Tarry Lodge Pizza

Open since 2011, they use a Mugnaini pizza oven to cook wood-fired personal size Neapolitan pies in as fast as 5 minutes. Despite the high heat used to cook these pizzas so quickly, the Margherita pie I ordered came out soft, floppy and chewy, just like all the other typical wood-fired, sourdough, Neapolitan cookie-cutter, charred but never crispy pies I’ve tried. While this pizza looks saucy, it’s actually rather light on sauce, which has no distinct flavor; needs some more punch and thickening. The fresh mozzarella has a nice taste but is a little chunky and not melted thoroughly. A little more time in the oven would help melt the cheese better and make the dough crispier. Overall, this is your standard personal run-of-the-mill Neapolitan style pie that is on par with mail-order Margherita pizza kits. The weak wilted basil atop does nothing to enhance the flavor or aesthetics of the pizza. Maybe their specialty pies are better; but I’m not impressed, it’s not my style and not worth making a long trip.