A crispy, crunchy slice of Naples comes our way.

BY DAVID MOSS I PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGIE BAAN

6622 Telegraph Rd.

Bloomfield Hills

(248) 855-5855

2595 S. Rochester Rd.,

Rochester Hills

(248) 844-8899

Salads: $4.50 small / $8.50 large

Appetizers: $7-$9

Pizza: $8.50-$12

Lunch Special — pizza and salad: $8

Dessert: $2

Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Sunday, noon-9 p.m.

1 2 •

APRIL 2007 •

platinum

M inimal decor. Minimal fuss. Pizza and wine.
But a little slice of heaven, in the form of
real Italian pizza, has come to Bloomfield Hills.
With cinder-block walls, an exposed black ceiling, blonde
wood tables and plenty of black-and-gray horizontal stripes,
Crust brings a clean and modern feel to a favorite comfort
food.
Complementing the excellent pizza, Crust offers a wine
bar with 30 choices available by the bottle, glass or 2-ounce
taste. Wines are cleverly arranged by category, such as "sexy,
smoky" and "big, bold" reds, or "rich, buttery" and "refresh-
ing fruit, crisp" whites. I ordered a Greg Norman cabernet/
shiraz, while my dining companion tried a pomegranate
martini. Even the drinks are minimalist here, with no gar-
nish on the martini and the wine served in a non-descript
juice glass.
For starters, try the baked goat cheese with the house
specialty roasted red sauce, hand-torn basil and warm flat-
bread. There are also daily soups and three salads.
But pizza is why we came, and for traditional thin-crust
pizza, Crust beats anything I've tried outside of New York.
To paraphrase Crust's philosophy, Americans think of pizza
crust as just a vehicle for getting all those super-sized top-
pings into your mouth. Neopolitans, however,
consider the topping a mere embellishment to
the crust, which reigns supreme.
Large enough to split amongst two people
with salads, or fine for a single hungry diner,
these pies are handcrafted with the freshest
ingredients and fired in 900-degree ovens that
cook the pizzas in just about two minutes.
My dining companion opted for a Naples
Classic Margherita pizza with crushed San
Marzano tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh
mozzarella and hand-torn basil. With a per-
fect balance of flavors and a bubbly crust, this
pizza reminded her of her years spent in Italy.
I chose the Roni, with Molinari pepperoni,
roasted red sauce, mozzarella and provolone,

fresh basil and white truffle oil. This pizza, like the other,
was divine, with the perfect balance of spice, melted cheese
and basil all coming together in a sumptuous bite.
Other choices include the 'Shroom, with Chianti-
roasted cremini, portabella, shiitake and oyster mushrooms.
Naples Classic White pizzas (drizzled olive oil replaces
tomato sauce) include the Bianca, with oven-roasted garlic,
mozzarella, fontinella, Parmigiano and goat cheeses, and
the Spinach, with pine nuts, oven-roasted garlic, fontinella
and fresh mozzarella.
Non-traditionalists can try the Thai Pie with peanut-
ginger sauce, grilled chicken and broccoli slaw. Diners
wishing to design their own pizza can choose from assort-
ed veggies, cheeses and meats.
For dessert, save room for a mini-parfait, served up in a
shot glass. We both tried the Death by Chocolate, which
was rich and satisfying, and a small enough portion that
didn't leave us feeling as though we ate too much. Other
rotating choices include carrot cake, banana cream pie and
berries and cream.
For great pizza, excellent service and some thoughtful
wine choices, choosy pizza eaters will choose Crust. 111