Pi and Alchemy N’ Ale Added

Reviews are up for Alchemy N’ Ale in Lawrenceville and Pi Coal Fired Pizza in the South Side.

Alchemy N’ Ale is pretty solid pub fare, but I doubt it will blow you away. Still, if you’re in Lawrenceville and feel like a hearty meal, it’s a good bet. I’ve been really impressed by their waitresses – great personalities. On a totally meaningless note, I’m wondering why they went with “N'” instead of “and” or “&” in the name. Their schtick is supposed to be upscale gastropub. The “N'” is too informal.

On the other hand, my new love is Pi. This is some of the best pizza I’ve ever tasted. It’s neopolitan style (read about it) and the ingredients are top notch. The inevitable comparison is to Il Pizzaiolo and Piccolo Forno. The big difference, I think, is the coal fired oven of Pi versus the wood-fired oven of the other two. Every experience I’ve had with coal-fired pizza tells me it’s just superior. The other thing about Pi is its sauce. It’s perfect. It’s a smooth San Marzano tomato sauce with not much going on except an incredible sweetness that somehow remains tangy. Now, Pi is not without its shortcomings. The crust under the middle is so thin that after a few minutes, it inevitably can’t support the weight of its contents. You end up having to use a knife and fork. The other issue is the price. The pizza is so thin that any male with a reasonable appetite will be able to easily down a pie by themselves. At $14+ per pie, that ends up being a lot of money for pizza. I know that buffalo mozzarella is not cheap, but still. Last time we were there, we each had a glass of wine , split a caesar salad (delicious, by the way), and each ordered a pizza. That was a $60 dinner…

Lately Pi has been a little more crowded, which I’m glad about. Still, I don’t think neopolitan style pizza is at the top of every Pittsburgher’s list, and at these prices, it’s going to be hard to convert people.