese that wholly blankets a judicious coating of tangy sauce.




That pretty much describes the pizza that consistently comes out of this kitchen. Owner/pizza chef, Joe Amitrano (seen below), cooks his pies with part science and part passion.

Our other stop was popular hole-in-the-wall, LaBella’s Pizzeria (2635 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta Tel: 770.973.0052). Run by a humorous father-son duo, the pizza here, though not quite as good as Verra-Zanno’s (in my opinion) is still worthy of a visit.

The sauce is much tangier at LaBella’s—in an odd way—and the cheese isn’t as stretchy, but the crust does harness that very distinct flavor, reminisce of a true blue collar New York-style slice. In an article with John Kessler of The AJC about a year ago, Jeff Varasano claimed it to be the best pizza in the Atlanta area at that time, before his restaurant opened of course. I’m not sure I agree with Varasano, but it’s tasty nonetheless.

A fat sloppy meatball sub served on crusty hoagie bread turned out to be a winner, even more so than the pizza.

I’m happy to report that not a single customer or employee—at either restaurant—used the term “char” during my visits.

Tom Eats AJC, jeff varasano, Joe Amitrano, john kessler, LaBella's Pizzeria, Verra-Zanno Pizzeria