Poppi's Brick Oven Pizza

Not boardwalk pizza, like most of Wildwood’s top spots; this is wood-fired, brick oven, personal size, Neapolitan pizza. And much like most of the cookie-cutter Neapolitan pies, it was ready in 5 minutes and pretty predictable. Not crispy at all, rather doughy and soft, slightly rubbery and chewy, particularly in the crust, not even a smidge of crunch. The dough has your standard wood-fired char, with a somewhat smokey flavor but not as exciting as it sounds; the taste is rather banal. The fresh mozzarella is a little too chunky, definitely not melted well enough, slightly cold in the middle and lacking creaminess. The sauce is distinctly different from the boardwalk pies. The combination of crushed tomatoes and spices provides a refreshingly zesty flavor; but the onions mixed in with the thick tomato chunks give this more of a marinara feel that would normally be served with muscles or fried calamari. The aesthetics just don’t match the flavor; the pie definitely looks better than it tastes. The basil and onions are the prevailing ingredients that override the flavor of the cheese, sauce and dough. While this is a change of pace from the boardwalk pies, it’s really not worth deviating from the traditional Wildwood pizzas. If you find yourself in the area, you can skip the pizza at this joint and maybe try a pasta dish instead. I’m giving this pie a 6.9 but it’s really not that sexy.