Background:
If you read our post on Barcelona Burger Bar, then you already know we are huge fans of Michal Bay's work (not to be confused with Transformers director Michael Bay--we are decidedly not fans of his work). After our awesome experience on the right side of the converted Mooresville mill (AKA the burger side) we were invited to head back on a recent night to check out the left side (AKA the pizza side). Aliño Pizzeria has been serving up authentic Neopolitan-stye pizza since February 2015, and the people are loving it. There are regularly lines out the door, although you won't wait long, as the staff has the process of getting you in and fed down to an art form.
How authentic is their pie? For starters, every week the restaurant gets shipments from Italy of San Marzano tomatoes, Buffalo Mozzarella, and "00" flour, a designation which means the flour is very finely ground. The pizzas are baked in custom wood-fire ovens for a mere 90 seconds. All of these steps are part of the process of making true Neopolitan pizza that has a signature soft and doughy crust with the perfect amount of chew. The ingredients used are of the highest quality, and it is evident that each pizza is made with a great amount of care.
Eat This:
We went with our friends Jess, Andrew, and Lorin, and splitting two pies turned out to be the perfect amount of food.
Bellucci
Cremini mushrooms, caramelized Cipolline onion, fresh garlic, truffle oil (no sauce)
Sorrento
Pepperoni, San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil, fresh garlic
The pizzas were incredible. The crust is like nothing else I've ever had, and the toppings were all flavorful and oh so savory.
We also tried a caprese salad, and we were so glad we did. I have never tasted Buffalo mozzarella as fresh as this. The spicy greens and the late summer tomatoes drizzled with some high quality olive oil--ugh. I was just in heaven eating this salad. Which is really saying something when the pizza was so delicious. The caprese was the perfect accompaniment to our meal.
Caprese Salad
Fresh, ripe tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil
One of my favorite parts about Aliño was their sauce and condiment bar. As a gal who likes a lot of red sauce for dipping, this allowed me to get as many servings as I wanted without feeling embarrassed. Hooray!
Dessert:
As we mentioned on the Barcelona post, all of the gelato and the cannoli are made in house. There is also a wide variety of cakes from a local bakery, so no matter what you are craving at the end of your meal, Aliño has you covered.
Chocolate raspberry Cake
cannoli
Chocolate chip & pistachio
gelato
Drink:
Like its sister restaurant Barcelona Burger, Alino has a large assortment of wine and beer, and the ever-popular freestyle Coke machine.
Atmosphere:
Whether you want to sit outside in Alino's covered patio area, or inside in the spacious dining area, you will be comfy and cozy.
Napoletano Hospitality:
Everyone at Alino is so friendly, and everyone always seems to be in a good mood. The folks at the counter who take the order are knowledgeable and efficient and the food runners are fast--seriously, the last time we were here our pizzas beat us to the table because we took so much time playing with the Freestyle Coke machine.
Frankie's Notes:
If they can make mozzarella from buffalo milk, imagine what they could make from pug milk; We covered Alino and Barcelona on episode one of the podcast, and you should definitely give it a listen here; Jason plus a Freestyle Coke machine = unbridled joy; If there is a condiment, sauce, or salsa bar, you can rest assured that I will come back with seven to nine varieties just for me; Don't touch my sauce.
Disclaimer: This meal was provided free of charge in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are our own, and we were not compensated for this review.