11 April,2011 10:13 AM IST | | Prachi Sibal
When hunger strikes, what better way than to give into those pizza cravings. Non-vegetarians might consider giving it a pass though
If the regular pizza chains are making your heart sink and failing to satisfy your pizza craving, this new take-away joint, Pizza Stop has got to be your next pick. Think thin crusted gourmet pizzas in an all new, no-fuss take away avatar. Pizza Stop is the take away wing of the popular Italian restaurant Italia and already has four kiosks across the city. We dropped by the one next to Corner House on St Mark's Road on a bustling Saturday evening in search for the right crunch.
Mediterranean Pizzau00a0u00a0 Pics/Kishore M Amruth
The menu is small and the ambience merely functional. At this point, it must be mentioned that the menu only caters to vegetarian varieties of pizzas and pastas and does not offer any non-vegetarian options. We settled for a Fantasy (Rs 120) and Mediterranean (Rs 150) amongst the pizzas and Nachos with Cheese Sauce (Rs 85) to get the meal started.
The gracious waiters provided us with no odd-numbered time frame in which our meal would appear but took just about 15 minutes. They also offered to fetch us a soft drink from the attached Airlines Hotel as the menu here offers no drinks.
The Fantasy Pizza was spicy with cottage cheese, peppers, onions, tomato sauce, a hint of coriander and sprinkled herbs on top. There were also hearty amounts of mozzarella atop both the pizzas. The crust was thin, crunchy but not overtly crisp.
The Mediterranean Pizza came with tomatoes, black olives and artichokes with a slightly tangy flavour and was lower on the spice meter as compared to the other. The pizzas come in two sizes, regular and large. We opted for regulars and found the quantity sufficient for one person.
The plate of nachos however was quite the winner through this meal. They were warm, crisp, and thin and came served with two tubs of sauce--Salsa and Cheese. The cheese sauce was gooey and comfort-food like while the salsa had just the right tang unlike its sweeter counterpart. The combination was well-worth the messy affair in the car. There are no dessert options on the menu, but with being located next doors to Corner House we aren't really complaining.
At: Airlines Hotel, Number 4, Madras Bank Road
Call: 8971101408
Meal for two: Rs 400
Pizza Stop didn't know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals.
Baked to a crisp
Trying a slice of pizza could well be a good sign of judging a European eatery and our order of a Benito's Special Veggie Pizza reminded us of homemade pizzas. Though the no-thin-crust pizza base didn't quite give it that Italian feel. What we did like was that the it came loaded with loads of veggies like mushrooms, bell peppers, diced chunks of paneer and cheese and was quite a mouthful.
At: Benito's, next to Pragathi Motors, Opp Ittina Soupernika, Sarjapur Road.
Call: 25741690 Meal for two Rs 700
Pizza mania
Tucked inside Mercure Homestead, the fine dining restaurant presents a happy picture with pleasant and calming interiors. The chef recommended Pizza Margherita (tomato, cheese and basil), is delicious with a thin crust that you will not mind tucking in heartily despite the dairy overload.
At: 12th Main, Mercure Homestead Residences, 12th Main, 3rd Block Koramangala
Call: 45121212
For: Rs 1,000 for a meal for two
Pizza stop
Food: Good
Service: Prompt
Ambience: Plain
