The staff at
Il Forno does classic Napoletano pizzas extremely well. The antipasto is hands-down one of the best in town (today's pear and gorgonzola looked beyond dreamy). The panzanella with kalamata olives, watermelon, roasted pecans, grilled focaccia doused in awesome balsamic is making my mouth water right now. But the staff is also not afraid to innovate.
Though owned by Mike Sohocki, Il Forno's kitchen (all 8-by-10 feet of it) is spearheaded by Jason Garcia (formerly with Austin's Aroma). And it turns out chef doesn't mind getting a little weird.
While working on next week's (spoiler alert) stories for our pizza issue, we stumbled on this pizza popsicle on Instagram. At $2.50 a pop, the treat serves as a funky way to end your meal. It's made with a sweet, but still savory tomato jam and sweetened mozzarella curd whey leftover from Il Fo's cheese-making. Though not for everyone, the popsicle tastes like sweet cream meets mozzarella meets basil-filled tomato sauce. Take alternating bites for full effect.
122 Nogalitos St., (210) 616-2198.
