I’ve been an adamant follower of pizza since I was able to eat solid foods. People seek out comfort in ice cream, cookies, and sweets; I find it in pizza. Not just any pizza, no, the perfect pizza which is the most difficult to find. What are the components of that perfect pie-shaped dough with toppings? They have to be of the finest ingredients and cooked to perfection in a wooden oven. For years, I’ve lived vicariously through those who originally created this perfect dish, the people of Naples. Fortunately, pizza has become the select dish of many social events throughout the years. What’s a party without pizza?! With ingredients like the ones used in this restaurant and the mastery of the Italian chef (yes ladies and gentlemen, a real Italian is doing the cooking here), Pizza Rustica has become my number one place to go for my pizza fix. Never again will I have to live vicariously through others enjoying the perfect dough-based goodness.

Located in the far end of the Avenues’ Food World, Pizza Rustica has both indoor, in-mall, and outdoor seating. I say in-mall since you can dine on high tables or at the counter inside, and then there’s the seating that’s outside the restaurant itself. The counter seating is a thrill. You get to see all the ingredients being put together while you’re waiting for your food. The outdoor seating looks over the fountain area of the Avenues, so when the fountains are on, you can enjoy great food along with a great view! It’s the kind of place that would typically be very quiet, chilled, and relaxed on weekdays. Pizza lovers, this is the place to be for good food with good company. The tables come well equipped with a bottle of olive oil and a bottle of balsamic vinegar so you can add them to taste. As you wait for your order to arrive, you are given a bread basket with two kinds of bread (soft and crunchy), tomato salsa, and olives.

For the first time in years, I along with my sister indulged in a full four-course meal. Needless to say, the bread basket is not counted as one of the courses; it was merely a warmer for the delicacies that were yet to come. Everything we ate was decided by the chef himself. The only things we ordered ourselves were the salads; Chicken Caesar Salad and Caprese Salad. The Caesar Salad was nothing remotely similar to any I’ve had in the past. The dressing was tasty, flavorful and most importantly, light. The Caprese was amazing, slices of buffalo mozzarella and tomatoes; so refreshing, so enticing. Being a self proclaimed cheese addict, I’m very particular about my cheese. The buffalo mozzarella was so smooth it was hard to believe that, like all of their products, it was imported from Italy and not made fresh. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was just made! Everything from the presentation of the salads to the way they tasted illustrated precision at its finest.

The antipastos, or appetizers, were stellar. The chef thought it best to serve the Baked Mushrooms and the Involtini Di Melanzane (aubergine). As the plates were served, we were convinced that these choices were indeed the best. The mushrooms were baked to perfection with bread crumbs on top, set in thick tomato sauce. Not only that, they were stuffed with cheese. So hot, so yummy, so appetizing. The next appetizer to come, the aubergine, was just as magnificent. Now those of you that cook know that it’s not easy to get rid of that bitterness that comes with aubergines, but this was absolutely sweet. Cooked perfectly, rolled up with melted cheese in the middle and, like the mushrooms, set in tomato sauce. They were both surprisingly light and did exactly what they were supposed to; prepare us for the main courses.

Everything about this place screams casual dining at very affordable prices. Ever had truffle oil with your food? Ever wondered what real Italian Parmesan actually tastes like? Well then, stop wondering and treat yourself to food consisting of nothing less than the top of the line ingredients at Pizza Rustica. The main courses were divine; three pizzas and a calzone. Each pizza was a work of art on its own. From the presentation to the very last bite, it exuberated with perfection and burst with flavor. Colorful and delightful, each pizza came with its own unique taste. We couldn’t figure out which one was our favorite! Toscana, Liguria, and the Campana were each distinct in their contents and flavors. Truffle oil, parmesan, sundried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, rocket, pesto, chicken, mushrooms, smoked buffalo mozzarella, and the list goes on. Each pizza, toppings and all, was amazing.

Each of the ingredients are chosen carefully and selectively to ensure great flavorings and to tickle your senses. The pizzas weren’t greasy at all since they are baked in wooden ovens, and using only the finest ingredients available. The fact that they weren’t greasy made the pizzas enticing in every way possible. You don’t feel heavy and lazy as you normally would after a pizza. They were thin enough to be light, and thick enough to be satisfying without being over done. I’m not a crust person, at all. If worse comes to worst, I would eat the crust first to get it out of the way. With Pizza Rustica’s pizzas, you can’t resist the crust. It’s the perfect blend of crispy and soft making it irresistible to leave behind. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how tasty the dough itself is. 

I read somewhere that pizza making is a science, and I must agree. To make the perfect pizza, you have to have the perfect base. The perfect base should be thin, but not too crispy; crispy, but not burnt; “fluffy,” but not thick. The toppings have to be evenly distributed on each slice, and equal with each bite. With that science perfected, you can even make a foolproof calzone; like I said, it’s all in the dough. Calzone Boscaiola was the calzone of choice for the evening. Consisting of mozzarella, turkey ham, tomato sauce, and spicy beef salami, this perfectly folded pizza roll had the ideal amounts of each ingredient with every bite. Even the rise of the calzone was like nothing I’ve ever seen. Typically, one would think calzones to be greasier than pizzas, but not this one; and like everything else we had, it wasn’t heavy. Nothing was left behind; the plates were licked clean and our appetites satisfied.

It came as a shock to us that we were to have dessert after. Piece of advice to all you going there, you will want to leave room for dessert. I was always told that the best things come in threes, and at that very moment, I was a believer. Three was the magic number. Three desserts, each made with such precision and care that we didn’t know where to start. The Chocolate “Caprese” Cake, Strawberry Pizza Dolce, and the Tiramisu were absolutely incredible. If you’ve ever heard the phrase “death by chocolate” then you will understand how good the cake truly was. A slice of chocolate goodness was all it took to put me on cloud nine. It was mousy, but held together without the “cakey” feeling. I’m not a cake person, so this was perfect for me. The Strawberry Pizza Dolce on the other hand was the perfect blend of strawberries, chocolate (Nutella), and marshmallows.

 The dough, just like the other pizzas, was fantastic. The toppings made it even better. The strawberry sauce and strawberries with the melted Nutella and the barely-holding-together marshmallows were to die for. This dessert was the first to go down. Shortly after we wiped those desserts off their plates, the Tiramisu was our final indulgence. The layers of sweetened mascarpone cheese, espresso, and savoiardi biscuits are so rarely mastered. To have the perfect Tiramisu, one must fly to Italy to savor the sweet coffee-based treat; but not anymore. At Pizza Rustica, the Tiramisu is an art they have mastered perfectly. The layers are even and scrumptious with every spoonful. The mascarpone cheese is whisked to perfection. If one could eat a cloud, that’s exactly what the cream was like. Pizza Rustica offers the true essence of Italy with every bite. So what are you waiting for? Go, relax, and simply indulge in the goodness of the Italian cuisine.