By Sara Davis Christie

We had a birthday brunch for a friend at The Pizzeria this weekend and let me tell you, it was a real treat! I’m not at all surprised, I’ve been a huge fan since they opened, and for the last five years I’ve yet to be anything but delighted when I’m there. Here’s a recap of the things we ordered and loved.

Cinnamon Roll
If I’m being truthful, and I am, I was not particularly excited about this. Cinnamon rolls are good, but it’s rare that one really stands out from another to me. I also really prefer savory breakfasts, so pastries don’t usually do much for me. So, I am super surprised to say that this cinnamon roll was one of the more delicious things I’ve eaten in a long time. It’s warm and soft and sweet but in a really nice not punch you in the face way. It’s also big, so perfect for sharing with friends. It’s been five days since we ate this, and I’ve thought about it every one of those five days.

Bruleed Grapefruit
Have I mentioned yet that I’m not into sweets for breakfast? So, again, I was a little un-enthused about this, and, again, I was delighted. The bruleed sugar on top of this grapefruit is so subtle that you still get all the tarty goodness of the fruit with just a hint of perfectly caramelized sugar on the back end.

Biscuits and Gravy
I’m going to have to be very careful here because I could go on and on about my love for biscuits and gravy for longer than is acceptable by anyone’s standards. So, I’m just going to get to the point and say that you should text your friend or spouse or whoever you like the most and set a date to go get some of these. There’s no frozen biscuits or packaged gravy to be found here. You can tell that all parts of this dish are made by someone who cares. The biscuits are a perfect texture for standing up to the gravy, so they don’t get all gummy and weird. The gravy is somehow lighter than other gravies, but jam packed with perfectly crumbled sausage. These were so good that we ordered it twice at the same sitting.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Perfect for sharing and I love that they use purple fingerlings here.

Margherita Frittata
They have taken their pizzas and made them into frittatas. Genius. We got the margherita because it seemed like a good brunch choice, and it was. We had a couple folks in our group that get a little weird about eggs, but we all agreed that these were right where eggs need to be–not rubbery or slimy–that perfect middle. I cannot wait to go back ASAP and get the Spinarizo. This is also a great dish for sharing.

Soda Waffle with Petit Jean Bacon
Y’all, the soda in the waffle makes this dish so light and crispy. I love waffles, but sometimes the batter is so dense it ends up just feeling very heavy. Not the case here. This was a well-done waffle with high quality syrup on the side. The bacon perched on top was perfectly cooked and delicious, making it a nice, salty complement to the waffle. We ordered a second round of this as well.

The Sicilian Message
What is brunch without a fruity drink? Not brunch at all, if you ask me. I don’t remember what all was in this, but I do know that it was as close to perfect of brunch drink as I’ve had.

Additional Thoughts…
While the food at The Pizzeria is good across the board, there are other things that keep me coming back time and time again. Mostly, it’s the staff. You can just tell that every person there is invested in the place and in making it a good experience for their customers. It’s one place where we actually prefer sitting at the bar because the folks behind it are so great. I have to give a particularly huge shout out to Elizabeth, Dillon, and Jacqueline for making our brunch so fun and delicious. Go see these folks, you’ll be so happy you did!

One thing that is worth noting is this: The Pizzeria is not a fast gotta turn these tables place. For me, this is one of the best things about it. I’m so tired of going to restaurants where I am rushed from the second I sit down to the time I leave. This doesn’t happen at the Pizzeria. Since most things run through the one super kick-ass oven, sometimes things take a little bit to get to your table. I love this because it gives me time to really enjoy whatever cocktail I’ve chosen that day and to spend some time with the people who have joined me. Lingering over a meal is one of life’s real luxuries and I really appreciate the opportunity to do so.

The Pizzeria
4910 Kavanaugh Blvd
Brunch Hours: Saturday & Sunday 11am-2pm