Nothing warms my heart quite like a perfect pizza. It takes a lot to be able to perfect a pizza, especially so in Egypt where people are used to subpar pizza. Every place in Egypt offers pizza, but very very few can actually pull it off.
The art of the pizza lies in the ingredients, in the decadent sauce, the rich crust, the premium toppings, all coming together in harmony to produce a flavorsome explosion on the palette, which is why I live for pizza. I've been looking for the best pizza in Cairo, simply so I can enjoy it whenever the need arises, so that I can revel in a truly authentic pizza without having to drop everything and jet off to Italy.
This is why I was very excited when introduced to Vinny's Pizzeria. At the time, it catered only to those in Maadi, and surrounding areas, so because I live Zamalek and never have the time to trek far, I waited until they could deliver to Zamalek.
Sure, you could say food tastes better at the venue itself, but something has to be said for the way Vinny's tasted post delivery.
To start, I was exhilarated upon checking the menu. Vinny's offers New York style pizza, in three sizes, or so I believe. They have the individual slices (yay!), medium, which is what I got, the large, and the family.One thing I absolutely LOVE about Vinny's is that they offer vegan (seyami) pizza. Being one who lives with a strictly raw vegan best friend, I was delighted at the prospect of finally having a pizza date with her, so I give Vinny's extra points for catering to the needs of those who are vegan.
I ordered the Margherita, with hot peppers and sundried tomatoes as additives, and because they were out of wings (boo!) I got a potato salad, and the very decadent Nutella Madness, which is made of Nutella, marshmallows and chocolate chips.
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| Nutella Madness |
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| Nutella Madness |
The pizza itself, despite its small appearance, left me feeling stuffed. I loved everything about it, especially the way the flavors danced on my palette. The tomato sauce was beautifully rich, not so much that it overpowered the pizza, though. I did hope it had a tad more sauce, but I was left satisfied. The crust was a mixture of crunchiness & tenderness at the same time, and I loved the fact that it was cooked to perfection. You usually get a very blatant aftertaste when restaurants try to replicate authentic New Yorker/Italian pizza, but I liked the fact that Vinny's knew how to perfect the crust. The taste was delicious and felt exuberant on my tongue.
Because I asked for hot peppers, I expected the pizza to be spicy, but I was pleasantly surprised when it surpassed all expectations. I like my pizza to be nice and super spicy, so I was very pleased with the very very spicy pizza. I found myself reaching for a glass of water every other bite, and it left me with the impression that the sauce itself was spiced a little.
I was very hesitant when asking for sundried tomatoes, since most brands in Egypt offer over seasoned sundried tomatoes, but I when I picked a piece off my pizza and ate it alone, I was surprised to find the taste very subtle. I was left feeling that rather than skimp and buy cheap ingredients, Vinny's Pizzeria actually invested in better, higher quality ingredients. That earns them a point in my book, because everyone knows that the essence of a pizza is in the high quality ingredients.
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| Potato salad |
Overall verdict?
Absolutely loved everything about Vinny's including the customer service woman who was sure she catered to all my needs before hanging up. I do wish the pizza had a tad more tomato sauce, but wouldn't change a thing otherwise.
5/5 * for Vinny's Pizzeria.