Opened in July of 2013 by the same owners of Nemo’s Bar & Grill right next door in the historic Corktown section of Detroit, Ottava Via serves wood-fired Neapolitan style pizzas cooked in an incredibly high heat Marra Forni oven. A little bit bigger than personal size, more like shareable appetizer pizza, with your choice of 4 different Rosso (red) pies or 5 unique Bianco (white) pies. I opted for the Margherita since it’s the closest thing they have to plain cheese pizza. This pie has all the typical traits & characteristics of your basic wood-fired Neapolitan. More soft than crispy, the dough & crust are rather chewy with decent char & zero crunch. Firm & sturdy with no major floppage, the undercarriage is moderately blackened with a quality smokey flavor. Lightly crisped, the dough is very tasty, despite the mostly soft texture. Rich & creamy, they use a delightfully fresh mozzarella; however, the cheese could use a bit more melting as it lacks an ooey-gooey flow. The mozz is delicious but maybe needs to be more thinly sliced or dispersed further apart for a more melty consistency. Simple & sweet, the sauce is a fairly basic blend of tomatoes & seasoning, missing a little kick & zip. Somewhat light, there’s barely enough surface coverage of sauce to balance the cheese & dough. A little fresh basil adds some color & mild flavor but not enough to make much of a difference. All in all, the taste & texture are both pretty good for wood-fired Neapolitan pizza. More sweet than savory, the overall flavor of the pie isn’t bad at all; nonetheless, a crispier dough & crunchier crust would improve this pizza tremendously. Not quite a travel-worthy pizza destination but this is a very cool date spot, or place to have a guy’s/girl’s night out, or even bring the whole family for Sunday dinner, as they have some truly delicious Italian cuisine on the menu. Give some of the specialty pies a try if you’re looking for a light & tasty pre-dinner appetizer.
