Posto

Sometimes a pizza is more than just a pizza. Sometimes a pizza is like a work of art, and some of the most talented pizza making artists in America are firing up delicious masterpieces right here at Posto at Assembly Row in Somerville.

I first became obsessed with posto about 15 years ago at their original location in Davis Square. They were one of the first restaurants in New England that was making real authentic Neapolitan style pizza. Recently, they moved a couple miles down the road to Assembly Row, and now they have a bigger and swankier space. It's open and airy. There's a long marble bar, beautiful red banquettes, cool lighting, exposed pipes. And the centerpiece, of course, is the pizza. I mean literally, the centerpiece right in the middle of the dining room is a pizza making station that is enclosed behind glass. So this is like working inside of a pizza making fish bowl.

These pizzas are special for multiple reasons, the ingredients, the technique, the tradition, and even the pizza oven itself. This is a Mara Forni pizza oven that was imported from Italy. This thing can reach temperatures as high as 800, 900, 1000 degrees. So it can cook up a pizza in just about 90 seconds.

And most pizzerias, a plain cheese pizza is just that pretty plain. But here at Posto, the cheese pizza is the superstar of the menu. Here it's known as the Margherita pizza. You have the dough made fresh daily with double zero flour, the sauce that's made with just simple crushed tomatoes. And then there's the cheese. They actually come in here early to make their own mozzarella cheese, fresh every single day. And when that cheese cools down, it goes on top of that pie, and it melts perfectly. So just look at that Margherita pizza. You can see that mozzarella cheese, the fresh basil they put on there. You see around the edges that oven is so hot you get the spots, or what's called leoparding. This is real Neapolitan pizza. So it's softer. In fact, in the center of the pizza, or what I like to call the loin of the pie, it's a little soupy, so you actually might need to knife and fork this thing.

For something a little more substantial. Try the spicy meat lovers pizza. This is everything you love about a meat lover's pizza, but just taken to a whole new gourmet level. You have some of their house made sausage, sopressata, pepperoni, mozzarella. The House made marinara and pickled jalapenos, if you're not afraid of a little spice and a whole lot of meat, that's the pizza for you. They also have a number of white pizzas on the menu. There's a buffalo chicken pizza that has homemade hot sauce roasted chicken, and their house made ranch dressing. And believe it or not, you can even get a peach pizza.

Now, I know there's a big controversy over putting pineapple on a pizza, but they've taken that debate to a whole other level. You have their mozzarella cheese, fresh peaches, crispy prosciutto, de Parma, some red onions, basil, and then over the top a drizzle of hot honey. Believe it or not, this is one of the most popular pizzas here, and once you take a bite, you'll understand why. I am very anti pineapple on a pizza, but I'm all for peaches on a pizza.

I was so caught up in the pizzas, I forgot to talk about the appetizers. For antipasta, a whole bunch of great small plates you should try. The number one antipasta I would recommend is the mortadella and whipped ricotta. I think mortadella is the new prosciutto. You're gonna see it everywhere in the next year that whipped ricotta is so fluffy and so creamy, just simply finished with some crushed pistachios, parmesan cheese. Simple, straightforward, authentic, a perfect bite.

Posto may be known for their pizza, but the pastas should not be ignored. Just check out their house made potato gnocchi served with short ribs and a red wine sauce. And since we're carboloading, we might as well go for the carbonara. This is one of the most famous Italian pasta dishes, and it is made the authentic way. So you look at this, it has that bright yellow, vibrant color. The pasta is perfectly al dente, and sitting on top is a beautiful runny egg yolk. So all you have to do is stick your fork in there and just sort of swirl it around, let that yolk emulsify into the pasta. It basically creates its own sauce, makes it silky smooth, adds another layer, another dimension of flavor that's incredible.

The number one selling pasta dish is the Bolognese. This dish is all about slow cooking and simmering over hours and hours. The Ragu itself is made with a combination of veal, beef and pork, and you add in their fresh House made rigatoni pasta. It's hearty, it's soothing. It is flavor packed. This thing is a nap waiting to happen, and it's a nap I can't wait to take.

Listen, there are a million pizza places out there where you can go and eat a slice of pizza. You don't come here to eat pizza. You come here for a pizza experience. So the next time you're craving some of the best pizza you will ever taste in your life, just head down to Assembly Row and go to Posto.