After a long day at work all you want to do is put your feet up and eat some delicious food. This was one of these occasions and I had been wanting to try Vera Pizzeria for quite a while. Also, when you get off work really late, there are not too many restaurant choices available on a week night. Fortunately, Vera Pizzeria has late hours so off I went, bringing along one of my coworkers, to indulge in some comfort food before getting ready for another work day.
Vera Pizzeria is a simple set-up, the store front is an open kitchen which leads into a quaint dining room. Small wooden tables are scattered throughout the restaurant with simple decor. Nothing flashy, but at the same time gives a homey feel. The restaurant staff were knowledgeable, friendly, and quick to provide service and assistance. The menu is a short list of classic neapolitan pizzas, some appetizer and salad options as well as desserts.
Due to the late hour, we were ravenous and decided to get things started with the
Polpette al Forno. Four enormous meatballs were deliciously seasoned and tender. With each bite you sink into a wonderful world of meat mixed with fennel seed, garlic, paprika, cayenne and chili flakes. A sweet meatiness with a slight spicy kick. These meatballs could be a standalone, but the accompanying sauce was just as delightful: San Marzano tomatoes mixed with red wine vinegar and basil. So good, that I was happy to have the slices of baguette to clean-up the sauce from the plate.
Wanting to try one of the white sauce pizzas, we selected the
Fungi. A creme fraiche base with roasted mushrooms, onions, and arugula. The roasted mushrooms were fresh and juicy and complemented by the sweet tasting onions, which was beautifully contrasted by the slightly bitter arugula. The perfectly melted cheese was a mixture of fior de latte (a variant of mozzarella), parmesan and gorgonzola. The pizza dough itself was soft and chewy with a light airy crust. Delicious!
Our next pizza was the tomato-based
Salsiccia. This pie incorporates house fennel sausage, roasted pepper, dried chili, tomato, fior di latte, and parmesan. The spiciness of the house fennel sausage and dried chili were toned down by the tomato sauce and cheeses. This is the type of pizza that you expect when you order a meat and tomato sauce pizza. My one small complaint is that the pizza dough in the middle of this particular pie was a bit undercooked.
By now, we felt that we had thoroughly indulged ourselves, but the sound of the
Buttermilk Panna Cotta was too much to pass up on. Tonight's variation was an experiment on their usual lemon variety. Instead, grapefruit was used. This was the perfect way to end the dinner. After a couple of meatballs and several slices of pizzas, we were feeling rather stuffed, but this light dessert eased that sensation. The crunchy sugary nutty brittle top mixed well with the creamy panna cotta. The sweetness of the brittle was well contrasted by the grapefruit flavour that left a hint of pleasing tartness at the end of each bite.
Vera Pizzeria offers Neapolitan style pizza, the kind that you would expect when you think of the traditional Italian pizza. The small menu allows the chefs to hone their skills and shows the great care given to each dish. The fresh ingredients and traditional techniques brings an authentic taste of Italy to Winnipeg. In addition, the late night hours are perfect for those getting off work late or craving a late night snack. Vera Pizzeria is an easy recommendation.
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