My ever-faithful dining partner, the always wonderfully hungry Mr. B, has a thing for Margharita pizzas. He swears you can size up just how authentic, how tasty, how molto benne a pizza place is going to be based solely on the first bite. I think he’s got something there.
What seems like the simplest of pizzas is actually more difficult than you might imagine. A perfect pizza Margharita is the complete sum of only four absolutely simple ingredients put together to form something utterly beautiful… but only when executed properly.
First, and most importantly, we scrutinize the crust. The ideal dough must be golden from the wood-burning oven, with slightly charred pockets of puffy bubbles in the crust. When picking up a slice, the tip should stand firm, not drooping with the weight of too much sauce or lack of heat. It should be crisp, but definitely not cracker-like. A slight chewiness is essential. Your teeth should slowly sink into it like the best NY bagel or a true French baguette. We want that slight tang, a mild yeasty flavor with a nicely balanced saltiness. Oh, woe is the tasteless pizza crust. It should be delicious all on its own.
The line between over and under sauced is practically microscopic. The tomato sauce should only ever-so-lightly moisten the dough, allowing for an inch or more of the crust to remain unadorned, allowed to puff up with nothing more than a painting of peppery olive oil. The sauce had better taste of nothing more than sweet tomatoes, slow cooked with a hint of garlic and plenty of salt. It should be almost thin enough to see through.
After the crust, the cheese is where most places foul it up. The mozzarella should be decadent and creamy, but not so wet that it sadly sogs everything up. Torn, melted bits should be dropped strategically so that each slice is awarded just enough. I pray that the basil leaves are left whole, huge and bright green, permeating the cheese with herby goodness as the pizza is slid in and out of the oven ever so briefly.
We watch as the chef reaches in with his long wooden paddle. We wait and we hope, keeping our fingers crossed for that very last, very essential step: a glug of good olive oil and a sprinkling of coarse salt which brightens up the whole perfect pie.
It isn’t often that all of these things miraculously come together to form that perfect pizza. Unless, that is, you find yourself in southern Italy. Or, Kenwood it seems. After hearing great things about the food happenings there, Mr. B and I recently made the definitely-worth-it pilgrimage the very short drive north to Kenwood to check out the new-ish and utterly charming VJB Winery and Tasting Room. And that is when we happened upon one of the most authentic Naples-style pizzas around.
Vittorio and Maria Belmonte, the ridiculously adorable owners of VJB, moved to the Valley from southern Italy almost forty years ago, bringing their passion for the wines and the cuisine from home along with them. Their son Henry, the winery’s charming manager came along shortly after. I could have closed my eyes, opened them, and thought myself magically transported straight to the Italian countryside. A couple of sturdy stone buildings tower around a central courtyard where happy folks linger in the shade of many umbrellas as if living la dolce vita in some small Tuscan village. A café with open kitchen flanks one end, the Red Rooster, where the aforementioned scrumptious pizzas are handmade to order. A little boutique offering gelato and handcrafted chocolates is housed at the other end.
The winery’s tall wooden doors open onto the courtyard as well, endlessly opening and closing with the bustle of harvest happenings, which add to the overall real charm of this place. The winemaker and his crew were bringing in the first of the family’s estate-grown grapes that very day. We sipped through tastes of most of the wines on offer here, Italian varietals mostly that range from a fragrant Tocai Friulano, to the spicy estate-grown Montepulciano, and my favorite; the Barbera which was truly pretty, a delicate red with a teeny bit of spice, rose and smoke.
All the VJB wines are available in the tasting room, which is housed just inside of the sprawling gourmet marketplace. Maria oversees all things food here, and her obvious talent shows in the range of gorgeous products and foodstuff beautifully arranged on tall wooden shelves and behind a gleaming deli case. Gooey and hard cheeses share space with monstrous logs of salumi of all kinds. Antipasti fill oversized bowls and are snuggled in between platters of olives, marinated vegetables, and colorful bean and herb-filled salads. Panini are filled with creative combinations and pressed to a golden state of melted cheesiness.
Locals pop in here for before-work lattes, brewed by Vittorio himself, and with the kids after school for gelato, and possibly a sip of vino for mom and dad. Friday night pizzas, I can imagine, are hugely popular for the families that all have found themselves living right in the middle of two wonderful food-filled towns, but not necessarily close to either of them. I am so excited to get back for a Saturday picnic, leisurely working my way through the list of pizzas, if Mr. B and I can resist that heavenly Margherita.
Find out more information regarding visiting VJB, their wines, food, and complete details on hours, etc. on their website at vjbcellars.com.
Food-filled event pick
Maria Belmonte’s cooking classes at VJB sound like the dreamiest way to spend an afternoon, learning the techniques behind her beautiful, authentic Italian cuisine and sharing a long, family-style meal.
Sunday, October 6, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at VJB Vineyards & Cellars in Kenwood. The cost is a mere $120/$100 club members, which includes a four-course lunch paired with wine, recipes to take home, and a copy of Maria’s cookbook, “Maria’s Cucina”. In this intimate class (8 people maximum), Maria and Henry will demonstrate how to make Frico baskets with asparagus and shrimp; risotto with sausage and white beans; stuffed salmon filets; and layered peaches with chocolate and ladyfingers. Call 833.2300 to reserve your spot.
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