This should be the last post about pizza for a while, as much as I love it. Although it’s also about pasta. After hearing about Pepe Nero’s pizza party, I thought I’d check it out for a review. And here are the pictures. In this week’s issue, I review the new Brevnov branch of Pepe Nero, which has long been considered by many a contender for the city’s best pizza pie. At the Brevnov locale, prices are cheaper, which means more affordable pizza and pasta dishes but also, apparently, based on several readers’ comments about their recent experiences there, a certain unreliability in the kitchen and a heavy-handedness with the saltshaker. On my two visits, however, I was very pleased with the items I tried. One reader did make a valid point of questioning the presence of Tescoma advertisements on the walls, which I hadn’t noticed (I had taken my glasses off, oops!), a poor decor choice that does make one wonder.
Without looking too closely at the walls, it was a pleasant interior.
Starters got the meal off to a good start, and I could imagine even combining a few in a fit of indecisiveness for a mishmash meal. The mussels with black pepper and butter sauce (180 Kc) were generous and scrumptious:
A good portion for a starter.
A soup that I tried really surprised with its tastiness. The cream of potato (65 Kc) had big chunks of grilled chicken, meaty bacon and garlicky croutons floating in it, making for a very hearty bowl.
The soup, strewn through with a parsley puree.
On another visit, the bruschetta Alla Campana (65 Kc) proved filling, a veritable pizza bite, with perfectly crisp and chewy slices of baguette toasted to melting with mozzarella and incredibly fresh and flavorful tomato pieces. Ordered before a pizza though, it was slightly redundant. But before a meat dish or just as a considerable snack, it worked.
Bruschetta Alla Campana
Another winning starter that proved slightly redundant before its main – in this case, a pasta dish with a tomato sauce – was the aubergine rolls (95 Kc), which were really sufficient as a light meal in and of themselves, especially when using fresh bread to sponge up the olive-infused tomato sauce.
Aubergine rolls
Ravioli stuffed with creamed Parma ham was delicious, although not the most ideal follow-up to the eggplant, above:
House-made ravioli stuffed with creamed Parma ham.
The chicken saltimbocca was good, and an interesting interpretation. I did note a tad too much salt in this plate, but that could have been from the heavy bacon on top.
Chicken replaces the traditional veal in Pepe Nero's take on saltimbocca.
And now, for the pizza:
The top-notch Bufalina, for 165 Kc.
Pizza Romana, with anchovies.
We also tried the tiramisu (120 Kc), which tasted the part but underwhelmed in its mousse-like qualities.
Tiramisu
Overall, I had a great experience at Pepe Nero over two visits. Has any one else tried it out? Hopefully if there are any kinks in the kitchen they will get sorted out soon. Oh, and perhaps they’d do well to replace that wall art, too.
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