BÆST
Raw Milk Stracciatella, Garden Herbs and Summer Truffles
Mirabelle Sourdough
Tomato, Bæst ‘Nduja, Smoked Bæst Mozzarella, New Onions, Oregano
Tiramisu, House Mascarpone, Dark Chocolate, Coffee Collective Espresso, Rum
Owned by Christian Puglisi, the Italian-born Dane who has been helping to shape the face of Nordic cuisine ever since he departed noma to open relæ in 2010, Bæst has been said by some to not only offer the best Pizza in Denmark but also potentially the best anywhere outside of Naples, the Chef’s commitment to doing everything possible on-site perhaps even more impressive here than at his flagship or at Manfred’s.
Centered around a 900°F wood oven and a cold-fermented Dough made of local Flour, the space a lengthy one with an open kitchen and well-stocked bar in trendy Nørrebro, Bæst originally opened at the end of 2014 and although the table-turning service and two-hour reservation windows originally bothered locals the idea has nonetheless sustained and thrived, the 5:30pm daily opening often seeing a short queue for walk-ins with reservations often required for parties of four or more in order to secure a seat during prime hours.
Tucked away off the street at Guldbergsgade 29, Puglisi’s Mirabelle next door responsible for producing the restaurant’s Sourdough and some of the Desserts, it was around 17h45 that a walk-in spot for one was requested, a seat next to the window at a communal high-top comfortable with the server a young man from Mexico who was pleasant and informative as he described Bæst’s concept and recommended some of his favorite dishes.
Designing the menu much like Manfred’s, though certainly more broad ranging with the option for a Chef’s Tasting listed at the center, it was only due to later dinner reservations that the decision was made to order a la carte, the goal of focusing on housemade Cheeses and Charcuterie limited for a party of one who also hoped to try the Pie, the online listing of plates accurate aside from desserts and fairly affordable given the focus on craft and the fact that the vast majority of items are certified organic.
Featured in “Where to Eat Pizza,” both that book and Puglisi’s available as house copies along with free WiFi to pass the time, it was after perhaps ten minutes of instead watching the men and women manning the oven work that the first dish arrived, 155DKK (approximately $23.50USD) for a Cheese plate seemingly steep until one considers the fact that the wet shreds of Organic Raw Cow’s Milk were as creamy as anything coming out of Italy with a slight hint of lactic acid up front that paired very nicely with the best Summer Truffles seen all trip, their flavor adding a light muskiness that played well of peppery Herbs from the relæ garden.
Exposed here for the first time to Mirabelle’s Sourdough, the almost-burned Crust crackling to the tooth with a springy center pocketed in air bubbles and slightly sour notes, it was with Olive Oil on some and Cheese on most that four thick slices were consumed over the course of sixty minutes, the stomach space completely justified even as the Pizza arrived, the leopard-spotted Crust featuring a bubbly cornicione that was light like the Neapolitan style but more rigid at its center, the imported Tomatoes pairing well with spicy housemade ‘Nduja and lightly smoked Bæst Mozzarella plus thinly sliced sauteed Onions and fresh-chopped Oregano.
Featuring a concise Dessert Menu, mostly Ice Cream and Gelato but also a Tiramisu using housemade Mascarpone, the obvious choice was indeed the sizable wedge that ate far lighter than one would guess despite being nicely saturated with Espresso and Rum, Puglisi’s friendship with The Coffee Collective and willingness to use top quality Dark Chocolate yielding a flavor that was a bit bitter at first before mellowing out into something that still was not ‘sweet,’ but moreso complex and creamy building towards a Boozy finish.