Neapolitan pizza complete with Italian Rustic Charm.
Stacks of imported Italian flour line the doorway to Brookhaven’s new restaurant, Vero Pizzeria. Butcher-block tables, wood shelving and tile give the restaurant an Italian rustic charm. Fresh herbs hang on a converted shabby chic chandelier. On a Sunday evening, the crowd is an earlier one and is beginning to thin out as families get the kiddies tucked in before another week begins.
The focal point of the restaurant is its gigantic, 6,800 pound pizza oven, imported from Italy. Vero’s owner purchased it from a small family business that has been making pizza ovens with clay from Mount Vesuvius for over a century. This Neapolitan style pizza cooks pizza in under two minutes. To maintain the high heat of the oven, it burns through the night.
There’s not a bad seat in the restaurant. Vero Pizzeria’s layout offers guests the opportunity a view of the pizza oven no matter where seated. Don’t blink or you may miss your pizza being baked. If you’ve got a large group, try to snag the large high top in the center which offers the best seating for sharing lots of different kinds of pizzas.
Vero Pizzeria’s menu includes not only custom pizzas, but also small bites and salads. Counter ordering ensures that food is delivered quickly. Though one pizza will be enough for a couple, ordering two is more fun. You get to try different toppings. With quality toppings, pizzas average $15.
Don’t overlook the starters either. Get an order of the wood roasted carrots too with whipped mascarpone, preserved lemon, thyme, and sofrito. This dish is a steal at just $5. So is the roasted cauliflower for the same price. Both get a quick turn in the oven to bring out a slight char and flavor that roasting brings.
With ten pizzas on the menu, guests can select those or build their own. However, staff recommends no additional toppings to their pizza creations, as the crust is so thin it may not stand up to the added weight. However it didn’t stop me from adding hen of the woods mushrooms to the fennel sausage, rapini (broccoli), pesto pizza and calabrian chili pizza.
Every heard of ‘Njuda? It’s a spreadable sausage the restaurant imports from Cambria. Served simply with tomato sauce and smoked provolone, you don’t want to add any additional toppings as this prized sausage shines on its own. Or get the Meatball pie, which includes a much-loved meatball from sister restaurant, Valenza.
Though you order at the counter for expedience, no need to get up once seated to order a second glass of vino or another side. Your sever will be more than happy to get that for you. Additionally, servers here are extremely well versed on the menu, down to knowledge of the town where the Italian imported specialty meats come from. If you’re lucky, Taylor will wait on you.
All wines are available by the glass in 6 or 8-ounce sizes or by the bottle. With three Super Tuscan’s on the Vero’s menu, it’s the best choice. It’s also the most expensive. While a very generous pour, it was $22.
The word “vero” is an Italian word that translates to “true” in English. From the authentic Italian oven to imported Italian specialty meats and sausages and down to the Italian flour in the pizza, it doesn’t get more true to Italian style than that. Vero Pizzeria gives Brookhaven residents the opportunity for a quick bite without sacrificing quality.
Feeling nostalgic? They played a terrific selection of 90s music during our dinner. After a glass of wine, you might find yourself singing along.
Vero Pizzeria Site
1441 Dresden Dr
Atlanta, GA 30319
(404) 869-1166
