Double Zero is one of the new entrants into the Napoletana pizza restaurants throughout the city. Varasano’s, Antico, and the lesser known Vingenzo’s are competitors. The style of pizza involves cooking very thin crust pizza at extremely high temperatures for a short period of time (usually 2-3 minutes). Double Zero gets its name from the flour, “Double Zero” which is imported from Italy.

Pulling up to Double Zero on a rainy Monday evening I was expecting it to be pretty empty, but apparently others had the idea to visit as the valet was a bit overwhelmed. I had just enough room to pull into the lot, heaven help me if someone else decided to pull in without paying attention or I’d have been rear ended. Still don’t understand why I can’t park myself and walk the 10 steps in and out of the restaurant. But I digress.

We were a group of six meeting up to try Double Zero for the first time. We had a reservation, but didn’t need it as the restaurant is huge. You  can’t miss the ovens, front and center when entering the restaurant. There are so many wines to choose from and our server was very helpful with selections.

Our server told us they were just debuting their fall menu. After perusing the menu, I was kind of surprised to see that it is quite substantial with items other than pizza. There were meats and cheeses (build your own charcuterie plate), as well as pastas and full meals. This is quite different from Varasano’s and Antico, who simply just offer pizza.

Starting off with a couple appetizers and pizza, we decided we’d order more if we were hungry after. The Lamb Meatballs, The Roast ($29 of Pork Shoulder with accompanying condiments and Radicchio salad) and Pork Belly with Pumpkin Risotto. Pizza was the house special – Double Zero with Prosciutto, Arugula.

The lamb meatballs were cooked in the sous vide method. Having had this and fallen in love with it, I had to give them a try. Too bad they fell short of my expectations. They were pretty salty and unfortunately I didn’t taste much of the lamb at all. The cheese and tomato jelly helped to assuage the salt factor though. However, I wouldn’t order this again.

The Roast was pretty amazing. It was extremely tender pork shoulder with condiments of apple-walnut relish, tomato jam, pureed garlic, and spicy peppers. It is served with a soft pita-pocket type of bread, the idea being to stuff inside the bread the pork along with the radicchio and sauce. I tried it, but prefer the pork all by itself with the tomato jam slathered on top. Although everyone at the table agreed it was a fantastic dish, as did I, I thought the near $30 price tag was kind of steep. Seems like $20 would have been more appropriate.

Next up was the Pork Belly with Pumpkin Risotto. So tender, and so crispy the pork belly was bursting with flavor. And the pumpkin risotto just added to the enjoyment of the meal. Add to that a fried egg, perched on top of the dish and it was a quite perfect. It was so tasty I went back to Double Zero to have it again just a couple weeks later.

We devoured our starters in near record time and expected our pizza to be up shortly as they only take a couple minutes to fire, right? But we waited and waited. Not sure what caused the hiccup but one of the managers was kind enough to bring us a plate of the Arancini (fried rice balls, er, they call them croquettes). I thought they were just okay, but the gesture was very much appreciated by our table.

When our pizza finally arrived, it came with scissors for cutting, like all their pizzas do. While the pizzas are small(ish) designed to be cut int the four slices, we made it work for our party of six. With the appetizers and pizza, we were all stuffed, and unfortunately, I was too full to try the braised rabbit pasta I’d been eyeing. I did return on a second occasion and have the pasta and it was just so-so. The cold marscapone-carrot sauce, cools the entire dish down, which was a bit of a disappointment. The rabbit and pasta didn’t stand out in any way. Wouldn’t order that dish again.

Double Zero is a terrific spot for a big group outing. The space is huge and they can accommodate large groups. Pricing is fair, the wine list and cocktails are superb. And as far as the menu goes, there’s something for everyone all with phenomenal service (thanks Manny)!

1577 N Decatur Rd

Atlanta, GA 30307