St. Vito Foccaceria Review - The Gulch - Nashville - The Infatuation
"Nashville-style pizza is not a thing. You've got Neapolitan-ish sourdough pies from Folk, thin-crust pizzas from Slim & Husky or Dicey’s, and NY slices from Five Points. But the most interesting stuff in town is St. Vito's sourdough Sicilian-style sfincione, covered in toppings like cheesy potato fonduta and an army of crispy pepperoni. This spot in the Gulch could’ve called it day serving those slices, but there’s more than meets the eye here. It’s a well-rounded Italian restaurant with small plates and pasta that live up to the pizza’s greatness, a deep wine list, and a space that feels right for a low-key special occasion or just a standout casual dinner. photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee When we first tried the sfincione, we spent a good amount of time Googling different cloud terminology to accurately describe it. We’ve settled on a combo between “stratus” and “cumulus,” because this dough is about as airy and puffy as it can get. At its core, it’s a focaccia pizza hybrid that’s soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. There’s an absurd level of gluten development in these pies, and one slice stands as tall as a physical copy of this year’s Merriam-Webster dictionary. Always order a couple of these. But it’d be a mistake to overlook the rest of the rotating small plates and pastas. There’s probably going to be a crudo—maybe some tuna from Massachusets that’s dressed in celery oil raspberry puree, and yellow tomato water. We’ve also had a duck egg yolk and ricotta gnocchi that felt like we were eating a super thin layer of pasta bursting with cheese. photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee We like the cushiony banquettes for group celebrations, but prefer sitting at the long bar. You’ll get to watch the pizzas getting blasted in and out of the oven, and probably talk to the chef and somm, who might just pour you a taste of some rare white nerello mascalese. There are also cute little details on the kitchen’s exhaust hood—John Mayer’s face with a written quote that says, “your burrata is a wonderland”—which make the place feel fun and casual, even though the food’s so good. Food Rundown photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee Pepperoni Sfincione All the sfincione comes with fontina cheese, pecorino, and seasoned breadcrumbs. But when this pizza goes into oven, there’s so much pepperoni stacked on top of the dough that it almost looks like rock formations. The par-baked dough can, in fact, handle this massive amount of meat. If it’s your first time here, you need one of these. photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee Spicy Tomato & Burrata Sfincione Possibly the heaviest slice, but that’s not a bad thing. This is the one to order if you’re coming solo for some pizza and a glass of wine at the bar. The tangy giardineira cuts through the burrata richness perfectly. photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee Potato Sfincione Love the creamy potato fonduta that’s bathed over the top. There’s a nice touch of acidity from some lemon. This is a great vegetarian slice that’s more interesting than the classic. Small Plates Always rotating, always interesting. We’ve tried things like a take on pepper jelly that was basically just pureed Jimmy Nardello pepper with funky whipped sheep milk cheese or a couple of different crudos. Get one or two that look good to you before you dive into pizza. photo credit: Andrew Thomas Lee Pastas Also … always rotating and interesting. There are usually some more basic options like a slightly-salty pork ragu with platonic ideal al dente rigatoni, or a pillowy gnocchi in a slightly sweet gorgonzola cream sauce." - Carlo Mantuano
