I
HAD
A MAGICAL MOMENT THE OTHER DAY WHEN I WAS ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH MY
FIRST SLICE OF PIZZA AT MORETTI'S, A NEW PIZZA, PASTA, SANDWICH AND
WINGS RESTAURANT THAT RECENTLY OPENED IN GREENVILLE'S PELHAM COURT
PLAZA. MAGIC CREEPS UP ON YOU SLOWLY, END WHEN YOU'RE WATCHING IT
UNFOLD, YOU'RE ALWAYS TEMPTED TO DISBELIEVE WHAT YOUR SENSE TELL YOU
TO BE TRUE. BUT AFTER TWO BITES, I COULD NO LONGER DENY WHAT WAS
HAPPENING. I WAS EATING THE UPSTATE'S BEST PIZZA, AND I WASN'T DOING
IT IN ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY'S LONGSTANDING PIZZA PALACES. I WAS DOING
IT IN A PLACE THAT VERY FEW PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT. YET.
THE GREATNESS OF THE PIZZA I HAD AT MORETTI'S GROWS IN MY MEMORY,
BECOMING A COLOSSAL AND INDESTRUCTIBLE CERTAINTY THAT I CARRY WITH
ME WHEREVER I GO. IT WAS SO GOOD THAT I ALMOST WANT TO DOUBT MY
JUDGMENT OF IT, TO BLAME ITS ABSURD DELICIOUSNESS ON THE
OVERWHELMING HUNGER I BROUGHT TO MORETTI'S OR ON THE FACT THAT THE
PIZZA WAS FRESHLY PREPARED WHILE I WAITED RATHER THAN DELIVERED TO
MY DOOR AN HOUR AFTER IT CAME OUT OF THE OVEN. BUT NOTHING WILL
CHANGE THE VERDICT: THIS IS PIZZA THAT WILL GET INTO YOUR DREAMS AND
STAY THERE.
THE FUNNY THING IS THAT IN THIS DAY AND AGE, MOST OF US HAVE
DIFFICULTY GETTING EXCITED ABOUT EVEN TRYING A NEW PIZZA AND
WINGS RESTAURANT. WINGS AND PIZZA? THEY'RE AS PLENTIFUL AS DIRT.
SCHLOTZSKY'S SERVES PIZZA AND MCDONALD'S SERVES PIZZA AND DOMINO'S
SERVES WINGS AND JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY IN BETWEEN TRIES TO DO THE
SAME. STILL, I WAS INTRIGUED BY MORETTI'S NEWSPAPER ADS THAT
PROMISED THE RESTAURANT USES ONLY FRESH INGREDIENTS AND SERVES
HOMEMADE DISHES RATHER THAN PRE-PACKAGED GROCERY STORE STUFF. AND I
LIKED THE PLEDGE THAT ITS CHICKEN WINGS HAD ACTUALLY BEEN HONED AND
ACCLAIMED IN BUFFALO, N.Y., WHERE WINGS WERE BORN. SO I FIGURED WHAT
CAN THIS HURT?
WHAT I FOUND IS A RESTAURANT THAT IS VERY POSSIBLY THE BEST AT WHAT
IT DOES IN OUR AREA. MORETTI'S IS A SMALL, HUMBLE STOREFRONT HOUSED
IN A LOCATION THAT ONCE HELD ROSIE'S NEW YORK PIZZERIA, BUT A CHEERY
WARMTH EVIDENT FROM THE MINUTE YOU WALK IN, AND THERE'S AN OBVIOUS
COMMITMENT TO HIGH-QUALITY, COST-FRIENDLY FOOD-THE KIND OF
COMMITMENT IT'S BECOMING INCREASINGLY TOUGH TO FIND. IN FACT, IT CAN
TAKE A LITTLE WHILE FOR YOUR ORDER TO BE PREPARED HERE, BUT THAT
PROVES ONLY THAT'S BEING MADE FRESH, AND YOU CAN CALL IT IN AHED OF
TIME IF YOU'RE ON A TIGHT SCHEDULE.
MORETTI'S MENU ASSERTS THAT ITS PROPRIETORS HAIL FROM BUFFALO, AND
IT MAKES THE CLAIM THAT THEY "ACTUALLY SOLD REAL BUFFALO WINGS TO
REAL BUFFALONIANS FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS. A' THE POINT? THESE WINGS
ARE THE REAL DEAL. YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THEIR WORD FOR IT, THOUGH.
