Dining Pick of the Week: Novecento Pizzeria

Novecento Pizzeria

5075 Centennial Center Blvd. at West Ann Road; 702-685-4900

For purists, pizza is only pizza if made according to strict Neapolitan standards. Chef Marc Sgrizzi follows these standards using San Marzano tomatoes from Napoli, Italy, Caputo “00” flour and mozzarella from Campania, Italy. The pizza is hand-tossed before being placed in a 900-degree, wood-burning oven that cooks it in 90 seconds. Specialty pies include Bianco with Gorgonzola, Naples with pancetta and brown egg, smoked salmon with goat cheese and no tomato sauce, and Calabrese, a margherita pizza with hot pepper mix and hard salami. Other pizzas include vegetarian, Classic White or you can make your own with pepperoni, house sausage, Coto ham, olives, roasted chicken, prosciutto di Parma, artichokes, roasted onions and seasonal items such as figs or peaches. The house specialty is eggplant Parmesan without bread crumbs. Salads include roasted beets, chopped (romaine, Genoa salami, Gorgonzola, roasted red peppers, red onion, red wine vinaigrette), Caprese and the antipasto plate with assorted meats and cheeses. There are calzones and strombolis, pasta fagiole soup and a cheese and olive platter. Among the desserts are cannoli and gelato. Pizzas start at $7.99, and salads begin at $4. Novecento Pizzeria is at 5705 Centennial Center Blvd. at West Ann Road. It is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

— Jack Bulavsky