Mario and I FINALLY had a chance to visit the new hotspot in town, Varasano’s Pizzeria, for my last meal in Atlanta until ~August. Varasano’s is located at the bottom of the posh new high-rise Mezzo, and as many posh places require, you must valet park at the parking deck. I’m not sure if I should give this away or not, but we talked to the attendant and he told us we didn’t have to valet and could park ourselves in the back of the deck. Score! We went in and were promptly seated, which was pretty nice for a Friday night in Atlanta. Mario wanted to order his usual pepperoni pizza, but had to order the “house special” Nana’s (Mozzarella & Tomato Sauce with a Secret Blend of Italian Herbs), and add pepperoni. I decided to try the New Haven Clam with Clams, Mussels & Garlic in a white sauce. I also added mushrooms.

Nana's + Pepperoni

New Haven Clam

As a sidebar, the scribbled number 3 on Varasano’s logo was intriguing me, and thankfully the menu explained what it was about. Apparently, Mr. Varasano is not only known for his famous pizza recipe, but also for setting the world record for solving the Rubik’s Cube at age 14 and then writing a book about it. Look him up! Anyway, on to first bites:

Mario's First Bite

Jessica's First Bite

Mario thought his Nana’s+pepperoni was really good. He said he could taste the freshness of the mozzerella and liked how the tomato sauce was seasoned. I wasn’t a huge fan of my clam pizza. It needed salt, and I could hardly taste the seafood on top. Maybe this was my fault for adding mushrooms, but I wouldn’t expect them to cover up that much flavor. My crust was also still gooey in the middle, not too appetizing. The outer crust, which was cooked nicely, was yummy and sourdough-y.

I can’t say yet whether I like or dislike Varasano’s, and I partly think it’s because I read so many fabulous reviews beforehand and was a little let down with what I got. I’m definitely up for visiting again though, I liked the atmosphere and would love to try all the pizzas on a $12.95 all-you-can-eat Thursday night.

www.varasanos.com