Novanta
Margherita pizza
It is the new world of delivery and carryout. Restaurants from fine dining on down are inventing new service models, but pizza places didn’t have to. Pizza, which gained popularity in the U.S. after World War II, was an instant hit in part because of its portability. By the 1960s, consumers could pick up a pie to-go or have it delivered, to enjoy in the comfort of their suburban homes while they entertained themselves with the latest and greatest technology: the television.
Novanta, with an original location on Old Sauk Road, opened its second location last fall in a new building on University Avenue near Shorewood Hills. The brightly painted window mural of a giant pizza margherita is a welcoming beacon. Pizzas are being prepped for pickup, or delivery via EatStreet.
Novanta makes pizza Neapolitan style. For a pizza to be authentically Neapolitan, it must meet several criteria: a simple dough recipe must be followed (water, yeast, salt and a specific flour); the dough rests for 12 hours; then it’s hand-shaped. Toppings are simple and fresh. No pineapple and Canadian bacon here.
Novanta means “90” in Italian, indicating the 90 seconds that the pizzas are cooked in the large stone ovens — beautiful, brightly-tiled domes that maintain a temperature of 900 degrees, which results in a chewy crust with a nice char on the bottom. All pizzas are 10-inch, individual size.
The pizza menu is divided into two categories: with sauce and without (also known as white or bianca pies). You might find yourself veering towards the sauce section out of habit, but give the other section a try, too. Without a tangy tomato sauce competing with the toppings, ingredients can shine.
The Toscana, for instance, shows off vibrant colors from roasted bell peppers, cherry tomato halves, basil leaves and red onion slices, with roasted garlic and olive oil to set off every flavor. The Marsala is drizzled lightly with a wine-infused cream sauce and dotted with red onion and mushrooms. I love the fresh mozzarella, thick and oozy, that comes on most pies, though the Regina has water buffalo milk mozzarella, the Pulcinella features smoked mozzarella and the Lombarda is topped with gorgonzola (along with pear and arugula).
The red pizzas are topped with a simple sauce made from San Marzano tomatoes (another requirement to make it a true Neapolitan pizza) and olive oil. You’ll never go wrong with the classic margherita. A symbol of Italy, it doesn’t need anything more than basil, fresh mozzarella and tomato sauce.
Also very good was the Salsiccia, a margherita with nice chunks of Italian sausage, mushrooms and garlic added. The Pepperoncini gains a touch of heat from pickled pepperoncini and thinly sliced pepperoni.
I also tried Novanta’s gluten-free crust, which has a nice bready quality with a good flavor, hard to come by with gluten-free dough. Still, the texture is not quite the same as the original crust, and there’s a noticeable lack of the “handle” — the thick crust end of the pizza diners hang onto.
There are six signature white pies and eight with the tomato base, as well as the option to build your own, plus a scattering of dishes other than pizza — pasta bolognese and some salads.
The caprese salad comes with four small toasts, sliced cherry tomatoes, and sides of olive oil, balsamic and pesto. The fresh mozzarella is made in-house daily with Wisconsin milk. Prosciutto di Parma is extra, but well worth it. As refreshing as this salad was in March, I’m excited to try it again in summer when tomatoes are really at their peak.
And yes, there’s dessert. The tiramisu is delicious here, made traditionally with cakey ladyfinger cookies soaked in espresso and topped with whipped mascarpone and chocolate shavings. The cannoli is also good, with a deliciously crisp shell loaded with sweet ricotta cream. Novanta also offers lemon sorbetto, several flavors of gelato, and a dessert pizza topped with Nutella.
Order online for either the Old Sauk or University Avenue location via the Novanta website. Updates about service (hours may change) and specials are on Facebook.
Novanta
2903 University Ave.; 608-498-4995; novanta.biz
11 am-9 pm Mon.-Sat., 11 am-8 pm Sun.; $4-$11
