Barhopping: Pizza Nea

According to the Pizza Nea website, the first pizza—the margherita pizza—was created in 1889 for Queen Margherita. Its white mozzarella, green basil, and red sauce was said to be inspired by the Italian flag. Over the years, pizza has gotten weird. There's pizza layered with pasta, as if it were casserole on bread. There's the frozen variety, with limp onions and funny little sausage wads speckling the frozen cheese landscape. There's even pizza-flavored Doritos. At Pizza Nea, pizza, salads, and sandwiches are blessedly simple. Pies come with red or white sauce (russo or bianco), and contain fresh, simple ingredients like porcini mushrooms, sea salt, fresh mozzarella, roma tomatoes, and pine nuts. It's an ideal spot for a low-key yet romantic dinner, or catching up with friends at lunch before picking up Saturday-night wine at Surdyk's. The happy hours make things happier and include free pop or $2.50 beer from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily. On Mondays and Tuesdays you can get a half-priced bottle of wine when you purchase at least two pizzas (they're small enough that you could share two between a friend and only have a slice leftover).
Mon., Nov. 10, 2008