Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 6/22/20

Tucked behind Varuni Napoli’s dining room sits a hidden garden patio with a leafy tree canopy, tons of shade, comfy couches, and a Koi pond. It’s a small oasis in the heart of the busy city that’s perfect for a date night or even after dinner drinks and dessert. Sitting on the patio, we sipped on a white sangria while dining on delicious Neapolitan style pizza and being pampered with the delightful desserts. It was the perfect early Saturday dinner. Let’s dig in.

If you didn’t know, Neapolitan style is known as wet pizza, that can be eaten with a fork and knife. It’s typically hard to pick up with a soft crust near the middle and we dig it. The two we tried were the Bastardo and the Pako. Starting with the Bastardo, it’s one of those dream pizzas that has everything, like the perfect flavor of the cheese and pepperoni and some of the best sauce ever! The sauce, known as Nduja, is spicy with a blend of the Calabrian chili and chili oil mixed with ground up pepperoni, sausage, pancetta, and other types of meat. They dolloped it on and it really was one of those pizzas you didn’t need any salt, garlic, or even parmesan on the top. Amazing. Don’t know if you know but I (Liz) have a threshold issue with dairy, so I asked if they could do one pizza without cheese and they said absolutely, so we got a Pako that boasts of sausage, onions, pepperoni, red peppers, mushrooms, all just without the cheese. Just because you don’t have cheese doesn’t mean you can’t get a ton of flavor out of your pizza! With the spiciness of the sausage, tender pepperoni, and a mound of veggies, there was no lack of flavor from the Pako. What made this pizza was the caramelized onions and paired with the sausage and pepperoni was the perfect combo.

What’s a specialty pizza restaurant without some surprisingly delicious desserts and a good cocktail and wine list? When you arrive, we’d recommend starting off with something refreshing, like the white sangria! A perfect mix of white wine, citrus forward lemon, as well as the right amount of fruit like apple! It’s the perfect patio sipper that’s one-part cool and one-part fresh. They also have a full beer list with local favorites, as well as a large wine list! Salut! After your meal, leave room for a dessert or two like the build your own cannoli or tiramisu! Of the ones we tried, the cannoli was perfectly fried and the cream was light, lemony, and had a lot of chocolate chips. Crunchy and creamy! Our favorite was the Tiramisu, which was deep and rich with fluffy lady fingers and custard and the boozy richness of the crust. So rich and creamy, who can resist?

Just imagine the sunsets and the twinkle lights turn on, turning the hidden patio into a romantic nook for a dinner under the stars. If you could try any of these things, what would it be?