Jace F.
Yelp
I'm not sure where to start, but I'll do my best.
We just left Enzina and I can't stop talking about our experience. As seasoned "foodies" who dine out 6 nights/week, we have now been meat-free for over 5 years and were initially drawn in by the vegan options. You can usually find stereotypical options anywhere, but chicken and sausage alternatives are a bit harder to come by. We were excited to see where this led...
Walking in, the space is small and cozy with a rustic brick backsplash setting the scene of an authentic Italian experience. Admittedly, it may be tough to get a bigger party accommodated, but I'm sure they have a way. Having a completely separate vegan menu is an amazingly thoughtful touch. We ordered marinara pizza, "chicken" parm, spaghetti, and "sausage" rigatoni.
I need to be clear and mention that ALL our dishes were amazing. The pasta was cooked to al dente perfection and the meat-alternatives would fool the most seasoned carnivore. It was almost impossible to pick favorites (like your kids), but if I had to (and it varied per guest), I would say the pizza was absolutely incredible. The crust was perfectly crisp, charred, and chewy with a smooth well-balanced sauce, quality olive oil, and fresh basil. Add some crushed red pepper and it's one of the best pizzas in recent memory; truly destination-worthy. The "chicken" parm was a close second with (2) crispy fried plant-based cutlets oozing with cheese (we opted for standard mozzarella) which played well with the al dente rigatoni. If you weren't feeling red sauce, the spaghetti is non-traditional and dressed with garlic confit and calabrian chili flakes for an unctuous punch. San Bennedeto sparkling and a solid old world wine list kept us sipping throughout the meal. We also opted for affogatos (espresso poured over vanilla bean gelato) which was a great crescendo to the meal.
Last, but certainly not least, was our stellar service. Our waitress was pleasant, courteous, and accurate. Additionally, John (not sure if he was a manager or owner or what not) was incredibly charming, insightful, and wonderful with kids. The cherry on top to a near-perfect experience.
Enzina's will be a heavy player in our rotation moving forward (even though we're 30 min away) and I'm excited to delve further into the menu!