Inna Gadda di Pizza
Tomato Pie with Pepperoni
White Pie with Artichoke Hearts
Cannoli
Tiramisu
Black and White Cookie
Located in the increasingly busy Pawn Plaza, but still more of a ‘secret’ than the unnamed space owned by the same group at The Cosmopolitan, Inna Godda di Pizza occupies the downstairs corner pocket furthest from The Strip and featuring similar pies to those that have impressed both critics as well as the late night Marquee crowd ever since opening a visit to the month old space was every bit as good as the original, even an early morning oven malfunction not preventing a pair of freshly made pies from shining.
Not remotely a New Yorker, nor one to romanticize late nights slurping a soggy “99cent slice,” it was with the same standards and biases as always that I entered Inna Gadda di Pizza, and although Foghat played in place of expected Iron Butterfly while the owner explained that an overnight oven shutdown had delayed the day’s preparations it was with a little patience and conversation that minutes passed, each dough rolled out and hand stretched before careful topping, the $3 Red and $3.50 White by-the-slice options quickly sold to a steady stream of traffic, the vast majority visiting from out of town.
Proudly touting the use of ingredients that justify paying a few cents more per bite, suffice it to say that compared to “Secret Pizza” the prices trend a bit lower at the new location, and with a nice char imparted to the crust by “about ten minutes at five-fifty” both the bright and zingy red sauce beneath melted Mozz and garlic cream with dollops of ricotta plus house-smoked tomatoes were on par with the best in the genre, the fifty-cent toppings and absolute steal for a handful of marinated artichoke hearts while pepperoni was a touch oily and less well-spiced than expected.
Surprisingly offering three desserts, all made n house and ranging $2-$4 each, anyone filling cannoli to-order deserves support and taking the time to match crisp shells to sweet cheese tinged in citrus the two-bite pastries were delightfully light yet extremely flavorful, a spot less less praise offered for a small bowl of tiramisu that seemed a bit too soggy at its base despite generous coffee notes while the seemingly out-of-place Black & White was smaller than most, yet moist and fluffy enough that you may want two.
THREE AND A HALF STARS: About as good as it gets for a “slice shop” particularly on Las Vegas Boulevard for less than $4, Inna Gadda di Pizza is only likely to get better with time and seasoning of the ovens, a few small tweaks potentially capable of making this the first “must-visit” spot at Pawn Plaza for locals as well as tourists.
RECOMMENDED: White Slice with Artichokes, Black and White Cookie.
AVOID: Pepperoni, the bottom layer of the tiramisu.
TIP: Free Parking is Available at Pawn Plaza, and those looking for whole pies or made to order calzone are advised to call in advance.
http://www.innagaddadipizza.com