A SINGLE BITE OF ONE OF MORETTI'S WINGS (5.25 FOR 10) IS ENOUGH TO
VERIFY THOSE CONTENTIONS. I'M THE KIND OF GUY WHO POURS TABASCO
SAUCE ON BREAKFAST CEREAL AND BELIEVES EVERY MEAL IS MADE BETTER BY
JALAPENO PEPPERS, SO I'M ACCUSTOMED TO FINDING MOST HOT WINGS TOO
MEEK FOR MY TASTE. MORETTI'S SUCKED MY BREATH AWAY BEFORE I EVEN BIT
DOWN ON THEM. IF YOU LIKE THEM FIERY AND VINEGARY, THIS IS WHERE TO
GET THEM (I DON'T THINK EVEN I HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO TRY MORETTI'S"
SUICIDAL" WINGS). EVEN BETTER, THESE WINGS ARE COOKED UNTIL CRISPY,
MAKING THEM A CUT ABOVE THE VAST MAJORITY OF WINGS OUT THERE (YOU
KNOW THE KIND I'M TALKING ABOUT-THE KIND THAT ARE COOKED SO LIGHTLY
YOU ALMOST EXPECT TO HEAR CLUCKING WHEN YOU TAKE A BITE)
I THINK THE STEAK SANDWICH IS ONE OF AMERICA'S GREAT LOW-RENT
COOKING CREATIONS, AND AS SUCH, I MAKE IT A POINT TO TRY AS MANY AS
I CAN WITHOUT RISKING ARTERY BLOCKAGE. THAT'S WHY IT'S SURPRISING
THAT I CAN THINK OF JUST TWO THAT WERE AS GOOD OR BETTER THAN THE
ONE I HAD AT MORETTI'S, AND NEITHER OF THEM WERE SERVED AROUND HERE
(YOU CAN FIND THEM AT THE BRASS RAIL IN ALLENTOWN, PA., AND THE SUB
CABIN IN COLUMBIA, SC., IF YOU'RE LOOKING). MORETTI'S STEAK SANDWICH
(6.35 WITH) GREEN PEPPERS, ONIONS AND MUSHROOMS0) IS A HUGE, MESSY
MASTERPIECE CRAMMED IN A LONG, THIN 11" HOAGIE AND FILLED WITH
CHUNKS OF HOT STEAK. IT'S AWASH IN MOZZARELLA AND TOPPED WITH A
ZESTY PIZZA SAUCE BRIMMING WITH GARLIC AND OTHER SPICES, YOU DON'T
STAND A CHANCE OF FINISHING THE THING, BUT YOU'LL HAVE FUN TRYING.
(ANY I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT THIS IS THE KIND OF SANDWICH THAT
SOUTHERNERS SIMPLY DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET RIGHT . THE ADDITION OF THE
SAUCE MAKES IT OBVIOUS THAT THIS BABY WAS BORN IN NORTHERN KITCHENS)
AS IF ALL THAT WEREN'T ENOUGH, THERE'S THE PIZZA. QUITE SIMPLY, YOU
OWE IT YOURSELF TO TRY MORETTI'S ITALIAN FLAG PIZZA ($8.95 FOR
SMALL; $12.95 FOR A LARGE). IT IS FUN, REFRESHING , DIFFERENT AND
DELICIOUS. FOR STARTERS, THERE'S NO SAUCE, AND SINCE MORETTI'S SAUCE
IS SUPERB, YOU MIGHT THINK THAT'S A MINUS. IN FACT, ITS
ABSENCE PAVES THE WAY FOR SO MANY OTHER FLAVORS TO SHINE. I SPENT
HOURS DEBATING WHICH ASPECT OF THE PIZZA WAS THE BEST AND MOST
IMPORTANT. AT DIFFERENT TIMES, I SETTLED ALTERNATELY ON THE FAT,
FRESH SHAVINGS OF BASIL, ON THE SINFULLY RIPE, FLAVOR-MADE SLICES OF
ROMA TOMATO ON THE PUNGENT OLIVE OIL, ON THE CRISPY, SAG-FREE CRUST,
ON THE GARLIC AND OREGANO, ON THE MIXTURE OF ROMANO, MOZZARELLA AND
FONTANELLE CHEESE. BUT JUST AS SOON AS I WAS WILLING TO GIVE
ONE ELEMENT THE UPPER HAND, I'D REMEMBER HOW GOOD ANOTHER PART OF
THE PIZZA WAS , AND I NEVER COULD DETERMINE WHAT EXACTLY MADE IT SO
SPECIAL. THE ANSWER: ALL OF IT. IF IT'S POSSIBLE FOR PIZZA TO BE
LIGHT AND FEATHERY ON THE BELLY, THE ITALIAN FLAG IS. MORETTI'S ALSO
OFFERS PIZZA WITH SAUCE AND TRADITIONAL TOPPINGS, PLUS SPECIALTY
PIES, INCLUDING ONE THAT'S TOPPED WITH BUFFALO-STYLE CHICKEN.
ANXIOUS AS I AM TO TRY ALL OF THEM, I KNOW IT'S GOING TO
BE A STRUGGLE FOR ME TO EVER ANYTHING BESIDES THE LESS THAN THE
UPSTATE'S BEST PIZZA.
WHEN YOU EAT OUT OFTEN ENOUGH, YOU ALWAYS REACH A POINT WHEN YOU
BELIEVE THE MAGIC HAS ENDED, WHEN YOU'RE CERTAIN THAT YOU'LL NEVER
AGAIN EXPERIENCE FOOD THAT SURPRISES YOU, SEDUCES YOU AND DEMANDS
THAT YOU EAT IT AGAIN. BUT AS LONG AS YOU DON'T GIVE UP, THE MAGIC
ALWAYS RETURNS, QUIETLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY. AND RIGHT NOW, MORETTI'S
IS FAIR PRICE FOR SENDING THE SENSES SWOONING, NO?
MORETTI'S
Featured
in:
Creative Loafing
March 3, 2001
